As part of its recycle and reuse philosophy, Coffs Harbour City Council has invested in the construction of a Landfill Gas Extraction and Flare System at the Coffs Coast Resource Recovery Park.
In a first for the Mid North Coast, landfill gas is to be captured by the new system with the aim of using the energy generated to help power one of the waste processing plants at the facility in Englands Road.
“Reuse and recycling is the focus of the waste management facilities that Council and its partners are creating at the Coffs Coast Resource Recovery Park,” said Stephen Sawtell, Council’s General Manager. “Capturing the landfill gas for use as a potential energy source is a logical progression.
By capturing this gas, we will help cut down landfill odours and we will also reduce harmful methane emissions released into the atmosphere from the landfill by as much as the equivalent of 17,000 tonnes of CO2 per annum.”
The construction of the Landfill Gas Extraction and Flare System will involve the installation of 45 gas extraction bores of up to 24 metres in depth, located 50 metres apart in a triangular network across the landfill area. In addition, underground gas flow pipes, gas mains and header lines will be installed to connect the bores to four wellhead stations and the gas flare compound.
To minimise the odour associated with construction works within the landfill area, each bore will be drilled, the pipe installed and then capped in sequence. None of the bores will be left incomplete or uncapped overnight. Similarly, the trenches for the system will be dug and covered over one at a time. The trench construction is expected to take place from mid September until the end of November.
