A PROJECT to extract power from old waste at the Birkdale transfer station has been extended.
Redland City mayor Karen Williams said methane gas had been captured at the Birkdale landfill since 2004 and the latest project extended gas capture to the entire site.
She said the extension, involving gas wells drills on the western side of the landfill, would provide enough methane to power about 1150 households.
“This project is a great partnership between Redland City Council and energy providers LMS Energy that essentially uses our old waste as power,” Cr Williams said.
“The commercial arrangement between council and our landfill-gas-to-electricity partner brings financial benefits to Redlands Coast but more importantly there are significant environmental benefits to this collaboration.”
Cr Williams said the captured methane was equivalent to removing the greenhouse gas production of about 6000 cars operating on our roads each year.
“Methane caused by decomposing waste is ozone-damaging, very flammable and a toxic gas,” Cr Williams said.
“So this extraction project sees a potentially negative legacy of a landfill becoming a valuable resource.
“Projections show site methane extraction may be viable for about 20 years, so the infrastructure we are putting in place today has long-lasting, positive repercussions for all of Redlands Coast.”
Cr Tracey Huges said the successful commissioning of the project’s second stage was the latest achievement in ongoing efforts to manage the closed landfill site.
“Birkdale landfill was our city’s main disposal point from 1993 to 2011, beginning on the site of a disused quarry and accepting around a million tonnes of waste during its years of operation,” Cr Huges said.
“Since the landfill closed in 2011, council’s focus has turned to planned remediation to ensure the best possible environmental outcomes for the site and surrounding areas.
“In 2015, council began a multi-million dollar rehabilitation project, with works including capping and re-vegetating the landfill to better capture gases, reduce water ingress and improve storm water quality.
“Gas extraction is a win/win for the site and for Redlands Coast, giving us a productive way to manage the gases successfully being captured by the landfill cap.”
