Reducing emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas
Without this project, this county landfill would emit significant amounts of methane, which as a greenhouse gas is 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide
Meets the Carbon Action Reserve LFG protocol performance standard
48 vertical wells in the landfill ranging from 12 feet to 88 feet are drawn by a vacuum system to a central collection header
Reuse and revenue opportunities
Coffee County is now looking at harnessing the energy released by burning the methane through reuse and resale, rather than flaring it
Coffee County Landfill Gas Collection, Alabama, USA
Though less photogenic than some of their carbon offset project counterparts, landfill gas projects play an essential role in the offset ecosystem, primarily by reducing emissions of methane, a greenhouse gas 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide. In Elba, Alabama, the Coffee County Sanitary Landfill has invested in being part of the climate solution by installing a system to collect and combust landfill gas before it can escape into the atmosphere. Without this project and its control of methane emissions, this county landfill would be a significant methane emission source.
There are 48 vertical wells installed within the Coffee County Landfill, with depths that ranging from 12 feet to 88 feet. A blower creates a vacuum that draws the landfill gas from these wells to the main collection header, where the landfill gas is combusted via a flare. The system now meets the rigorous performance standard defined by the Climate Action Reserve landfill gas protocol.
In addition, the landfill’s Non-Methane Organic Compound (NMOC) emissions rate was measured to be 5.3 Mg/yr. (megagrams per year), well below the 50 Mg/yr that would trigger mandatory control of this landfill’s emissions.
The project’s offset calculus accounts for three voluntarily installed passive flares that were used for positive pressure release and odor control prior to the project’s start date. All discounts for pre-project destruction devices were accounted for in the baseline emissions for the current reporting period, and were verified during the project’s initial reporting period.
Looking forward, Coffee County is now planning to use this infrastructure to add an additional layer to its landfill gas recapture program by selling the captured methane as a reusable energy source to a Florida-based recycling company, rather than flaring it off directly. This utilizes energy from burning the methane that would have otherwise gone wasted, and creates a revenue stream for the county government and local area.
