2016-06-07 S&O Agenda - Item 4 Att 1 - Draft Waste Reduction & Recycling Plan

Table 6: Staged Landforms Available Airspace

Stage                            Estimated Air-Space Capacity                     Estimated Landfill Life
                                 m3*                                              As at 30 June 2014 #
1                                96,600                                           1.9 years
2                                586,000                                          12 years
3                                461,000                                          9.4 years
4                                1,609,600                                        32 years
Total                            2,753,200                                        55 years
* Based on June 2014 survey.
# Landfill life based on an annual airspace consumption rate of 49,000m 3


Methane Gas Extraction

In 2011 the Council entered a 20 year contract with LMS Generation Pty Ltd (LMS) for the
provision of a methane gas flare on the Eumundi Rd landfill. A portion of the landfill is supplied with
underground gas collection pipes to collect methane gas generated during the natural
decomposition of organic waste.

                                                 The substantial infrastructure (underground collection pipes
                                                 and gas flare) was provided at no cost to Council. In return,
                                                 LMS has the rights to the gas generated on the landfill during
                                                 the 20 year contract period. The captured methane gas is
                                                 flared (burnt) to convert methane gas into carbon dioxide, with
                                                 the resultant burnt gasses discharged to the environment.
                                                 Carbon dioxide is also a greenhouse gas impacting on the
                                                 environment. However it is preferable as it has only 1/20th the
                                                 environmental impact of methane.

                                                 LMS receives carbon credits/revenue for the destruction of
                                                 methane, which pays for the equipment installed. At the
                                                 present time there is insufficient gas generated in the collection
                                                 system to pay for the costs to generate electricity. If electricity
                                                 generation becomes viable in the future the electricity
                                                 generated and fed into the Noosa electricity grid would provide
                                                 a revenue return to LMS/Council that would pay for the
                                                 generator. This is a more desirable outcome instead of merely
                                                 flaring the gas to the open atmosphere.
Fig 13: Flaring of Methane Gas
However, when organic waste is removed from the landfill this limits the methane generated in the
future and may limit the future viability of electricity generation.




Waste Reduction & Recycling Plan - Page 16