Recover and Generate Energy- Reduced greenhouse gas emissions directly emitted by landfill.
- Reduced greenhouse gas emissions from replacing conventional natural gas with landfill gas.
- Decrease pollution by managing landfill leachate.
Create jobs related to system set-up, maintenance, and processing fuel
- Reduced overall system maintenance costs
- New revenue source from sale of treated landfill gas
Resource
Landfill Gas
When is it Waste?
When produced and emitted from degrading garbage in landfills.
Conventional Approach
Allow to escape into atmosphere as a potent greenhouse gas, or collect and flare off gas to reduce impact.
Regenerative Approach
Capture, process, and utilize methane from landfills as biogas or to produce electricity and heat through cogeneration (hyperlink).
How It Works
Landfill gas is produced through the degradation of garbage and decomposition of biodegradable organic waste by microorganisms. Typically, landfills have anaerobic conditions (lack of oxygen), so the primary gas produced is methane, followed by CO2 (proportions depend on the composition of waste in the landfill).
Landfill gas is collected in both open and closed landfills by installing horizontal or vertical wells into the body of the landfill or by horizontal trenches that channel the gas to a collector where it is flared or treated.
Landfill gas can undergo a range of treatments depending on the intended use. It can be used directly as a heating fuel in place of natural gas in boilers and other heaters, provide heat to greenhouses and other processes, or be used to generate electricity. In some cases, landfill gas can be upgraded to pipeline quality renewable natural gas (RNG) for piping into the natural gas distribution network.
But First
Divert food waste and other biodegradable waste (paper and cardboard) from landfills through composting, recycling or anaerobic digestion to produce nutrients and biogas.
What are the Costs?
Costs of landfill gas capture depend on the size and composition of the landfill and degree of treatment.
Where is it Happening?
Salmon Arm Landfill Gas Capture Project
