State and Local Climate and Energy Program
Using Landfill Gas to Recycle Glass and Provide Energy to the Metropolitan Detention Center
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Federal Funding: $500,000
Project Timeline: July 2010 – July 2013
Latest Update
Albuquerque is planning a pipeline that will transport natural gas from the landfill to the county’s detention facility where it will fire the facility's heating and hot water boilers. The City has secured a design-build contractor to complete the project and is awaiting approval of the construction schedule by the City of Albuquerque and the Bernalillio County Metropolitan Detention Center.
Project Summary
Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Using Landfill Gas for Heating and Recycling in a Public-Private Partnership
To reduce the use of fossil fuels and related greenhouse gas emissions, Albuquerque will use methane gas from its main landfill, currently flared, for two end uses. First, the gas will be used to fire a new kiln at a glass recycling facility. Second, the gas will be piped to the county's detention facility to fire the facility's heating and hot water boilers. In conjunction with this work, the city will conduct a public education campaign about renewable energy technologies.
Albuquerque partnered with Growstone to recycle the glass collected through the City's recycling program. Growstone crushes this glass into a powder to make an agricultural soil amendment product that conserves water. The company has a facility at the City's Cerro Colorado Landfill, but it currently sends the glass powder to another facility for finishing. In partnership with the City, Growstone will build a finishing kiln at the Cerro Colorado site. The City will install and operate a gas control and collection system (GCCS) at the landfill, and a portion of the collected gas will be used to fire Growstone's kiln.
The project will also build a gas line from the GCCS to the nearby Metropolitan Detention Center. The center's six boilers will be switched over to use landfill gas, starting with three of the boilers and then firing more as the landfill expands.
The City is also developing a public education strategy, targeting the general public, green entrepreneurs, and governmental agencies. The emphasis will be on renewable energy, green technologies, public empowerment, and sustainability in public-private partnerships.
The project will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by replacing the fossil fuels used at the detention facility and using a renewable fuel source for the kiln. The glass recycling facility will demonstrate the viability of a green business model, and it will create 12 green manufacturing jobs. The project will create a model for public-private partnership that can be replicated at other landfill sites.
Community Characteristics
| Population: | 508,000 |
|---|---|
| Area: | 181 square miles |
| Government Type: | City |
| Community Type: | Urban |
| Median Household Income: | $45,962 |
Program Results/Estimated Results
| Expected GHG Emissions Reductions: | 44,400 metric tons CO2e annually |
|---|---|
| Expected Renewable Energy Generation: | 8.7 MMBTUs/hour |
| Expected Green Job Creation: | 12 |
