By: Lydia Crawley The Parsons Advocate
The Renewable Natural Gas Project at the Tucker County Landfill is no more. Tucker County Solid Waste Authority Presiding Chair Mark Holstine made the announcement at the Authority’s June 23rd meeting.
“They are withdrawing the gas project,” Holstine said.
Holstine said that there was a meeting with representatives from Nacelle prior to the Authority’s meeting the prior month.
The reason for the withdrawal of the project stems from the landfill not producing enough gas for the company, according to Holstine.
“Its not sustainable for them to bring in infrastructure to clean the gas and distribute it over to Columbia,” Holstine said.
There were conversations about alternative projects including the possibility of direct energy production from gas powered generators, Holstine said. A similar project is already in use in Raleigh County, according to Holstine.
Under the proposal, methane gas produced by the landfill would be used to fuel generators to produce electricity to sell to the grid, Holstine said.
Holstine also suggested the possibility of including the use of solar panels in areas with closure caps.
“If we could tie solar project into electric generation with the gas to generate excess revenue for the facility and would be worthy of investor carbon credit, it is a valuable asset you can sell,” Holstine said.
Holstine said the Authority has lost no money by the withdrawal of the project other than future revenue. All infrastructure, permitting, testing and related costs were the responsibility of the renewable natural gas company under the agreement.
“Of course we are out nothing,” Holstine said. “That is the way we set the documents up.”
Should no other gas projects be agreed on in the future, Holstine said the Authority would need to look at flaring the facility themselves in the future. No determinations were made at either meeting.
