We're in the Green!
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Waste to Energy
Creating Energy from Landfill Gas and Wastewater
Trash to Treasure
The City of Albuquerque is using innovative ways to convert waste products into useful energy.- Landfill Gas to Energy -- At two City landfills, trash is literally being converted into valuable energy.
- Wastewater to Energy -- At another facility, wastewater is being used to generate electricity.
Landfill Gas to Energy
The material in landfills generates methane gas as it decomposes. Rather than simply allow that gas to seep into the atmosphere, the City of Albuquerque has installed systems to collect the methane gas. How does it work?
Methane is collected using an extraction system that consists of gas wells installed deep inside the landfill. Collection lines connected to the wells bring the methane to the flare station or energy facility.- Cerro Colorado Landfill -- At the Cerro Colorado landfill, the methane is pumped to a flare station, where it is burned in a process that is less damaging to the environment than allowing the gas to naturally seep off.
- Los Angeles Landfill -- At the Los Angeles landfill, some of the methane is used to fuel a microturbine that generates electricity. The remainder of the methane is flared. The electricity that is generated by the microturbine is used to power the methane gas extraction system and a groundwater remediation system. The system harnesses and converts so much methane that there is power left over to sell back to the electric company!
Wastewater to Energy
In the late 1980s, Albuquerque won national acclaim for converting its sewage stream into electricity to operate the liquid waste plant.
The process, known as cogeneration, uses methane gas produced by the wastewater
treatment process to generate the electricity and heat needed to
operate the Southside Plant on Second Street SW. Learn more about cogeneration at the Southside Plant.
The Southside Plant generates about half of its own power needs, and saves about $70,000 a month in energy costs.
How does it work?
Anaerobic digesters, operating 24/7, convert organic waste removed during the sewage treatment process into methane. The methane produced is used to fuel for large diesel engines that drive electrical generators, which produce 6.6 megawatts of electrical power. The heated water from the engine cooling systems is used to warm the digesters and some buildings on the plant site.