Aug. 9 (UPI) — Nearly 10,000 consumers could get their natural gas by drawing on the emissions from the organic waste found in a Missouri landfill, energy company Vision RNG said Wednesday.
Vision RNG announced that a so-called renewable natural gas project at a landfill in Bowling Green is fully operational. The project draws on the gas emitted during the decomposition of waste to yield a source of energy that could heat an estimated 8,800 homes annually.
Unlike other emerging forms of energy, such as hydrogen, this form of gas can be injected directly into an interstate pipeline network for use by various other consumers.
“By converting our landfill gas into pipeline quality clean energy, we manage potential odors more effectively, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and capture a once wasted renewable resource to fuel more efficient trucks and operations throughout the region,” added Gregg Asciutto, the area president for Meridian Waste, which operates the landfill.
Decomposition of organic matter results in the release of natural gas in the form of methane, which can be purified to remove harmful compounds and increase its potency.
Natural gas and electric power distribution company UGI Corp. in January committed to a $150 million spend alongside MBL Bioenergy, a consortium established for the sole purpose of developing renewable natural gas projects in South Dakota using dairy farm waste.
Amazon, Federal Express and United Parcel Service are among the growing list of companies turning to renewable natural gas to power their fleets. Engineers at Cornell University in upstate New York, meanwhile, are working to develop a system to extract energy from cow manure to meet increased heating demands.
