DNR's Andrea Kliethermes with city and KCP&L officials at the project grounding breaking in March 2011.
KCP&L and St. Joseph Landfill project:
KCP&L Greater Missouri Operations Company received a $450,000 subgrant through the Energize Missouri Renewable Energy Biogas Grant Program to assist in the implementation of a landfill gas to electricity project at the City of St. Joseph Landfill in Buchanan County. The total project cost is nearly $6 million.
Once completed the project will provide the dual benefit of collecting and destroying methane gas and producing revenue to help keep the gate fee at the St. Joseph landfill one of the lowest in the state.
KCP&L will build a methane gas collection system and construct and operate a power generation facility at City of St. Joseph landfill (90 acre 1.6 megawatts). The City of St. Joseph will operate and maintain the methane gas system. There are currently 12 wells that collect landfill gas, which the city burns off as a waste product. Once the project is implemented, there will be up to 49 wells that will collect gas. The city will burn the gas in an engine that turns a generator to produce electricity. The plant will convert the captured methane gas provided by the City of St. Joseph into enough electricity to power nearly 1,000 homes per year.
The planned project consists of an expanded landfill gas collection system, gas compression and drying equipment, electric generation, flare, condensate storage, and electrical transmission facilities.
Key benefits of the project:
- Turn the landfill into a green asset.
- Collect and use methane.
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- Generate renewable energy in Missouri which will reduce the need to purchase renewable power from other states.
- Create jobs and stimulate the local economy.
