A new report by the NGO Energy Vision finds advanced landfill tech” (ALT) for controlling landfill methane is among the lowest-cost greenhouse gas cutting strategies.
Drawing on LoCI Controls data and case studies of landfills using LoCI systems, the report assesses ALT options including installing landfill gas collection and control systems (GCCS) at working faces, and augmenting them with real-time monitoring and automated tuning equipment such as LoCI’s.
It found roughly 900-1000 municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills nationwide could feasibly adopt ALT, which would cut US MSW landfill emissions 49-52% and overall US methane emissions 7.2-8.6%, for just $8.35-9.58 per metric ton (MT) of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) abated.
That’s about half the cost of plugging methane leaks in low-output oil and gas “stripper wells” (@$19/MT CO2e). GHG savings from switching from fossil fuel to wind and solar cost on average $65/MT CO2e. Direct air capture of CO2 costs an estimated $800/MT.
ALT systems increase quantity and quality of methane gas capture, making renewable natural gas (RNG) viable and more profitable for landfill operators. The report found deploying these systems widely would cost $1.3-1.8 billion in capex, plus $250-$340 million in opex, and yield $1.86 billion in annual RNG revenues.
That’s assuming ALT boosts methane capture 15%, which is conservative. The report cites results of deployed LoCI systems, including a portfolio of ten landfills where they increased gas capture by 20% (averaged over five years). At the Klickitat Public Utility District in Washington State, where RNG output had been declining, installing LoCI systems increased RNG quantity 12% averaged over four years and improved inlet composition stability. At the Hamm Landfill in Lawrence, Kansas, LoCI systems increased gas capture by an average of 32% over four years.
“These days methane and GHG abatement must be practical and cost-competitive, and at $8 or $9 a metric ton, advance landfill tech is powerfully competitive,” said Andrew Quigley, LoCI Controls’ Director of Environmental Attributes. “We’re not talking about massive new builds or long lead times. GCCS and modern control systems can be installed inexpensively in four to six weeks. That’s not the case for wind, solar, or DAC. ALT is a proven strategy ready to scale now, providing profitability for landfill operators and rapid results for the climate.”
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