Feasibility study for recovery of landfill gas from Ghazipur landfill
Student name: Ms Riki Sarma
Guide: Dr Arun Kansal
Year of completion: 2011
Host Organisation: SENES Consultants India Private Limited
Supervisor (Host Organisation): Mr Abhishek Ghosh
Abstract: Landfill gas is released due to the anaerobic decomposition of organic waste in
landfills and is an inherent property of any landfill. It consists largely of methane
and carbon dioxide. When released into the atmosphere, it enhances global
warming as CH4 is a greenhouse gas having a global warming potential 21 times
that of CO2. Thus, landfills are now seen as one of the major sources of
greenhouse gases. If this methane is recovered from the landfill and utilized as a
source of energy, methane release into the atmosphere can be reduced to a very
large extent. There are numerous examples of landfill gas (LFG) to energy
projects around the globe. LFG can be recovered to generate electricity, used as
vehicular fuel or incorporated in local natural gas networks. Although LFG to
CNG projects are gradually gaining popularity, there are very few plants that are
operational worldwide. In India, there are no LFG recovery plants till date.
This project deals with the feasibility study of recovery of landfill gas from
Ghazipur landfill in Delhi. Flow rate of the gas as well as radius of influence
were calculated by experimental pump tests based on US EPA Method 2E
“Determination of Landfill Gas Production Flow Rateâ€. These were used to
design a landfill gas extraction system for the project site. Various technologies
of conversion of LFG to CNG were studied and compared.
This project can be carried on further to propose and design complete LFG to
CNG plants, not only in the project site at Ghazipur landfill but also in other
landfill sites in India.
Keywords: LFG recovery, Landfill gas flow rate, LFG to CNG, Radius of
influence, landfill gas extraction system
