Weber County and Qnergy Expand Methane Abatement
May 3, 2024, Ogden, Utah
Pictured in header (L to R): Former Qnergy Employee; Spencer Thomason, Biofuel Product Manager, Qnergy; Jim Harvey, Weber County Commissioner; Gage Froerer, Weber County Commissioner; Ory Zik, Chief Executive Officer, Qnergy; Stephanie Russell, Economic Development Director, Weber County; Isaac Garaway, Chief Technology Officer, Qnergy
Weber County has partnered with Qnergy to install a Methane Destruction System at the closed County landfill located next to the Weber County Archery Park. The methane harvested will be utilized for carbon credits that will fund the project and generate revenue, and in turn, help protect the environment from potent greenhouse gas.
In August 2023, the County and Qnergy kicked off a pilot program to convert the methane emitted from the closed landfill into on-site electricity. Because of the pilot program’s success, the County and Qnergy have expanded the project to abate more than 95% of methane emissions from the closed landfill.
“We’re taking a closed landfill that emits greenhouse gas and repurposing it,” said Weber County Economic Development Director Stephanie Russell. “Methane is very harmful to the environment and we’re not only abating it, but harvesting it into renewable energy. Weber County is the first county in Utah to do this.”
The Methane Destruction System comprises a Qnergy PowerGen that powers an enclosed flare system. The PowerGen is Qnergy’s proprietary technology based on a Free Piston Stirling Engine, based on 19th century technology, that converts the methane into reliable, utility-grade electricity. Meanwhile, the flare enables complete methane destruction. Together, the unit generates carbon credits that will bring in a revenue stream while eliminating emissions from the site.
“Qnergy is proud to partner with our home county to eliminate methane emissions from the landfill neighboring a public park. This installation is in line with our strategy to turn closed landfills from liabilities into assets,” said Qnergy CEO Ory Zik. “We’re eager to deploy additional units throughout Utah and beyond.”
The County is working with cities to expand the project to other closed landfills and is looking to possibly install solar panels on the County’s closed landfill. A press conference will be held in August to officially announce the expansion and share results, progress and future plans.
With offices in Ogden and Calgary, Qnergy focuses on solutions for methane abatement. Leveraging its linear Free Piston Stirling Engine, the company harnesses low-grade, otherwise polluting, methane into useful power. It has already deployed thousands of units, leading to emission reduction of millions of tonnes of CO2e.
See Ory Zik's 2022 Salt Lake City TEDx talk on Qnergy's solution to the "Distributed Methane Challenge" using the Free Piston Stirling Engine: