East Kentucky Power Cooperative (EKPC) is expanding its landfill gas-to- electric plant at Bavarian’s Landfill in Boone County.
The plant, which has four existing generators, is getting an additional generating unit. All of these units are fueled by methane gas collected from within the landfill. The gas is produced when organic waste breaks down within the landfill.
“Even with EKPC’s existing plant, the landfill had excess methane gas,” said Bill Kennedy, EKPC’s Landfill Gas Manager. “EKPC and Bavarian Landfill have had a good relationship since 2003 when the original plant began operating, so this just made sense.”
“Bavarian was the first landfill in Kentucky to collect the methane gas the landfill produces,” said Jim Brueggemann, President of Bavarian Trucking Co., Inc. “We’ve been working towards this expansion for a while and are excited that the last pieces are finally coming together!”
EKPC is expanding the plant’s building to accommodate the new electric-generating unit.
Once the expansion is completed this month, the plant will have the capacity to produce up to 4.6 megawatts of electricity, which is enough to power approximately 2,500 typical Kentucky homes. The expansion is expected to cost approximately $2.9 million.
“EKPC’s fleet of landfill gas generators has proven to be a reliable, affordable source of electricity for the more than 1 million Kentucky residents who are served by our 16 owner-member electric cooperatives,” said Don Mosier, Chief Operating Officer of EKPC.
The electric plant is located adjacent to the Bavarian Landfill, which collects and pipes the methane gas to the plant. EKPC purchases the gas from Bavarian.
It is one of six such plants owned and operated by EKPC in Kentucky. Others are located at landfills in Barren, Greenup, Hardin, Laurel and Pendleton counties. Together, these plants produce enough electricity to power almost 8,000 typical Kentucky homes.
EKPC’s LFGTE plant at Bavarian landfill, established in 2003, was the co-op’s first such plant.
East Kentucky Power Cooperative is a not-for-profit, member-owned cooperative providing wholesale electricity to 16 owner-member distribution cooperatives that serve 530,000 Kentucky homes, farms, businesses and industries across 87 counties. EKPC provides power through coal-fueled plants located in Mason and Pulaski counties; natural gas-fueled peaking units in Clark and Oldham counties; renewable energy plants in Barren, Boone, Laurel, Greenup, Hardin and Pendleton counties; and more than 2,800 miles of transmission lines.
From EKPC