Baltimore Landfill Gas Powers Up Coast Guard Yard

Light-Off is a maritime term indicating completion of the major mechanical and electrical systems of a ship, making it “ready” for sail. Light-Off of the Landfill Gas Renewable Energy Center signals the Coast Guard Yard is “ready” to operate with renewable energy for the next 15 years.

The centerpiece of the Earth Day event was the ceremonial lighting of an historic Fresnel lens with methane-converted electricity. The featured Fresnel lens is a Fifth Order drum lens used over 80 years ago in lighthouses to guide mariners to safety.

Originally lighted with whale oil, the Fresnel lenses have used electricity for their power source since the early 20th century. Today, old technology met modern, green technology with the lighting of a Fresnel lens with electricity converted from landfill methane gas.

Methane generators at the Coast Guard Yard (Photo courtesy USCG)

To demonstrate the Renewable Energy Center’s co-generated steam energy form, the Yard’s steam-operated whistle blew loudly when the Fresnel lens was lit to inaugurate the largest renewable energy project in Coast Guard history.

Coast Guard officials started the main engines of the co-generation plant that will burn methane from a nearby Baltimore City landfill and convert the gas into two forms of energy – electricity and steam – to power the shipyard.

The Coast Guard Yard is the first U.S. Coast Guard facility worldwide to be 100 percent self-powered by renewable energy. The project will meet the renewable energy requirements for the entire Department of Homeland Security for the next four years and is the first landfill gas co-generation center in the state of Maryland.

This is the largest Energy Savings Performance Contract in the Coast Guard with a 15 year price tag of $41 million that will include contractor maintenance and operation of the co-generation plant that produces both electricity and steam.

Four methane powered generators in the new co-generation plant building are fed by a one mile long methane pipeline from the Baltimore City owned Quarantine Road Landfill just to the north of the Yard campus. Each generator will be able to produce one megawatt of electricity.

Since the shipyard will make its own electricity and steam, there will be less demand on the regional electric grid, a plus for national security during peak electric load days. The Coast Guard said this initiative is equivalent to removing over 33,000 cars from the road in greenhouse gas reduction.

Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2009. All rights reserved.