In a first for the Mid North Coast, landfill gas is to be captured as an energy source at the Park and used to help run one of the waste management plants at the site.

“The whole focus of the new waste management facilities that (Coffs Harbour City) Council and its partners are creating at the Coffs Coast Resource Recovery Park is all about reuse and recycling,” said Stephen Sawtell, Council’s General Manager.

“By capturing this gas, we will cut down on odours – which will be welcomed by the site’s neighbours. We will also cut the amount of methane emissions released into the atmosphere from the landfill by possibly as much as the equivalent of 17,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) per annum.

“The waste management plant that is operated by Biomass Solutions uses bottled gas, a fossil fuel, to generate the steam needed for its processing operations. Negotiations are in train to use landfill gas instead which would mean further environmental savings.

“This whole plan is a positive – it provides benefits for the environment, the wider community and the waste facility’s neighbours,” he said.

Landfill gas typically comprises about 55% methane, approximately 40% carbon dioxide and other gases including water vapour, nitrogen, non-methane organic gases, odourous sulfides.

These gases are what give the landfill gas mixture its characteristic ‘rotting’ smell.

“Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, one tonne of which is equivalent to 21 tonnes of carbon dioxide,” said Mr Sawtell.

“Without an extraction system, these gases escape from the landfill causing odours, safety risks and greenhouse emissions. By flaring off captured gas and hopefully using it as an energy source, we will be mitigating all these issues,” he said.

Council last year signed a ten-year contract and lease agreement with AGL Energy Sales and Marketing Ltd for the company to build and operate a landfill gas extraction system at the Park.