Clarke Energy installs GE Jenbacher gas engines to drive largest landfill gas power plant in France

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Officials from French waste management and services company Véolia Propreté, energy services company Dalkia and distributed power services provider Clarke Energy today celebrated the inauguration of the new Electr’od landfill gas-powered cogeneration plant in Plessis-Gassot. The 17.3 MW facility is the country’s most powerful landfill gas-fueled power plant and features 10 of GE Distributed Power’s (NYSE: GE) ecomagination qualified Jenbacher gas engines to generate renewable electricity and heat for residents and businesses.

The new Electr’od landfill plant was formally opened by Bernard Harambillet, Managing Director of Veolia Propreté France; François Habègre, Managing Director of Dalkia France; and Didier Lartigue, Managing Director of Clarke Energy’s French operations, which is GE’s authorised distributor of Jenbacher gas engines in France. Dalkia is a subsidiary of Veolia and French utility EDF. The facility was developed by Véolia in cooperation with Dalkia and Clarke Energy.

The new cogeneration plant – which replaces a smaller, less efficient steam turbine-boiler system – uses the landfill’s methane-rich biogas to generate enough renewable electricity to power more than 41,000 French homes (excluding heating). The electricity is sold to Électricité Réseau Distribution France (ERDF) for use by residents and businesses throughout France.

With the opening of the cogeneration project, Plessis-Gassot becomes the first town in France to have a district heating scheme fuelled by biogas. In addition to electricity, the cogeneration facility also produces 30,000 MWh/year of thermal energy, equivalent to the amount consumed by an estimated 2,850 homes. This energy is feeding a new heating and hot waternetwork that serveshomes and shared facilities in Plessis-Gassot, including the town hall, community center, church and municipal building. As a result, the electric heating bills for Plessis-Gassot residents who are connected to the grid supplied by Electr’od are expected to fall by 92%.

Véolia Propreté Managing Director Bernard Harambillet said:

Our newly commissioned and upgraded landfill gas power plant will deliver renewable power to the French electricity network. We selected Clarke Energy and GE’s Jenbacher gas engines for this project due to their experience in offering increased efficiency and a reliable supply of renewable energy.

Installing GE’s gas engines increased the power output of the landfill gas plant by 5 MW while also improving its electrical efficiency from 22% up to 40%. The new plant consists of 10 Jenbacher units – four 2.7 MW J620 gas engines, five containerised 1.1 MW J416s and one containerised 1 MW J320. The project also represents the first installation of GE’s Jenbacher Type six landfill gas engines in France.

Clarke Energy, GRS Valtech and Dalkia implemented the design, construction and operation of the repowering project on behalf of Véolia Propreté. Specifically, Dalkia is leading the operation of the new Electr’od power plant, optimising the export of power and energy recovery. Clarke Energy engineered, installed and will maintain the facility to ensure high levels of equipment availability, and GRS Valtech provided the equipment for the landfill gas pre-treatment process.

Karl Wetzlmayer, General Manager, gas engines for GE Power & Water’s Distributed Power said:

As the largest landfill gas power plant in France and the first installation of our Type 6 technology for landfills in France, this project demonstrates how our fuel-flexible Jenbacher gas engines can provide more power with increased efficiency. By using our Jenbacher J620 landfill gas engines, Véolia Propreté will experience the benefits of GE’s extensive experience and proven technology.

GE’s Jenbacher landfill gas engines are part of GE’s ecomagination portfolio. ecomagination is GE’s commitment to provide innovative solutions that maximize resources, drive efficiencies and make the world work better. To qualify for the portfolio, products and services must demonstrate both improved economic value and environmental performance.

GE Power & Water’s Distributed Power business is a leading provider of power equipment, engines and services, focused on power generation at or near the point of use. Distributed Power’s product portfolio includes GE’s aeroderivative gas turbines and reciprocating engines, which generate 100 kilowatts to 100 MW of power for numerous industries globally. Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, Distributed Power employs about 5,000 people around the world.