A Waste Management Inc. landfill gas capture project at the Altamont Landfill near Livermore, Calif., has finally come into production, and now is powering 300 of Waste Management's nearly 500 natural gas-powered waste and recycling collection trucks.
The $15.5 million joint venture between The Linde Group and Houston-based Waste Management was announced last May, when the two called it the world’s largest plant for the conversion of landfill gas into biogas.
The project was funded in part by the state, including the California Integrated Waste Management Board, the California Air Resources Board, the California Energy Commission and the South Coast Air Quality Management District, said Lindsay Dahl, a spokeswoman for Waste Mangement.
The Altamont plant began production in September 2009, and it took less than a year to build, Dahl said.
The plant produces as much as 13,000 gallons of liquid natural gas daily. Since September, it has produced more than 200,000 gallons, according to a press release.
Additionally, the joint project should reduce emissions by about 30,000 tons a year.