Orange County, California, government and business officials have presented details on the environmental and economic benefits to be gained from a renewable “green” energy plant being built at a county landfill.
Proponents of the landfill gas-to-electricity plant, to be built at the Frank R. Bowerman landfill near Irvine, California, will power homes and businesses, create construction and operational jobs and generate significant revenue in the form of royalties for the county government system.
“This project makes sense for the OC (Orange County) in so many important ways,” said Orange County Board Chairman Todd Spitzer, who represents the district where the landfill is located. “It represents a win-win for the environment and the economy — and shows that the county of Orange is following smart and resourceful policies regarding its public landfills.”
Spitzer made his remarks during the groundbreaking ceremony for the $60 million plant, which will be built on the 725-acre landfill that is one of the largest on the West Coast. The project—to be financed by Caterpillar Financial Services and built and operated by Bowerman Power, a subsidiary of Pittsburgh-based Montauk Energy —was championed by Spitzer. It won approval from the county’s full Board of Supervisors in October 2014 after a previous agreement for the facility was revised and updated.
At the event, Spitzer, executives from Bowerman/Montauk and other officials listed the many benefits to be gained by the plant, which will be completed and operational by early 2016:
- The plant will be a processing and power unit that captures landfill gas created by waste buried at the landfill. The gas contains high amounts of methane, which is a prevalent greenhouse gas.
- The gas will be converted to about 160,000 megawatt-hours of electricity, which is sufficient to serve about 18,500 homes. The electricity will be sold to Anaheim Public Utility to power residences, schools and businesses.
- The plant’s Caterpillar reciprocating engines will feature gas clean-up and emissions reduction technologies that will meet all local, state and federal air quality requirements. Thus, the project overall will have minimal environmental impacts or detriments.
- The electricity will be sold under a 20-year agreement with the City of Anaheim through its contract provider, Anaheim Public Utilities.
- The average annual royalty payment to Orange County is projected at $1.62 million, which, over the 20-year agreement, will total an estimated $32 million.
- An estimated $1 million in annual costs for plant operation and maintenance services will be paid for by Montauk.
- 60 construction jobs will be generated, along with the purchase of various building materials and services. In addition, seven full-time employees will be hired by Bowerman for plant operations.
- The Bowerman plant will be the county’s fourth gas-to-energy facility. The other three are at the Olinda and Prima Deshecha active landfills near Brea and San Juan Capistrano, respectively, and the Coyote Canyon closed landfill in Newport Beach.
- Altogether, the four facilities will produce 400,000 megawatts of electricity per year, enough to power more than 50,000 homes.
Dave Herrman, Montauk Energy’s CEO, said the company will move quickly to complete the construction of the 113,000-square-foot facility.
Montauk Energy develops, owns and operates large-scale, renewable energy projects using landfill methane. The company has more than 20 years of experience in permitting, design, construction and operation of energy facilities and extensive specialty experience in the development, ownership and operation of landfill methane recovery and processing projects. Montauk Energy's expertise and experience includes pipeline quality gas production, electric power generation, renewable energy credits, landfill gas collection system operations.
More information on the project is available at www.oclandfills.com.
