Volume 3 - Program & Project Ideas (PDF - 4.5 - Natural Life Network

Natural Resources Canada – Community Energy Systems
Source: NRCan. 2003. Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island District Heating System. CES fact
sheet.
http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/es/etb/cetc/cetc01/htmldocs/factsheet_charlottetown_pei_district_heating
_system_e.html
For additional information, contact Chris Snoek, Technology Manager, CANMET Energy
Technology Centre, Natural Resources Canada. Tel.: (613) 992-1832.
A.5.2.2 Using landfill gas as a renewable energy
When organic material such as food scraps decay, methane is produced. Methane is the
main ingredient in natural gas. Wells are drilled into landfills to release this gas and pipes
from each well carry the methane gas to a central point where it is cleaned. The gas can
then be burned to produce steam in a boiler, or it can be used to power generators to
produce electricity. Canadian landfills generate about 24 MegaTonnes of greenhouse gas
emissions annually, primarily from methane. Currently, an estimated 25 per cent of
landfill methane is recovered through active collection systems.
- Case Study: Trail Road, Ottawa, ON
A test program was undertaken by Natural Resources Canada to determine the
practicality of using landfill gas to fuel microturbine generators to produce electricity.
Traditionally the use of landfill gas as a fuel has always been dependent upon the quality
of the gas; a stream diluted with too much CO2 requires oversized piping and valves yet
produces very little power. A microturbine’s greater swallowing capacity overcomes this
issue, but must still produce sufficient energy to run smoothly.
The test demonstrated that a
microturbine could function safely
using landfill gas with less than 50
per cent methane.
Gas collection at Trail Road, Ottawa
For additional information, contact Rob Brandon, Senior Project Manager, Distributed Energy,
Natural Resources Canada, tel.: (613) 992 2958.
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