Works will soon commence on the Lithgow Landfill Gas Project at Lithgow Solid Waste Facility. Lithgow Council has partnered with LGI Pty Ltd to install a landfill gas extraction and flaring system that will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the landfill.
Landfills are a significant source of methane gas, a greenhouse gas with a warming effect some 28 times greater than carbon dioxide. Collecting and flaring the biogas emitted from the waste buried in the Lithgow Solid Waste Facility is an effective way of reducing damaging greenhouse gases that, otherwise, are released into the atmosphere.
The first stage of works will commence in late October and consists of drilling wells into the waste to allow removal of gas and installation of surface lines connecting the wells. The wells and pipes will be capped after installation to prevent any uncontrolled release of gas.
Once the collection lines are in place a flare will be installed, commissioned and tested. It is expected that flare installation will occur in December this year, weather permitting.
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions will also return economic benefits to the community. The Lithgow Landfill Gas Project is registered with the Australian Government Clean Energy Regulator and that means revenue will be earned for every tonne of carbon dioxide abated. With ongoing benefits for the environment and ratepayers, the landfill gas management partnership with LGI is another example of Council’s commitment to continuous improvement and best practice waste management.