RGGI Eligible Sector 1: Landfill Methane Capture and Destruction
Offset projects that capture and destroy methane from landfills may qualify for the award of CO2 emissions offset allowances under RGGI provided they meet the following requirements:
Eligibility
Eligible offset projects shall occur at landfills that are not subject to the New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for municipal solid waste landfills, 40 CFR Part 60, Subpart Cc and Subpart WWW.
Offset Project Descriptions
The offset project sponsor shall provide a detailed narrative of the offset project actions to be taken, including documentation that the offset project meets the eligibility requirements of paragraph (1) above. The project narrative shall include the following information:
Owner and operator of the offset project;
Location and specifications of the landfill where the offset project will occur, including waste in place;
Owner and operator of the landfill where the offset project will occur; and
Specifications of the equipment to be installed and a technical schematic of the offset project.
Emissions Baseline Determination
The emissions baseline shall represent the potential fugitive landfill emissions of CH4 (in tons of CO2e), as represented by the CH4 collected and metered for thermal destruction as part of the offset project, and calculated in accordance with this paragraph.
Emissions (tons CO2e) = (Vx Mx (10X) x GWP)/2000
where:
V = Volume of CH4 collected (ft 3)
M = Mass of CH4 per cubic foot (0.04246 lbs/ft 3 default value at 1 atmosphere and 20 oC)
OX = Oxidation factor (0.10), representing estimated portion of collected CH4 that would have eventually oxidized to CO2 if not collected
GWP = CO2e global warming potential of CH4 (23)
Calculating Emissions Reductions
Emissions reductions shall be determined based on potential fugitive CH4 emissions that would have occurred at the landfill if metered CH4 collected from the landfill for thermal destruction as part of the offset project was not collected and destroyed. CO2e emissions reductions shall be calculated as follows:
Emissions Reductions (tons CO2e) = (Vx Mx (10X) x Cef x GWP)/2000
where:
V = Volume of CH4 collected (ft3)
M = Mass of CH4 per cubic foot (0.04246 lbs/ft 3 default value at 1 atmosphere and 20 o C)
OX = Oxidation factor (0.10), representing estimated portion of collected CH 4 that would have eventually oxidized to CO2 if not collected
Cef = Combustion efficiency of methane control technology (0.98)
GWP = CO2e global warming potential of CH4 (23).
Monitoring and Verification Requirements
Offset projects shall employ a landfill gas collection system that provides continuous metering and data computation of landfill gas volumetric flow rate and CH4 concentration. Annual monitoring and verification reports shall include monthly volumetric flow rate and CH4 concentration data, including documentation that the CH4 was actually supplied to the combustion source. Monitoring and verification is also subject to the following requirements:
The project sponsor shall submit a monitoring and verification plan as part of the consistency application that includes a quality assurance and quality control program associated with equipment used to determine landfill gas volumetric flow rate and CH4 composition. The monitoring and verification plan shall also include provisions for ensuring that measuring and monitoring equipment is maintained, operated, and calibrated based on manufacturer recommendations, as well as provisions for the retention of maintenance records for audit purposes. The monitoring and verification plan shall be certified by an independent verifier accredited pursuant to section XX10.6 of the RGGI Model Rule.
The project sponsor shall annually verify landfill gas CH4 composition through landfill gas sampling and independent laboratory analysis using applicable U.S. Environmental Protection Agency laboratory test methods.
