The city of Akron, Ohio, is putting a former landfill to use as a way to provide power to its wastewater treatment plant. Public officials and members of the community gathered at the waste water treatment plant in late November 2012 to dedicate the project which includes an 1,100 kilowatt electrical generation and distribution system designed to capture methane gas from the former Hardy Road Landfill and convert it into electricity.

The project is being managed by Hull Energy who along with IGS Energy have supported the costs associated with acquiring, installing and operating the waste-to-energy system. Both companies are located in Dublin, Ohio. Hull and the city of Akron entered into an agreement in 2011 to develop and install the system. Hull broke ground on the project at the end of 2011 and began operating the system in August 2012.

The Hardy Road Landfill produces an estimated 17,000 standard cubic feet per hour of (scfph) of landfill gas which the city previously flared off from the facility. This new project, which is now converting the gas to electricity, will produce approximately 8,600 megawatt hours of electricity annually for the wastewater treatment plant, or the equivalent of enough energy to power 700 to 800 homes, according to Hull. The engine being used is a Waukesha APG 1000, which according to Hull is 42 percent energy efficient.

The landfill gas project and a separate anaerobic digestion system has allowed the wastewater treatment plant to generate 95 percent of its energy on site.

During a ribbon-cutting ceremony in late November 2012, Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic said, “This is just another example of how we are working to improve our operations and preserve our environment so our grandchildren and their children’s children can enjoy a green and prosperous community."