Diapers to Lighting

Posted by Walt (Scarborough, Canada) on 16 October 2007 in Business & Industry.

This is here more for interest's sake than the quality of the photo - I admit, nothing special at all.

This is the Generating Station at the Beare Road Landfill site. They collect methane gas off the garbage (see a collector tomorrow) and burn it for electricity.

Existing Landfill
Toronto Beare Rd. Landfill, Scarborough, ON
9.6 million tonnes; 66 hA, up to 60 m deep
active period: 1968 to 1983

New Facility
5.6 M W landfill gas power plant(c/w related gas field)
reciprocating engine type
capital cost $7.25 million, 5.6 M W gross = $1300 /kW start-up: Jan. 1996

Benefits

Active collection of LFG from the Site has addressed historical odour problems in the vicinity of the landfill.
The benefits of utilization of LFG to generate electricity are multi-faceted. Emissions from the landfill are improved and green power is generated, off-setting the need to consume fossil fuels to provide an equivalent amount of energy.
The City of Toronto receives royalty payments for its role in the recovery of a resource that was historically a liability.
Creation of green energy from LFG makes good use of a resource that would otherwise be wasted. Generation of electricity from LFG provides a source of environmentally friendly renewable power.

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