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Glenmore Landfill Gas Management
Why Manage Landfill Gas?Everyday in Kelowna, some 300 tonnes of garbage arrive at the Glenmore Landfill. As this garbage decomposes, greenhouse gases, such as methane and carbon dioxide, are produced and enter the atmosphere, contributing to climate change.
Today, landfills are being recognized as a source of valuable energy providing heat and electricity for public consumption if handled effectively. Composed of 50 per cent methane, landfill gas (LFG) is an ideal energy source. Properly capturing and converting it into energy will prevent it’s byproducts from entering our atmosphere.
The City of Kelowna currently manages its LFG through flaring or as an energy source. When LFG is flared, methane is converted into carbon dioxide, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. When used as energy, it conserves non-renewable sources of energy such as fossil fuels.
In Kelowna, LFG is piped away through a series of underground pipes called a recovery system, where microturbines turn it into useful energy, enough to power up to 70 homes!
Excess gas is burned, and almost 100% of the contaminants are destroyed throughout the process.
Collecting and burning these greenhouse gases prevents off site gas migration, foul odours and potential explosion and fires, as well as reducing the contributing factors of climate change.
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