Gulf Power opens landfill gas project in Florida

Gulf Power’s Landfill Gas-to-Energy facility started commercial operations in October, producing 3,200 kilowatts – enough renewable energy to power more than 900 homes.

It is the first renewable energy generation facility owned and operated by Gulf Power, and the first landfill gas facility by its parent Southern Company. The energy capacity can be expanded as landfill methane gas production expands in the future.

The partnership between Gulf Power and Escambia County was launched officially in February, when Gulf Power broke ground on its $5.3-million facility. Gulf Power has a contract with Escambia County for the purchase of landfill gas and with LFG Technologies Development to build and operate the landfill gas-to-energy facility.

Municipal solid waste landfills are the second largest human-generated source of methane emissions in the United States and methane is one of the most potent forms of greenhouse gases – 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Escambia County has a collection system in place and pipes the gas to the facility, where it is processed for use by the specially designed Caterpillar 1,600-kilowatt landfill gas generators. Water separated from the landfill gas will be re-used by the Landfill for its leachate system.