Leading US juice maker Ocean Spray has formed an agreement to use methane gas from a nearby landfill at its Wisconsin Rapids plant to reduce its annual energy bill at the site by a quarter.
Under a just-signed $2 million partnership between Ocean Spray and Onyx Cranberry Creek Landfill, construction will begin in June on a one-mile-long pipeline that will carry methane gas to the plant, where it will fuel steam boilers used to energize a cranberry concentrator currently being installed.
The deal will result in the reduction of greenhouse emissions from the landfill by nearly 7,000 tons a year, with environmental benefits equivalent to planting 15,000 trees or removing carbon monoxide emissions from 12,000 cars. Meanwhile, Ocean Spray will cut its annual fuel costs by 25%.
It’s the best of both worlds, said Michael Stamatakos, vice-president of operations for Ocean Spray. Onyx has pioneered and perfected a process that will provide Ocean Spray an uninterrupted flow of power, allowing us to cut fuel costs and help Wisconsin Rapids reduce its greenhouse gas.