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 Documents,
Tools and Resources
Ajinomoto U.S.A., Inc.
Building on Success
Ajinomoto, a pharmaceutical company, in connection with Natural Power,
Inc. and the City of Raleigh, North Carolina, has prevented pollution
equivalent to removing more than 23,000 cars from the road. How? By using
landfill gas derived steam at its facility.
Ajinomoto has been so pleased with its ten-year involvement in this
project that it has expanded its facility space and its commitment to
the environment and is in the process of exploring additional uses for
landfill gas at their plant.
The landfill gas-to-energy project between Natural Power, Ajinomoto,
and the City of Raleigh has demonstrated that using landfill gas to fuel
boilers at a commercial or industrial facility is a win-win situation.
The benefits to Ajinomoto are typical of those seen by landfill gas end
users: significant fuel cost savings, assurance of a reliable fuel source,
and a commitment to a cleaner environment. "[Natural Power] is very
proud of this project's successful track record. Having a landfill gas-to-energy
project in which two boilers are fueled exclusively on landfill gas and
not a blended gas, the only one in the state and quite possibly the nation,
I might add, makes us especially proud," says Bill Rowland, President
of Natural Power. The Ajinomoto project provides an excellent example
of different players in the community working together, as the industry
leaders, gas project developers, and municipal government have cooperated
on this project for nine years to ensure a cleaner environment and local
community.
Since 1989, Natural Power has collected landfill gas from Wilder's Grove
landfill and piped it 3/4 mile to Ajinomoto. There, landfill gas is fed
to a boiler owned by Natural Power. This boiler, which can operate on
landfill gas or natural gas, produces steam that heats the Ajinomoto facility
and warms pharmaceutical cultures. In 1997, Natural Power added a second
landfill gas-fueled boiler to the site, in response to Ajinomoto's plans
for a facility expansion. Ajinomoto uses landfill gas for all of its boiler
fuel needs and has eliminated its use of fuel oil altogether. With the
second boiler on line, the project meets over 95 percent of Ajinomoto's
steam needs.
Natural Power funded the capital costs for the project, including pipeline
and boiler installation. Natural Power's revenue comes from its sale of
steam to Ajinomoto. In turn, Natural Power pays approximately 15 percent
of the project's gross revenue to the landfill owner, the City of Raleigh,
as royalties on the landfill gas rights and about 40 percent to the pipeline
system owner, Raleigh Landfill Gas Corporation, to purchase the landfill
gas, making this project a revenue generator for a variety of participants.
The business community and citizens of Raleigh will enjoy benefits for
years to come as a result of this project. For Ajinomoto, a noteworthy
benefit of the landfill gas-to-energy partnership is the assurance of
a reliable fuel source at significant cost savings (about $250,000 in
1998!) over traditional fuels.
The City of Raleigh, which owns the landfill that produces the gas,
has ensured proper closure of its landfill, installation of a required
gas collection system at no cost to the city, and royalty payments through
the sale of gas rights to Natural Power. Says Gary Faw, Manager of the
Utilities Department at Ajinomoto, the project meant that "we could
win and they could win."
And last but not least, the community and the global environment benefit
from improved air quality and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Current
reductions from this project are equivalent to eliminating nearly 162,000
tons of carbon dioxide each year — as much as planting over 49,000
acres of trees.
Summary of Benefits
- Direct Gas Use Producing Significant Economic
Savings
- Environmental Savings
- Industry, Community, and Project Developer
Working in Partnership
Lessons Learned
- During negotiations, ensure that all parties
will make a profit.
- Develop a pricing structure. It can be based
upon past history of fuel prices, state industrial consumer prices,
and a set maximum and minimum for the unit price.
What Is Landfill Gas?
Most of the waste we generate ends up in landfills,
where it decomposes and produces landfill gas. Landfill gas released
into the air smells bad, contributes to local smog, and is an explosion
hazard. Additionally, landfill gas is about 50 percent methane,
a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to global climate change.
However, this methane is also a reliable and renewable fuel source
that, if not collected, goes to waste. |
The Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP) is a voluntary program
that assists project developers, utilities, landfill owner/operators,
energy users, and communities to encourage new landfill gas-to-energy
projects. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has developed a variety
of tools (e.g., profiles, fact sheets, project development manuals, software,
etc.) to facilitate the development of landfill gas-to-energy projects.
Hundreds of landfills across the country are good candidates for a landfill
gas-to-energy project. To find out more, please contact LMOP.
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