WM to build Renewable Natural Gas Facility
To produce natural gas for Ameren Illinois’ pipelines
Fairmont City, Ill. – On Oct. 17, Waste Management’s Milam Landfill hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for a new
facility that will create pipeline-ready natural gas that will be used to fuel trucks and other equipment that run on
compressed natural gas (CNG), including some owned by WM.
Attended by state, county and local officials, the groundbreaking also celebrated a partnership with Ameren Illinois, a
company that specializes in electric and gas delivery, which will pipe the high-quality gas to locations across the region.
The new plant, called the Renewable Natural Gas Facility, is expected to begin operations in late summer 2014.
“Ameren Illinois applauds Waste Management for deploying an innovative technology to fuel their fleet,” said Richard J.
Mark, president and CEO of Ameren Illinois. “This is a first-of-its-kind collaboration for Ameren Illinois to facilitate the
transportation of clean, renewable natural gas through our pipelines to the U.S. gas distribution grid.”
Like wind and solar, landfill gas is a renewable source of energy that’s produced as waste decomposes inside a landfill.
Once captured, the new facility will filter, compress and process the gas until it is converted into a pipeline-quality natural
gas. Not only will the process help fuel vehicles that run on natural gas, it will also reduce emissions of carbon monoxide,
nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter by around 60 percent.
“This type of project represents an important alternative source of renewable energy that we provide straight from our
landfills,” said Paul Pabor, vice president of renewable energy for WM.
According to Pabor, the facility is designed to process approximately 3,500 standard cubic feet per minute of incoming
landfill gas, which represents more than ten percent of the natural gas used in the company’s entire CNG fleet. Within
Illinois, WM currently has more than 100 CNG trucks in operation, displacing approximately one million gallons of diesel
fuel annually.
“This project is not only the first of its kind in Illinois but also will be a model for environmental sustainability by reducing
vehicle emissions, greenhouse gases and creating a renewable source of fuel. As a major Illinois employer and service
provider,
Waste Management is demonstrating that good environmental practices are also good business,” said Lisa Bonnett,
director of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.
Waste Management now has 134 projects that use landfill gas to generate electricity, produce renewable gas or displace
fossil fuel. This is enough to power almost half a million homes and displace the equivalent of more than 2.5 million tons
of coal per year.
Photo: Groundbreaking (L-R): Paul Pabor, WM vice president of renewable energy, David Baker, Illinois Department of
Commerce; Lisa Bonnett, director of Illinois Environmental Protection Agency; Victoria Holt, WM board member;
Richard Mark, president of Ameren Illinois; State Representative Jay Hoffman; Scott Penny, city manager;
and Joe Durako, WM senior district manager.