In July of 2007, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper presided over a groundbreaking ceremony to officially launch the construction of a landfill gas-to-energy plant at the Denver Arapahoe Disposal Site (DADS) and adjoining Lowry Landfill.  The plant – which is expected to be operational in 2008 – will convert naturally-occurring landfill methane gas from both sites into 3.2 megawatts of electrical power for distribution by Xcel Energy, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the process. 

Landfill gas consists of approximately 50% methane, 45% carbon dioxide and a balance of other gases (primarily nitrogen); it is created by biological decomposition of organic matter in landfills under low oxygen conditions.  Under the originally approved Lowry Landfill remedy, landfill gas was collected at extraction wells and delivered through pipelines to a large burner that simply destroyed the landfill gas.  The new plant will instead burn that gas – as well as gas from DADS – for beneficial use.  Similar systems are in place at landfills around the country, though this will be the only operational plant utilizing this innovative technology in Colorado to date. 

Benefits to the community and environment will include:

• a reduction in greenhouse gasses and air pollution emissions,
• a sustainable, long-term energy source,
• the beneficial use of a waste by-product and
• the production of enough electricity to provide for the annual electrical demands of approximately 3,000 households.

Below is a brochure on the gas-to-energy process from Waste Management, as well as photographs of the DADS/Lowry plant under construction and photos from the July 2007 groundbreaking and the Seprtember 2008 ribbon cutting ceremonies. 

Groundbreaking Photos

Gas to Energy Process Brochure

Ribbon Cutting Photos