Reclaiming energy from methane at Maryland landfill

Qnergy Inc., Ogden, Utah, a methane abatement solutions provider and a manufacturer of clean, reliable, electric power using Stirling engine technologies, has announced its first landfill deployment to abate methane, create clean electrical energy and generate voluntary carbon credits.

Working with Maryland Environmental Service (MES) and Maryland Energy Administration’s Open Energy program, Qnergy installed its PowerGen5650 at the Midshore I Landfill in Easton, Maryland. The PowerGen5650 captures and converts low methane landfill biogas into electricity that will deliver up to 5.6 kilowatts of power for onsite operational use along with reduced energy costs from otherwise flared gas.

MES operates the landfill in Easton and one in Ridgely, Maryland, on behalf of Caroline, Kent, Talbot, and Queen Anne’s counties, as part of an 80-year solid waste agreement.

“We are excited to expand our methane abatement program to landfills,” Qnergy CEO Ory Zik says. “The Inflation Reduction Act and EPA focus on converting methane pollution into useful energy, and this is where our generators are the best system of emission reductions.”

MES Executive Director Charles Glass says the installation will help reduce methane emissions and help the landfill meet the state’s greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) standards.

“The installation of the Qnergy generator is the first step toward demonstrating the ability to use an otherwise lost byproduct at municipal solid waste landfills,” he says.

The project demonstrates an alternative to flaring and that even lower concentration landfill biogas methane can be converted into electricity and heat and reduce GHG emissions.

“As the first completed project under our recently launched Open Energy Grant Program, we are excited to know [how] the benefits will help to leverage the state’s landfills, promote clean energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” Maryland Energy Administration Director Mary Beth Tung says. “We look forward to seeing replicas of this project on landfills across Maryland that support a variety of clean energy technologies.”

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