Green Visions
September 9, 2009.
We almost take it for granted that Windham County is a place filled with innovators in the green economy. But soon, at the former Windham Solid Waste Management District landfill on Old Ferry Road in Brattleboro, the nation’s first integrated renewable energy-to-agriculture and algae feed and biodiesel project will be put into operation.
Burlington-based Carbon Harvest Energy, Inc. says the Brattleboro project would be a zero fossil fuel input, zero waste output facility that will remove approximately 20,000 metric tons of carbon emissions per year while using the landfill’s gas to produce electricity, high quality local food, biofuel and feed.
Landfill gas is the natural by-product of the decomposition of solid waste in landfills and is comprised primarily of methane — a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, municipal solid waste landfills are the second largest human-generated source of methane emissions in the United States.
A project like this one not only prevents emissions of methane, but uses these gases to produce energy and other by-products. First, Carbon Harvest says it plans to restore the landfill’s former methane gas-to-energy project, supplying 250 kilowatts of electricity to the regional grid. Once that is done, they would install an additional, state-of-the-art combined heat and power generation plant that would produce an additional 310 kilowatts of electricity.
Then, the company says it will build a 20,000 square foot greenhouse with aquaculture and plant production for year-round, high quality fish and fresh vegetables to supply the Vermont Foodbank and other customers. Waste heat from power generation would provide low-cost heat to the greenhouse, and the 30,000 gallons of aquaculture would provide high value organic nutrients for the plants.
Carbon Harvest is also planning to team up with the University of Vermont’s Rubenstein School to use combustion exhaust from the energy plant and waste from the aquaculture facility to provide the heat and nutrients for an algae research and development project which will capture all remaining waste and carbon and convert it to algae for production of biodiesel and livestock feed for fish and poultry. As a result, the facility would produce virtually zero waste.
It’s an impressive project, one that could initially create up to 10 new jobs. The Brattleboro Selectboard seems to agree. On Tuesday, it approved a $40,000, 10-year loan at 1.25 percent interest through the Small Business Administration for Carbon Harvest. It was the proverbial no-brainer of a decision, for the environmental benefits it will bring to Brattleboro are considerable. By turning pollution into a valuable community resource, the Brattleboro landfill project helps the environment and creates new jobs. It’s well deserving of the town’s support.
Carbon Harvest is also planning to team up with the University of Vermont’s Rubenstein School to use combustion exhaust from the energy plant and waste from the aquaculture facility to provide the heat and nutrients for an algae research and development project which will capture all remaining waste and carbon and convert it to algae for production of biodiesel and livestock feed for fish and poultry. As a result, the facility would produce virtually zero waste.
It’s an impressive project, one that could initially create up to 10 new jobs. The Brattleboro Selectboard seems to agree. On Tuesday, it approved a $40,000, 10-year loan at 1.25 percent interest through the Small Business Administration for Carbon Harvest. It was the proverbial no-brainer of a decision, for the environmental benefits it will bring to Brattleboro are considerable. By turning pollution into a valuable community resource, the Brattleboro landfill project helps the environment and creates new jobs. It’s well deserving of the town’s support.