Dive Brief:

• The 135-acre Leeward Oahu landfill in Hawaii is expanding and could run on 100% renewable energy by 2017. The landfill is Oahu's only construction and demolition debris facility. 
• The landfill is owned by Hawaii-based PVT Land Co. Stephen Joseph, the company's vice president and general manager, told Pacific Business News that the landfill's diesel usage will decrease as new sources of renewable energy are created. The company will a develop a 300- to 400-kilowatt solar PV farm, as well as purchase a gasifier unit to turn feedstock into fuel.
• The $4 million, four-acre facility, which has been running for about a year, processes up to 2,000 tons of debris a day. The expansion will increase production capacity to 3,000 tons a day. Expansion will also add 4.5 million cubic yards of disposal capacity to the site during the remaining life of the landfill.

Dive Insight:

For the last decade, PVT has shifted its focus from landfills toward recycling and generation of feedstock for renewable energy. About 60% of its recyclable materials goes to feedstock, with 20% being sold or recycled and 20% going to the landfill. Similar operations have been established in other locations, such as PSE&G's solar energy projects in New Jersey.

PVT has signed agreements with biofuel companies on fuel purchase agreements. Additionally, the operation has had a personal effect on Joseph, who said he is now using a battery energy storage system and rooftop solar PV at his home in Makakilo, HI.