Wednesday, April 17, 2024
10:00 AM - 10:45 AM (MST)
New Technology for LFG/Biogas Capture, Monitoring and Control
Meeting Room 165

In this session we will explore two new Landfill Gas/Biogas technologies.

  1. The phrase “time is of the essence” is used often and applies directly to landfill gas and biogas operations. The ability to act swiftly and accordingly is a driving factor in successful business. Early warning systems help make this a reality. In other methane centric industries such as oil & gas, continuous leak and emissions monitoring of assets provides a level of detection and transparency to help optimize operations, production, compliance, and safety. Early detection of unintentional methane emissions on landfill and biogas facilities allows operators to receive information and make decisions sooner than waiting for traditional methods including scheduled surface emissions monitoring events and/or periodic equipment maintenance.

    Continuous monitoring offers insight to conditions at respective sampling points. For ambient air methane monitors, this traditionally is at a singular point where the apparatus is installed and configured. Scaling this type of application could be cost prohibitive when implementing stable, sensitive, and accurate sensors to clearly detect emissions events where methane levels in air could change less than 5ppm. Distributed sampling systems scale the sampling aspect of the solution with duplicating the higher cost of deploying multiple sensors. In addition to two-dimensional distribution of sampling around a project site area, we will look at the addition of vertical sampling at each point and the benefits to providing a more complete emissions detection system.

    In this discussion we will review implementation of continuous methane monitoring for landfill and biogas operations and their contribution to expediting prevention and mitigation efforts related to fugitive emissions, odor abatement, and facility maintenance.
  2. Economics of adding Thermal Pressure Hydrolysis (TPH) coupled with Anaerobic Digestion (AD) to Landfills with existing Gas Collection Systems (GCS).

    Landfills are traditionally considered as repositories for waste disposal, often accompanied by environmental concerns due to the release of greenhouse gases such as methane. The integration of TPH and AD into existing gas collection systems offers a transformative solution by harnessing the potential of organic waste and turning it into a valuable resource.

    While the initial investment in implementing TPH and AD technology may require a capital outlay, the long-term benefits and cost savings make it a compelling proposition for waste management authorities. With the potential for revenue generation, reduced operational costs, and improved environmental performance, the integration of TPH and AD is poised to revolutionize the economics of landfill management.
Alan Vidal MACKENZIE BERNHARD