8.4 MW Upgrade to Biogas Power Facility at Chile's Largest Landfill

GE's J420 Jenbacher 30 April 2012 An 8.4 MW landfill gas to energy project at Chile's largest landfill site is to install six General Electric (NYSE: GE) Jenbacher specialty gas engines as part of a major expansion of the site's existing gas to energy plant. The Loma Los Colorados Landfill is located 63 km northwest of Santiago and around 60% of the capital city's solid waste is transported to the site for disposal. According to GE the 8.4 MW plant expansion - known as 'Lomas Los Colorados II' - features six of its 1.4 MW ecomagination-qualified J420 Jenbacher units, which it will install adjacent to seven existing Jenbacher engines already at the site. The company said that it expects the new units to enter commercial service between 2012 and 2014, in line with landfill gas production. Combined, the 13 landfill gas-fuelled engines are expected to generate a total of 18 MW - enough to support the needs of about 75,000 homes in Chile. GE claimed that KDM Energia selected its gas engine technology because of the J420's performance on other landfill gas projects, and because of the local support provided with Generadora Transandina SA (GTSA) - a part of Secco industries and GE's authorised distributor and service provider for Jenbacher gas engines in Chile. As part of the project GTSA provided design and engineering support for the initial phase, as well as installing the engines. The GE distributor will also own the units over the next 10 years and is renting them to the end user, which has a purchase option available during the contract period. GE said that GTSA will operate the units on behalf of KDM Energía under this 10 year agreement which also covers maintenance services. In addition to the Jenbacher gas engines, GE said that it also provided a master engine control system to help the operator achieve maximum availability and efficiency from the generating equipment. Sergio Durandeau, general manager of KDM Energía, which owns the landfill and the power plant said that the is project serving as "an important renewable energy model for the region as Chile looks to diversify its energy mix. In addition to the Loma Los Colorados Landfill project, GE said that it has another project underway in the region for which it will supply three of its 2.7 MW J620 Jenbacher biogas engines. This project is part of Chilean water utility Aguas Andinas' wastewater treatment plant expansion and renewable energy project along the Mapocho River, near the capital city of Santiago. The engines will be fuelled by biogas created by the digestion of sewage sludge collected at the treatment plant. GE said that it expects to commission the engines during the second half of 2012. Read More Landfill Gas Project Delivering Power to Nissan in Mexico ENER-G Natural Power and its sister company Biogas Technology have developed a 2.5 MW landfill biogas project that is selling electricity to Nissan's manufacturing site in Aguascalientes, Mexico. 3.2 MW Landfill Gas to Energy Project Opened in Nevada Houston, Texas based Waste Management has opened northern Nevada's first landfill gas to energy power plant at its Lockwood Landfill. New 4.3 MW Landfill Gas Project to Expand in Brazil A new 4.3 MW landfill gas to energy project which has recently entered service at Asja Brasil's Belo Horizonte landfill site in the state of Minas Gerais is to be expanded. Free Magazine Subscription Free Email Newsletter