Veolia teams up with MMSD

Veolia ES Solid Waste recently signed a contract with the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) to develop an alternative energy project that will cut costs for MMSD customers. The agreement includes the construction of a low-pressure, “green” pipeline to transport landfill gas from Veolia’s Emerald Park Landfill in Muskego to downtown Milwaukee, where it will fuel three new turbines at the MMSD’s Jones Island Water Reclamation Facility.
“Converting landfill gas into electricity is a truly sustainable model for energy development that benefits every constituent served by MMSD from an environmental and economic standpoint,” said Jim Long, president and CEO of Veolia ES Solid Waste. “This is one of a number of landfill gas-to-energy projects that our company has undertaken, turning waste into a resource for the communities we serve. We are proud to be part of this historic project and are committed to working closely with the MMSD for the benefit of the entire Milwaukee community.”
MMSD will design, construct and operate the low-pressure, landfill gas pipeline. The pipeline will run approximately 19 miles from the Veolia ES Emerald Park Landfill in Muskego to the Jones Island Water Reclamation facility in Milwaukee. The project is expected to be operational by 2013.
Prior to entering the pipeline, the landfill gas will be cleaned and prepared via specialized equipment at the landfill. When the gas arrives at Jones Island, three new turbines will transform it into energy, significantly reducing the amount of electricity and natural gas the MMSD purchases to clean wastewater.
“The price of energy is a major expense for us,” said Kevin Shafer, executive director at MMSD. “Volatile natural gas costs have had a negative impact on our budget and our customers.”
According to Shafer, MMSD spent $14.8 million on natural gas in 2008, using the landfill gas from Veolia the organization will save tens of millions of dollars in energy costs over the next two decades, he said. That savings will be passed on to MMSD customers.
The Veolia ES Emerald Park Landfill currently produces enough landfill gas to meet half of MMSD’s current fuel needs at Jones Island. The landfill will be able to supply all MMSD fuel needs by 2025.