Generated by the natural degradation of the organic matter in household waste, landfill gas contains methane and is a major contributor to the greenhouse effect (21 times more than CO2). It also creates odor problems. Veolia Environmental Services has become the industry expert in the collection of landfill gas, which is then burnt in flares or recovered in the form of energy. This renewable source of energy can be used to generate electricity or heat.
In the European Union, 21% of all electricity consumption in each Member State must be generated by renewable energy sources by 2010. The French government has therefore called for tenders to build by 2007 electricity power plants using biomass or landfill gas. Our landfill gas project, the only one adopted, consists in raising to 27 MW the capacity of our facility at the Claye-Souilly landfill. This will prevent the emission of 42,000 metric tons/year of greenhouse gases equ. CO2. In Montreuil-sur-Barse, we equipped the landfill with a gas conversion unit that produced almost 5.4 GWh of electricity in 2003 from the 4 million cubic meters of landfill gas recovered.
In the United States, we manage numerous landfill gas recovery facilities. The Saint Louis County landfill prevents the annual emission of 25,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases equ. CO2. We have identical facilities in Eau Claire and Horicon in Wisconsin.
In Australia, our Ti Tree landfill is the first in that country to be fitted with a bioreactor, or Écométhaniseur®, that injects the leachate back into the waste. According to US experts, this system multiplies landfill gas production by 10 and increases the landfill capacity by 20% to 30%. It also reduces the post-closure care period. The recent Woodlawn bioreactor treats 400,000 metric tons/year of waste. It is expected to generate 20 MW of green electricity.
Also, we have 5 landfill gas to energy facilities In Mainland China and 4 facilities in Taiwan. In China, we are the biggest landfill gas-to-energy operator, our projects have taken up 75% of the total installed capacity of all landfill gas-to-energy projects in China.
Our references in Asia
Hangzhou Tianziling Landfill Gas to Energy Plant, China mainland
Guangzhou Datianshan Landfill Gas to Energy Plant, , China mainland
Xi’an Jiang-cun-gou Landfill Gas to Energy Plant, China mainland
Nanjing Shuige Landfill Gas to Energy Plant, China mainland
Beijing A-su-wei Landfill Gas to Energy Plant, China mainland
Taipei SanJuKung landfill Gas-To-Energy, Taiwan
Taipei FuTeKeng landfill Gas-To-Energy, Taiwan
