Power Supply Options for the Marpi Landfill, Saipan Comprehensive Feasibility Study

Summary

The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) conducted a comprehensive feasibility study to evaluate power supply options for the Marpi Landfill on Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), aiming for 24/7 power and increased sustainable energy use. The landfill's current annual consumption is 170 MWh with a 112 kW peak load, but this would increase to 458 MWh and 155 kW with 24/7 operations and electric equipment, which is a key goal towards the CNMI's 20% renewable energy target by 2030. Seven microgrid scenarios were evaluated, combining solar PV, wind, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and diesel generators. Scenario 4 (Solar PV + BESS + Diesel Generation) was ranked highest, with a capital cost of $3.0M and 25-year LCOE of $1.52/kWh for baseline operations, generating 29 tons/year of CO2e. For the electric equipment scenario, it costs $7.9M with an LCOE of $1.37/kWh, but requires more land than currently available for the 300 kW solar PV array and 300 kW/1,200 kWh BESS. The diesel-only option (Scenario 7) has the lowest LCOE ($0.97-$1.20/kWh) but the highest emissions (132-332 tons/year CO2e). Potential federal grants like FEMA BRIC (up to $2M) and DOI EIC (up to $4M) could offset capital costs.

Key Facts

Source Document

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