Landfill gas is the main contributor to greenhouse gas emissions from a landfill site and based on the type of landfill or waste types that are processed in the landfill. As such a landfill gas extraction system might be obligatory and required by the (local) government to be installed.
Emission control reduction
Landfill gas extraction is typically achieved by installing wells vertically and/or horizontally in the waste mass. Although it is possible to collect gas efficiently at both open and closed landfill sites, the systems used in closed (and capped) landfillsones have higher recovery rate due to the more extensive collection infrastructure and because active filling of the site is no longer taking place.
Landfill gas use
Extracting the landfill gas is an important step towards reducing emissions and once recovered can be used for energy generation. By using the gas to generate heat or electricity, additional emission reductions can be achieved. In addition, it means the site can go on generating a source of income even long after the landfill operations have ceased.
The most commonly deployed options are the generation of heat, using boilers, and the generation of electricity by means of a combined heat and power plant (CHP).
Using location-specific waste data, modelling and our expertise in designing landfill gas recovery systems, we can assist landfill owners and/or project developers plan their landfill gas management strategy, (re)design new or existing landfill gas recovery systems, optimise landfill gas recovery and use, and therefore minimise methane emissions from the landfill site in combination with a generation of income due to landfill gas energy generation.