Technical and economic evaluation of biogas capture and treatment for the Piedras Blancas landfill in Córdoba, Argentina

Figures & data

Figure 1. Geographical location of the study site.

Table 1. “Piedras Blancas” biogas composition and recommended maximum emission values, TA Luft (FMENCNS, 2002).

Compound	TA Luft recommended emission limits (mg Nm^−3; dry gas at 3% O2 [24-hr average])	Piedras Blancas
		Minimum value (mg Nm^−3) (%v v^−1)	Mean value (mg Nm^−3) (%v v^−1)	Maximum value (mg Nm^−3) (%v v^−1)
CO	80 (TA Luft 2002)	18.75 (0.002%)	302.7 (0.024%)	625 (0.050%)
NOx	200 (TA Luft 2002)	0.002 (0.0000%)	1.24 (0.0001%)	4.84 (0.0002%)
SO2	35 (TA Luft 2002)	0.03 (0.0000%)	6,811 (0.238%)	9,399 (0.329%)
CH4	10 (TA Luft 1996)	0.00 (0.0%)	106.20 (14.868%)	225,650 (31.591%)
H2S	5 (TA Luft 1986)	0.0001 (0.000%)	4.52 (0.0003%)	14.71 (0.001%)

Table 2. Gas generation models.

Model	Equation		Reference
Zero order		(1)	USACE (2013)
Triangular		(2)	Tchobanoglous et al. (1993)
Scholl Canyon		(3)	Thompson et al. (2009)
LandGEM		(4)	EPA (2005)

Note. M = disposed waste mass (Mg); L₀ = methane generation potential (m³ Mg⁻¹); t₀ = time before methane emission started (years); t_f = time at the end of gas generation (years); Q_sp = gas peak flow (m³ yr⁻¹); t_d = time for complete waste degradation (years); Q_CH4 = annual methane generation (m³ yr⁻¹); i = time period increment; n = year of methane determination; k = methane generation rate (yr⁻¹); M_i = disposed waste mass at year i (Mg); t_i = waste mass age accepted at year i; j = 0.1-yr increment; t_ij = age of the j section of waste mass accepted at year i.

Figure 2. Disposed waste (a) moisture content; (b) fine particle content; (c) organic matter content; (d) pH.

Table 3. Gas generation models results.

Model	Zero order	Lineal	Scholl Canyon	LandGEM
Gas generated in the first year (Nm^3)	2,503,837	20,699,712	9,740,304	7,657,275.55
Gas generated at the peak period (Nm^3)	20,308,897.95	144,560,160	61,437,893.63	50,922,292.94
Time span for peak (years)	6	5	5	6
Gas generated in the last year (Nm^3)	20,308,897.96	40,320	2,453,053.88	3,463,573.30
Total gas generated in the period considered (Nm^3)	938,382,367.35	942,505,920	969,282,858	949,434,039.34

Figure 3. (a) LFG generation: zero-order model, triangular model, Scholl Canyon model, and LandGEM. (b) Sensitivity of expected gas generation considering the variability in L₀ and k due to variability in waste composition, expected mean annual precipitation, and landfill management plans. Dashed lines represent upper and lower bounds of expected values for the different scenarios.

Figure 4. Proposed cover system for “Piedras Blancas” site closure.

Figure 5. (a) Biogas capture network. (b) Detail of subnetworks.

Table 4. Costs of installation components according to local suppliers.

	Item	Quantity	Price (US$)
	Electricity generation alternative
1	On-site landfill installation (wells, trenches, piping, etc.)	Global	570,797.72
2	Gas condensate chambers	3	13,599.13
3	Blowers	5	16,847.91
4	H2S filters	1	369,840.00
5	Control panel and instruments	4	134,000.00
6	Generators	4	3,369,581.05
7	Gas flares	2	151,561.29
8	Building	Global	338,324.12
	Total		4,964,551.22
Gas burning in flares
1	In site landfill installation (wells, trenches, piping, etc.)	Global	570,797.72
2	Gas condensate chambers	3	13,599.13
3	Blowers	5	16,847.91
4	H2S filters	1	369,840.00
7	Gas flares	4	303,122.58
6	Building	Global	33,335.79
	Total		1,307,543.13

Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (FMENCNS). 2002. First General Administrative Regulation Pertaining the Federal Emission Control Act (Technical Instructions on Air Quality Control—TA Luft). Bonn, Germany.

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United States Army Corp of Engineers (USACE). 2013. Landfill Gas Collection and Treatment System. EM 200-1-22. Washington, DC: USACE.

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Tchobanoglous, G., H. Theisen, and S. Vigil. 1993. Integrated Solid Waste Management: Engineering Principles and Management Issues. New York: McGraw Hill.

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