Wewoka Biogas Project
- Type
- Biogas
- Location
- Wewoka, OK
- Project by
- NativeEnergy
Since 1925, the family-owned Commercial Brick Corporation has supplied materials to homes and businesses throughout the country. Today they are the largest employer in rural Wewoka, IL, providing jobs for hundreds of families. This project converts the company’s kilns to burn biogas piped from the landfill next door.
How are the carbon offsets generated?
As waste in landfills decomposes anaerobically (without oxygen) it produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Vertical gas wells installed in the landfill will transfer the methane to a central blower. The blower will then push the methane through a half-mile pipeline to the brick kilns, which are being retrofitted to burn biogas just like regular natural gas. If the kilns malfunction, a flare will burn the excess gas at the landfill. Burning methane reduces the climate impact by a factor of 21, and burning it in the kilns also displaces the use of regular natural gas.
Read more about how carbon offsets are created
What’s the community and social value?
The Wewoka Biogas Project will help Commercial Brick Corporation, the largest employer in rural Wewoka, OK remain competitive. It also provides the town with an example of how putting wastes like landfill biogas to good use can benefit both business and the environment.
How is this project additional?
Without revenue from offset sales the kiln retrofits and pipeline and blower construction would be too expensive to justify the investment. It’s thanks to Brighter Planet’s cardholders and customers that this project has become reality.
Read more about ‘additional’ carbon offsets
Photo credit: NativeEnergy