Landfill Methane Gas Will Fuel BMW Factory

Compiled ByJill Jusko Methane gas generated by a nearby landfill will fuel gas turbines at BMW Manufacturing Corp.'s Spartanburg, S.C., facility, the company says. BMW estimates that its gas-to-energy project will reduce carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to the removal of 61,000 automobiles from U.S. highways each year. Additionally, the project could recover enough energy to heat the equivalent of 10,000 homes per year. To utilize the gas, a 9.5-mile pipeline will be built from the landfill to BMW Manufacturing. Construction is slated to begin in July, with completion expected around the end of the year. Ameresco Energy Services, Framingham, Mass., and Waste Management Inc., Houston, are partners in the project. Waste Management owns the Palmetto Landfill, which will supply the methane gas. BMW Manufacturing is a subsidiary of Germany's BMW AG. BMW is a charter member of the EPA's National Environmental Achievement Track that recognizes companies for their environmental stewardship and performance.