REGULATING LANDFILLS USING MEASURED METHANE EMISSIONS Mark Bourn - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Landfill Aftercare Forum Thursday 9 June 2016 REGULATING LANDFILLS USING MEASURED METHANE EMISSIONS Mark Bourn Environment Agency

Content Can we quantify methane emissions from landfills? How could we use methane emission measurements to regulate landfills? Would using methane emission measurements improve landfill regulation?

Measuring methane emissions Differential Absorption Lidar - DIAL Tracer gas dispersion Unmanned aerial vehicles - UAVs

DIAL Differential Absorption LiDAR

DIAL Technique

Tracer gas dispersion method

Unmanned aerial vehicle method

How can we use the methane emission measurements? Generated

How can we use the methane emission measurements? Emitted Collected Oxidised Generated CH 4 generated = CH 4 oxidised + CH 4 emitted + CH 4 collected

Landfill methane balance CH 4 generated = CH 4 oxidised + CH 4 emitted + CH 4 collected Generated Not known - can be modelled but not measured Oxidised Not known - no standard whole site method Emitted Not known - but can be measured Collected Known - routinely measured

Methane collection index Use the known methane collection rate with the measured rate of methane emissions Calculate a methane collection index – MCI MCI = CH 4 collected /(CH 4 emitted + CH 4 collected )

Measured methane emissions 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 A B C D E F G H I J K L J-DIAL J-TG M-DIAL M-TG N-TG O-TG 1 O-TG 2 Methane emission kg/hour

Measured methane emissions and collection 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 A B C D E F G H I J K L J-DIAL J-TG M-DIAL M-TG N-TG O-TG 1 O-TG 2 Methane emission kg/hour Methane collection kg/hour

Methane collection index 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 0.28 A 0.76 B 0.40 C 0.85 D 0.62 E 0.62 F 0.47 G 0.28 H 0.43 I 0.82 J 0.73 K 0.79 L 0.84 J-DIAL 0.90 J-TG 0.57 M-DIAL M-TG 0.68 0.65 N-TG O-TG 1 0.64 0.73 O-TG 2 Methane emission kg/hour Methane collection kg/hour MCI = CH 4 collected /(CH 4 emitted + CH 4 collected)

How can we use the methane collection index for regulation? MCI 1.00 0.90 0.80 0.70 0.60 0.50 0.40 0.30 0.20 0.10 0.00 J K L J-DIAL J-TG N-TG O-TG 1 O-TG 2

Possible regulatory approach Annual methane emission measurements Modern permits already contain this requirement Flexibility on the measurement method Calculation of the methane collection index Comparison of the MCI to a limit An action plan for improvements in landfill gas management

But would this approach improve landfill regulation? Closed sites Sites with active landfill gas collection Methane oxidation Variation in methane emissions Setting a limit for the MCI

Conclusions Can we quantify methane emissions from landfills? Yes, but further validation work is needed How could we use methane emission measurements to regulate landfills? Combining the emission with the rate of collection gives an effective measure of performance

Conclusions Would using methane emission measurements improve landfill regulation? Yes, this could provide a significant contribution to reducing methane emissions from landfills But we need to understand the variability in emissions Could support rather than replace the current approach to regulation

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