Thailand landfill gas capture
Context
Thailand still generates 93.81% of its energy from fossil fuels. The burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas), is responsible for around three-quarters of global greenhouse emissions.
However a significant proportion of emissions are also generated from the production of waste. Thailand generates approximately 14.5 million tonnes of municipal solid waste (MSW) each year. The majority of this waste ends up in landfill sites, where it decomposes and releases methane gas. Methane is around 34 times more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, and when released into the atmosphere, has a significant impact on warming.
Project
The objective of the Bangkok Kamphaeng Saen West: Landfill Gas to Electricity Project is to collect the landfill gas produced in the Kamphaeng Saen West landfill site, and use it to generate electricity.
Under the project activity, a fully-integrated landfill gas collection system will be installed and operated. This facility will capture the gas released from the landfill waste and use it to power turbines and generate 16 MW of clean electricity. This will both prevent environmentally damaging methane from being released into the atmosphere, and export clean electricity to the grid, replacing energy that would otherwise be generated by fossil fuels.
The funding of this project directly prevents the equivalent of 1,055,446 tonnes of CO2e from entering the atmosphere during the it’s first 7 years of operation, about 150,779 tonnes each year. This project will also significantly reduce local air pollution, improving the well-being of local people.
Verification
This project is verified by the Gold Standard. You can view it on the Gold Standard registry here.
Climate solution #58
Landfill Methane Capture
Landfills generate methane as organic waste decomposes. Rather than getting released as emissions, that methane can be captured and used to produce electricity.
Over the course of a century, methane has 34 times the greenhouse effect of carbon dioxide. Landfills are a top source of methane emissions, releasing 12 percent of the world’s total. Landfill methane can be tapped, captured, and used as a fairly clean energy source for generating electricity or heat, rather than leaking into the air or being dispersed as waste.
The climate benefit is twofold: prevent landfill emissions and displace coal, oil, or natural gas that might otherwise be used.