Written by: Express News Service
3 min readNew DelhiMar 22, 2013 01:33 AM IST
First published on: Mar 22, 2013 at 01:33 AM IST
With the aim to capture and purify the landfill gas being emitted uncontrolled from the Okhla landfill site by use of indigenous technology,The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI),in association with Jamia Millia Islamia,launched a report on Thursday that demonstrates how captured landfill gas (LFG) can be used as a source of energy.
In the pilot demonstration,conducted from March to November 2011,an active landfill gas collection system was employed,which comprised a series of vertical wells (similar to water bore wells) to extract LFG. The system also had an optimal well spacing for maximum gas collection along with a piping network and blowers to connect the methane produced by the landfill; and a treatment and conditioning system.
Supported by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF),the report says the project will help in reducing the risk of uncontrolled methane emissions from the landfill,a potential green house gas.
The demonstration was conducted at the Okhla landfill,spreading over 16.2 hectares and comprising biodegradable waste,non-biodegradable waste,recyclables,silt,construction demolition waste,and biomedical waste.
“With rapid urbanization,areas under landfill are expanding rapidly,thus compounding the environmental challenge we face. The development of such technologies provides sustainable solutions for dealing with this serious problem,” Dr R K Pachauri,director general of TERI,said.
The Okhla site neither has a landfill gas collection system nor a leachate collection and treatment system. “Such waste disposal sites close to residential areas need urgent attention to address the issue of methane emission,” Najeeb Jung,vice chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia,said.
According to the MCD,about 1,600 tonnes of municipal waste is being deposited at the Okhla landfill site per day. About 90 per cent of the landfill is covered with waste,with an average height of about 27 metres above ground level. The landfill does not have a system to manage surface water drainage,which results in rain water flowing directly into the adjoining surface water drains.
Titled ‘Demonstration of Clean Technology for Landfill Gas Recovery from the Okhla Waste Disposal site’,the study recommends that the Ministry of Urban Development work with state governments to build their capacity in order to implement LFG to energy recovery projects.
It also suggests that the MoEF and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy work together to develop the incentives required to promote the use of LFG as renewable energy from landfills.
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