Landfill gas extraction and utilisation
What is landfill gas?
A type of gas formed from a series of chemical reactions and microbes breaking down the organic waste
within a landfill.
The gases generated are 40% to 60%
methane, with the remainder being mostly
carbon dioxide.
While these microbes breakdown the
waste, landfill gas is continually produced
and this increases the pressure within the
landfill causing the gases to be release
into the atmosphere.
Is it harmful?
Methane, which is also found in natural gas, is a non toxic gas, however under certain conditions it can
be explosive and therefore careful
management is required. Methane is a
greenhouse gas which has a global
warming potential that is more than 20
times greater than carbon dioxide.
To better manage landfill gas emissions
and reduce environmental impacts
Moreton Bay Regional Council has
constructed landfill gas extraction and
flaring systems at council’s landfill
facilities for $3.1 million.
How to manage it?
When methane gas is burned, it is converted into water vapour and carbon dioxide, which are far less
harmful to the environment. Landfill gas extraction and flaring is therefore the first step to both reduce
and ascertain the amount of landfill gas emissions. A test flaring and monitoring stage is then required
to determine the quantity and quality (methane %) of the landfill gas being generated and to establish the
most suitable beneficial reuse for the
landfill gas to produce green energy.
Moreton
Bay
Regional
Council
commenced flaring the landfill gas at all
its current landfill sites in 2010 and is
currently in the test flaring and monitoring
stage.
Council will soon be able to
determine the most suitable beneficial
reuse for the landfill gas with one example
being electricity generation.
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February 16