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So I bought a power plant
A few of you know I've been traveling to Boise a bit over the past year. We purchased a landfill gas to energy project.
This is a small plant, 3.2 Mega-Watts, but with expansion potential. It consists of two Caterpillar 3520 Engine Generator sets, setup for low BTU gas. Landfill gas is 40-60% Methane, 30% CO2 and the rest Nitrogen, water vapor and general crud. You have to do a little "clean up" on the gas before it is used by the engines.
Most landfills are now required to collect the methane generated. Most simply flare the gas. The gas is "cheap", about 1/3rd the price of natural Gas on a BTU basis. And we're taking a wasted resource and turning into something useful. I always point out that in the early petroleum industry days, the focus was making kerosene. Gasolines were too volatile, and were flared or dumped into rivers.
Because it is bio-gas, it is considered renewable. But unlike solar and wind, we produce power 24-7.
So in the immortal words of "He-Man"
I have the power!
__________________
James
The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the engineer adjusts the sails.- William Arthur Ward (1921-1994)
Red-beard for President, 2020
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