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Typical schema of a landfill site with degassing unit and gas utilisation facility
The gases in landfill sites that develop during degradation temperature flares the negative effects of the gases can
processes, largely contribute to the greenhouse effect and be reduced.
additionally harbour considerable safety and health haz-
ards. However, they are also often rich in methane and Economic value
therefore a potential energy carrier. In many countries Through worldwide emission trading, the greenhouse gas
much of this potential for the generation of electricity and reductions that are achieved through the energetic utilisa-
heat from landfill gas still exists. Furthermore, through the tion of landfill gas, acquire an economic value in so-called
continual advances in technology, laws and regulations emerging countries. Today, this economic added value
have been passed whereby household refuse landfills stands under the international abbreviation CDM. The
independent of their size are to be degassed and the abbreviation means Clean Development Mechanism.
landfill gas burned off in a high temperature flare. This instrument agreed upon in 1997 at the international
climate conference in Kyoto, enables industrial and devel-
oping countries to mutually implement climate protection
Introduction projects in developing countries. In doing so, it is first
Technical solutions calculated how much climatic gas is produced by a power
Without technical solutions, landfill gas is a dangerous station, a factory, a Landfill. It is then determined how
substance. The methane contained within it can form a much greenhouse gas can be reduced when the landfill
combustible mixture with the atmospheric oxygen so that gas is burned in a flare or utilised for the generation of
under certain circumstances a danger of explosion exists. electricity and heat. After that, a company from an indus-
If the landfill gas collects in cavities and shafts, people trial country invests in and finances the landfill gas power
could suffocate there. Furthermore, many trace compo- station in a developing country and receives correspond-
nents such as sulphur, chlorine and fluorine compounds ing certificates for the greenhouse gas reduction thereby
are contained in the landfills which even in low concentra- achieved. With these certificates, the company can meet
tions can have a harmful effect on health. the obligations of saving a corresponding amount of cli-
matic gases for their own business at their own location or
High climatic relevance the investor sells the certificates to other companies within
Apart from these characteristics that form a direct danger the framework of emission trading. The aim of the invest-
for people, the gas escaping uncontrolled and untreated ments in such projects is to prevent as many climate-
from a landfill also has a high climatic relevance. Methane damaging emissions as possible. At the same time how-
is deemed to be a contributory cause of destroying the ever, this should help the emerging and developing coun-
ozone layer and contributes to the greenhouse effect tries introduce new technologies which they are not nor-
being 21 times stronger than carbon dioxide. Through mally able to finance themselves.
thermal treatment that means through burning in high
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Development of landfill gases Based on the influencing variables such as the composi-
According to experience, household refuse contains tion of the refuse, the annual landfill amounts, etc., the
around 150 to 250 kg of organic carbon per tonne. These amount of gas accumulated can be estimated in the
substances are biologically degradable and are degraded course of time with the aid of mathematical models. Such
in five phases by microorganisms under the exclusion of a forecast of the gas production forms the basis for the
air and converted into landfill gas. This process is deter- dimensioning of the degassing plant.
mined by various influencing variables that differ from
landfill to landfill: refuse composition, density and humidity Dangers to the environment
or landfill covering. Hence by variables which influence From the composition of the landfill gas, it is evident that it
the life quality of the methane forming microorganisms. can become a danger to the environment. The possible
adverse effects caused by landfill gas can be divided into
Landfill gas during the stable methane fermentation physiological and physical hazards. These are insidious
The long-term phase (phase V) is distinguished by a me- and unpredictable, particularly in connection with the
thane concentration of significantly more than 60 percent migration of gas through gas pervious layers of earth. It
by volume at correspondingly lower carbon dioxide con- has already happened several times that gases caused by
centration. The ratio of methane to carbon dioxide can overpressure in the landfill sites have collected in base-
achieve values of up to 4 which presumably, amongst ments and shafts hundreds of metres away from the land-
other things, can be due to the leaching of carbon dioxide. fill and have caused explosions. Landfills that freely give
Just as with the stable methane phase (phase IV), it is off their gas production to the surroundings, heavily pol-
lute the environment. As has been proved, methane con-
tributes 21 times more to the greenhouse effect than CO 2.
In addition, the stench caused by sulphur compound
emissions is also detrimental to the surroundings.
Composition i.e. > 5000 t of heating oil per year over >15 years!
If the landfill gas is continuously collected and extracted in
a controlled manner then, after adjustment of the gas Gas production from old landfills (maturity stage)
content, the following average composition can be The landfill site lives. With increasing age, the gas produc-
achieved: tion loses in volume flow, content and quality. The existing
degassing plants are mostly too large and the risk of over
INFO extracting the landfill increases. In order to counter this
Methane CH4 approx. 40-50 Vol.% situation, Hofstetter Gastechnik AG, based on many years
Carbon dioxide CO2 approx. 35-45 Vol.% of experience, has developed a simple and inexpensive
Nitrogen (from the air) N2 approx. 5-15 Vol.% degassing system. The Hofstetter Lowcal is perfectly
Oxygen (from the air) O2 approx. 1- 3 Vol.% adapted to the actual gas condition. The lean gas is col-
Water vapour H2O saturated lected and disposed of in an environmentally friendly
manner. In doing so, an important advantage is that the
Added to this are additional trace elements such as sul- infrastructure on the landfill can continue to be used.
phur, chlorine and fluorine compounds, heavy metals and
Siloxane. Gas collection
Amounts and production process Fully developed systems for landfill engineering
As long as the landfill body has an internal gas pressure
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that is higher than the atmospheric pressure, landfill gas is forced degassing ensures the trouble-free recovery of
given off to the environment. Due to the dangers, emis- accumulated landfill gases in gas engines or combustion
sions and the environmental pollution, it is now compulso- plants.
ry to collect landfill gas and dispose of it in a controlled
2. Effectiveness of the gas collection
Escaping gases pollute the environment. Therefore, the
effectiveness, that means the collection of as large a
proportion as possible of the emerging gases, is impera-
tive.
- On the one hand, there is the uninfluenceable, change- 800 1'000 1'200
TC [C]
900 1'100
able gas production of the landfill that can not be stored. Average Combustion Temperature
Premix Air
For reasons of cost it is hardly worth it to temporarily Primary Air
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International project examples
The Marley landfill in England should be systematically The Welbeck landfill close to Wakefield in England is a
degassed in order to safely collect the harmful landfill one-time gravel quarry and has been operated for the last
gases and to protect the environment. Marley is a relative- ten years as a controlled landfill. Around 600,000 tonnes
ly small landfill and delivers too little gas for an economic of household refuse are stored per year and in addition, a
electricity production. For this reason, directly after collec- compost works with around 10,000 tonnes of organic
tion, the landfill gas is disposed of in an environmentally refuse is operated. The gas resulting from this is collected
compatible manner in a high temperature flare. and forwarded for conversion into electricity. Annually
around 8 MW of electricity are fed into the public electricity
grid which is the equivalent to covering the electricity
supply for around 8,000 households.
HOFSTETTER solution
Hofstetter MGP compact degassing plant
Use of the Hofstetter MGP container plant with multiple
compression stations and several high temperature flares
HOFSTETTER solution
designed for safe degassing, forwarding of the landfill gas
Use of the compact degassing plant with the Hofstetter
for conversion into electricity and the safe combustion of
HTF high temperature flare, constructed for safe degas-
the excess landfill gas. Ideal for large landfills with gas
sing and gas disposal. Ideal for small landfills without gas
recovery.
recovery.
INFO INFO
Degassing plant for small landfills Degassing plant for large landfills
Type Hofstetter MGP without gas utilisation Type Hofstetter MGP with gas utilisation
Gas flow rate 40-1,000 Nm3/h Gas flow rate 40-10,000 Nm3/h
- Thermal output max. 5,000 kW Thermal output max. 50,000 kW
- Methane concentrations 30-50 Vol.% Methane concentrations 30-50 Vol.%
- Combustion temperature 1,000-2,000 C Combustion temperature 1,000-2,000 C
- Residence time 0.3 s Residence time 0.3 s
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Degassing plant with high temperature flare for CDM projects Hofstetter MGP 2750
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Degassing plant for an old landfill
(Brownlow landfill) INFO
Customer benefits
Even weak things have power! Because landfill engineer- - Safe and continuous degassing of landfills
ing and its degassing have already been applied for sev- - Reduction of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere
eral years, many landfills come into the last phase after 10 - Continuous monitoring of the landfill gas
to 15 years. The gas flow rate reduces as well as the - Utilisation of the landfill gas for electricity production
methane concentrations. An example of this is the landfill and feeding into the grid
in Brownlow. It covers 3.2 hectares and was closed in - Generation and trading of CO2 certificates
1990 and recultivated into agricultural grassland. The low - Reliable combustion of excess landfill gas in high
residual flow rate of 50 Nm3/h with low methane content of temperature flares
around 20 Vol.% should be safely collected and disposed - Compliance with the relevant exhaust gas regulations
of. - Automatic control and operation of the plant
- ATEX conformity for increased safety
CONTACT
Hofstetter Gastechnik AG
CH-3324 Hindelbank/Switzerland
Phone +41 (0)34 411 86 86
Fax +41 (0)34 411 86 87
info@hofstetter-gt.ch
www.hofstetter-gt.ch