Milwaukee sewer district to purchase landfill gas from Waste Management

The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) Commission has approved a plan that will allow it to use landfill gas from the Metro landfill in Franklin, Wisconsin, owned by Waste Management at its Jones Island sewage treatment plant.

According to a report in the Journal Sentinel, by summer of 2019, Waste Management of Wisconsin will be the district's second supplier of landfill gas. Advanced Disposal Service’s Emerald Park Landfill across the street from the plant also provides gas power, but has not been able to meet demand. The biogas from the Waste Management Landfill will be delivered to the Advanced Disposal Landfill and will be used to power the plant and dry Milorganite fertilizer. Metro’s landfill gas will be cleaned of contaminants and piped to Emerald Park where it will combine with that gas supply.

The article says MMSD handle the design, construction and operation the $11 million landfill gas treatment plant, compressors and meters to be built on Metro property.

Waste Management will construct a pipeline connection to Emerald Park and maintain its landfill gas extraction system at Metro.

According to an MMSD official cited in the article, the project is expected to save ratepayers up to $10 million over the 20-year contract. Waste Management will receive 36 percent of the market price for natural gas based on energy content from MMSD per the contract terms.

Jones Island burns t the fuel in three turbines generate electricity for the sewage treatment plant. Waste heat from the turbines is also used to dry sewage sludge to make Milorganite fertilizer.

The article says MMSD plans convert burners inside large rotary sludge dryers at the Milorganite factory to allow them to burn both natural gas and landfill gas.

The district has reportedly agreed to buy a minimum of 300,000 dekatherms from the Metro landfill in the first year and a minimum of 430,000 dekatherms in subsequent years, according to the article. Waste Management will cease burning gas at its power plant on the landfill property, which it has sold to We Energies for more 20 years.

According to the report, the agreement is contingent on Waste Management receiving approval on a 9-million-cubic-yard expansion on the Metro landfill from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.