BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
Telegraph Editor
RAIFORD — New River Regional Landfill is closer than ever to turning the greenhouse gases it must otherwise burn off into a renewable — and profitable — source of natural fuel.
In the past two months, pipelines for the gas collection plant have been checked for leaks, and now some additional mechanical issues are being dealt with at the newly constructed landfill gas-to-energy plant.
They should be ready for a reliability test, soon, according to New River Solid Waste Association Director Perry Kent.
“They’re just having some issues with keeping some valves open,” he said. “It’s mechanical. There’s probably 100 electrical valves that open and close and all that.”
Kent also told the board that 145 gas wells in the landfill are tuned every day to ensure the best quality gas is being delivered to the plant.
A temporary truck pad has been placed on site for what is being called a “virtual pipeline.” Eventually, once easement details and construction are complete, an actual pipe will tie the gas plant into a TECO-owned natural gas line. Until then, trucks will be used to transport the gas to a location where it can be fed into the pipeline.
Trucks and compressors are already on site and being connected, Kent said.
The landfill recently received a map of the pipeline easement, which Kent said stretches from behind the landfill to C.R. 199 in Union County.
“I wish we were already producing gas, I wish the pipeline was already in, but we are still moving forward,” he said.
A presentation and tour will be scheduled when the virtual pipeline starts up.
