Landfill gas and dairy manure biogas recovery transforms methane into an energy source with a variety of positive benefits. With our decades of experience designing, engineering and implementing waste-to-energy systems, DTE Biomass provides local utilities, industries, businesses and consumers with an opportunity to harness this renewable fuel supply.
Landfill Waste-to-Energy Assessment
DTE Biomass Energy operates 19 landfill gas recovery sites in 8 states. We utilize our state-of-the-art technology and unmatched industry approach to assess a landfill’s best potential and create a customized project.
- Analyze a landfill: We determine the most profitable landfill gas-to-energy options based on size, location and market opportunities.
- Optimize energy end use: We identify a landfill’s unique strengths, and determine whether the extracted gas is best suited to generate electricity, replace fossil fuels in industrial and manufacturing operations, or refine to pipeline-quality renewable natural gas (RNG), which can then be used as vehicle fuel.
- Maximize value: DTE Biomass performs the complete range of design, engineering, construction, and operation services required to realize efficiencies and environmental benefits for your project.
To learn more about our landfill assessment capabilities, take a look at our Davidson Gas Producers project.
Agricultural Waste-to-Energy
In 2019, DTE Biomass Energy began operations at the very first dairy renewable natural gas facility in the state of Wisconsin.
These projects, across the state, demonstrate our commitment to both environmental stewardship and healthy economies. Converting dairy cow waste into clean, sustainable RNG positively impacts local environments and communities. Manure left to decompose naturally on farmland releases methane directly into the atmosphere. By capturing the gas instead, the farms reduce their overall greenhouse gas footprint and are compensated for their waste biogas, all while displacing fossil-based gasoline or diesel fuel.
DTE Biomass also builds and operates systems to purify dairy-based renewable natural gas (RNG). Dairy waste is deposited into anaerobic digesters where bacteria produce a biogas consisting of primarily methane (natural gas) and carbon dioxide. RNG facilities strip out the carbon dioxide and other impurities from the raw biogas, producing pipeline quality RNG. Our team works with dairy farms that have existing digester vessels, and we also build or operate these vessels as part of our project scope.
Once the methane is collected and refined the RNG is compressed and can either be trucked to a pipeline injection facility or directly injected into a natural gas pipeline.
To learn more about our dairy-based operations, please see our Pagel’s Ponderosa Renewable Energy Project.
Pipeline-Quality Renewable Natural Gas (RNG)
Before landfill gas or dairy biogas can be sold to premium energy markets, it must first be refined. DTE Biomass builds systems that collect and purify raw biogas for injection into commercial natural gas pipelines, where it can be used to replace fossil fuel-based fuel.
- Collection and refinement: Biogas is collected, treated and scrubbed through a series of processes to produce a pipeline-quality natural gas. This includes compression, cooling and filtering through a variety of different systems.
- Pipeline preparation: Before refined gas can be introduced into a commercial pipeline, the gas needs to meet the different specification and compression requirements that may vary by pipeline.
DTE Biomass also has experience developing and delivering RNG to the emerging vehicle fuel market. Our process qualifies under the federal RFS program (RINs) and the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) in California. We are a member of the Renewable Natural Gas Coalition.
To learn more about pipeline-quality renewable gas, please see our Westside Gas Producers project.
Power Generation and Renewable Energy Credits
Landfill gas is a renewable resource. When it’s used to generate renewable electricity, it also creates renewable energy credits (RECs).
Power generated from landfill gas is in high demand from energy companies seeking to meet their renewable portfolio requirements. In states without a renewable portfolio standard, the renewable energy credits can be traded on the market.
Currently, we have over 78 MW of power generation in our portfolio and have experience operating both engine and turbine technology.
To find out how DTE Biomass generates renewable electricity from landfill gas, see our Sunshine Gas Producers project.
To see how we have implemented a landfill gas collection system, check out our Fayetteville Gas Producers project.
DTE Biomass is part of the Landfill Methane Outreach Program, a voluntary technical assistance initiative from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that supports the adoption of landfill gas recovery.
Carbon Capture and Credit
Carbon credits are just one of the many benefits of extracting and refining landfill gas. DTE Biomass Energy can help you package and sell those credits on the open market. To learn more, please contact DTE Biomass Energy.