ecomagination

In Mexico, Jenbacher engines are at the heart of a newly expanded landfill gas-to-energy project, hailed by President Felipe Calderón as “a model renewable energy project” for Latin America. The 12-megawatt project converts the Simeprode landfill’s gas into electricity, which is used to support the solid waste facility‘s operations as well as Monterrey’s light-rail system during the day and city street lights at night.

The on-site power plant is part of an ongoing solid waste modernization effort well-suited for developing regions with little or no access to transmission grids. Recognized as a model alternative energy project, the plant qualified for funding from the World Bank’s Global Environment Fund to help reduce the region’s methane gas emissions.

“The financial viability of this project underscores our belief that Monterrey’s landfill gas plant will serve as a model renewable energy project for other countries throughout Central and South America,” President Calderón said at a ceremony to mark the landfill project’s expansion.

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas and primary constituent of landfill gas. Reducing Simeprode’s annual site emissions by about 420,000 tons of CO₂ equivalents by capturing and using the waste gas for power generation offers significant benefits to the region and additional revenues for the project owner through the sale of carbon credits.

The landfill plant’s expansion features five of GE Energy’s containerized J320 GS Jenbacher engines capable of generating a combined 5-megawatts of electricity. The units were installed next to an existing 7-megawatt, “first phase” of the plant powered by seven J320 GS Jenbacher engines, bringing the total to 12 engines. The development of such landfill gas projects remains an important alternative energy priority for the region.