New methane gas disposal technology ensures Bundaberg Regional Council remains at the cutting edge of environmentally sustainable waste management initiatives.
The gas flaring facility installed by Landfill Gas Industries (LGI) at the Cedars Road Waste Management site will dispose of large amounts of methane gas generated from Council’s landfill.
Waste and Recycling portfolio spokesperson, Councillor Vince Habermann, said Council retained a high level of commitment to ensuring the strategies in place at the landfill location mirrored ‘best practice’ scenarios.
“Council has budgeted $300,000 to have this gas flaring system installed to deal with methane gas generated beneath landfill Cell 1.”
Cr Habermann said Cell 1 was created in 2007 and has catered to the vast majority of waste management across the region.
“We have large quantities of waste managed in such a way that it destroys any similarities with stereotypical dumps or landfills. There is virtually not a piece of paper out of place at this waste facility.”
He said the management of waste at Cedars Road had involved a base design that allowed the capture and draining off of leached liquids which were drained into a nearby pond.
“Additionally, contractors now have numerous holes ranging in depth between six metres and 13 metres bored into the mountain of waste and have installed a cross section of pipe work that gathers and channels the methane gas to the flaring plant where the gas is burnt off.
“This process provides Council with carbon tax credits. Disposal of the methane through burning creates carbon dioxide which is released into the atmosphere.”
He said the carbon dioxide was around 23 times less harmful to the ozone layer than the methane gas.
“Currently there is not enough methane generated to consider utilising it in power co-generation initiatives. However, perhaps in a few years time that option may be available to Council.
“We have also set up a system where the ponded leached water can be funnelled back into the mountain of waste to ensure moisture content is maintained to assist with gas generation.”
Council is currently working on a second cell which will also eventually come on line.
