PPL, the Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority and Turkey Hill Dairy this week dedicated a new landfill-gas-to-energy project at the authority’s Frey Farm and Creswell Landfills.

This project captures landfill methane and converts it to electricity and steam that will be sent to the boiler system at Turkey Hill Dairy. Two Caterpillar engines fueled by landfill gas will produce 3,200 kilowatts -- enough electricity to power about 4,000 homes. The electricity will be exported into the utility grid for use.

"PPL is pleased to partner with the Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority, Turkey Hill Dairy and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to be part of a green energy project that reduces methane, a major greenhouse gas," said Paul T. Champagne, president-PPL EnergyPlus. "We are excited to be part of an effort to bring renewable technology and associated projects to Pennsylvania."

The project was funded in part by a $650,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Energy Deployment Authority.

Two boilers on the engine enclosures will make steam that will go to the boiler system at Turkey Hill Dairy. Enough steam will be provided to offset about 85 percent, or more than 225,000 gallons of diesel fuel, used annually in Turkey Hill’s boilers. Turkey Hill uses the steam to clean its equipment.

Enough landfill gas will be used through the landfill authority project to save 400,000 barrels of oil, offset the use of 800 railcars of coal and provide greenhouse gas reduction benefits equal to planting 48,000 acres of forest.

All of the state’s landfill-gas-to-energy projects reduce emissions equivalent to taking 47,027 cars off the road, offset the use of 1,202 railcars of coal, prevent the use of 570,332 barrels of oil and equal the beneficial effect of planting 72,448 acres of forest.

For more information, visit the Landfill Gas Outreach Program webpage.

5/12/2006