Interesting concept... BMW uses landfill methane for manufacturing energy

[rumpel]

BMW Named “Energy Partner of the Year” by EPA

The prestigious award was given to BMW Manufacturing and Dürr in recognition of their achievements in implementing one of the most ambitious Landfill Gas to Energy Projects in North America – recycling landfill methane gas from the Palmetto Landfill to provide energy to BMW’s paint shop. Dürr built the paint shop.

By utilizing the previously unused energy from landfill gas, BMW was able to reduce area emissions of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, by approximately 60,000 tons and recover enough energy to heat 15,000 homes per year. Landfills are the largest human-made methane source in the United States. Methane is produced as waste decomposes. When released into the air, it is a greenhouse gas and contributes to local air pollution.

Currently, 63 percent of BMW Manufacturing’s energy is now provided by this renewable resource, saving the company at least $1 million per year in energy costs. The additional use of methane gas also reduces greenhouse gases the equivalent of driving a car around the globe 4,300 times, or more than 100 million miles.

http://www.bmwusa.com/news/news.htm?article=318