Extracting methane from a Pune landfill. Credit: EPA
NEERI deputy director Rakesh Kumar says methane is the primary component of natural gas, which is used as a fuel and energy source. Operating vehicles with LNG would reduce vehicular emissions considerably, he says in an EPA release. This option could be more relevant for cities like Mumbai, which has a large population and generates about 6,000 metric tons of waste per day.
EPA conducted two pre-feasibility studies for the Pirana (near Ahmedabad) and Pune landfills. These studies explored the economic viability of several project alternatives, including electricity generation, flare-only, and a pipeline to a nearby industry. The studies were intended to provide the necessary data to issue a request for proposals for a methane capture and use project at each site.
"The trick is to capture the methane before it leaves the landfill and escapes into the atmosphere so that its energy can be harnessed for positive uses," Joe Zietsman, project manager of one Indian landfill investigation, says in the release. Zietsman is director of the Center for Air Quality Studies at the Texas Transportation Institute.
At present, India is transitioning from open dumps to more managed landfills. The study concluded that new landfills should consider LFG (landfill gas) management and capture efficiencies as part of the initial landfill design process. In order to launch a LFG energy industry in India, the study recommended, utilities should offer green power premium pricing for LFG-generated electricity and landfills should take advantage of existing government subsidies for LFG energy.
The project is pegging methane as an attractive choice as fuel for vehicles in India, where compressed natural gas has been introduced in many cities. To generate fuel, the raw gas is cleaned in a chemical plant on site, then converted to liquid natural gas (LNG) or compressed natural gas. Existing vehicles can be converted to run on either fuel, or new vehicles designed for these alternative fuels can be purchased, Zietsman said in the release.
The next step in the project is for each municipality running a landfill to assess their options, including estimating the revenue anticipated from generating electricity and selling the gas.
