A new biogas power plant has been opened in the Lviv region, which will provide more than 800,000 cubic meters. m of gas per year and “green” energy for about 735 families
“Thanks to the biogas power plant built here, 38 hectares of landfill, which emits millions of cubic meters of harmful landfill gas, will become a source of energy for the surrounding households. We estimate that more than 2 million cubic meters will be released into the atmosphere. methane, which is 30 times more harmful to the climate than carbon dioxide, ”said Yuriy Vitrenko, Chairman of the Board of Naftogaz Ukrainy.
According to the Regional State Administration, “landfill” gas is formed during anaerobic (without access to air) decomposition of organic waste residues (food residues, leaves, branches, etc.). Usually, this gas is one of the causes of fires and explosions in landfills. Such fires are difficult to extinguish, because they are formed and burn not on the surface, but in the depths of the landfill.
“Now the risk of fires and fires at this landfill, which have occurred in the past, has decreased. Biogas production should also reduce the body height of the landfill – the landfill will settle under its own weight. Therefore, undoubtedly, Lviv region, as well as families who live near the landfill and will receive electricity from this station, will significantly benefit from this facility. The opening of this facility is another stage in the reclamation of the landfill, another stage in ensuring environmental safety for residents of Lviv and the region, “said the head of the Lviv OVA Maksym Kozytsky.
Landfill degassing technology not only reduces methane emissions, but also reduces associated emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other air pollutants, eliminates odors.
According to Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovy, the reclamation of the landfill in Velykyi Hrybovychi is an extremely important project for the city, which is being implemented with the support of European banks.
“It is part of a comprehensive plan to solve the problem of waste in Lviv. Currently, technical reclamation is underway, which includes the construction of a landfill gas collection, preparation and utilization system with electricity generation. This will improve the ecology of the environment, as the landfill will gradually decrease in volume due to the pumping of methane and other gaseous elements. I am convinced that today’s opening of a biogas power plant and work in synergy with Naftogaz and Clear Energy will be a new step in this important matter, “Sadovy said.
To ensure the reliability of the process, the plant is equipped with Austrian Jenbacher equipment, which is used in biogas projects throughout Europe.
“The plant produces 2 million 645 thousand kWh per year, replacing more than 800 thousand cubic meters of natural gas. This makes it possible to provide green electricity to about 735 households and at the same time reduce CO2 emissions by about 30,000 tons per year, ”said Petro Bagriy, co-founder and chairman of the Clear Energy Group’s supervisory board.
Biogas collection is carried out with the help of wells, which are evenly distributed on the body of the landfill, and a surface gas collection system. So far, 29 vertical and 4 horizontal wells have been drilled at this landfill.
The wells are located vertically to a depth of 12.5 meters. From each well there is a pipeline (loop) to the gas collection point. Biogas is transported from gas collection points by pipelines (highway) to an electric generator set (EHU). The gas is burned in the engine, which rotates the electric generator. The generated electricity is transmitted to the grid by means of a complete transformer substation.
About Hrybovytsia landfill
Lviv solid waste landfill (Hrybovytsia landfill) is the only legal place for garbage collection from Lviv and surrounding villages. It has been operating since 1958 near the village of Velyki Hrybovychi near Lviv. The landfill area is over 38 hectares. The issue of closing the Hrybovytsia landfill and building a recycling plant in Lviv has been raised repeatedly since the late 1990s. On May 28, 2016, a large-scale fire broke out on the territory of the landfill, a collapse of solid household waste occurred, as a result of which three rescuers died under the rubble. In the future, garbage was taken out to the center and south of the country without authorization, which provoked opposition from the local population and criminal proceedings were instituted against the organizers of the transportation.