On average, a Vancouver resident produces approximately 31 million tonnes of waste annually. To mitigate the environmental impact of waste, the city has promoted waste sorting and recycling. However, despite increasing eco-awareness among residents, large heaps of garbage at landfills remain a persistent issue.
Landfills are not only sources of unpleasant odours but also emit harmful greenhouse gases such as methane. One such site is the Delta landfill near Vancouver. Here, a solution was found to harness biogas from the mountains of garbage and convert it into a renewable energy source, while reducing its harmful effects. Next on vancouver-name.
Vancouver’s Landfill Problem
The Vancouver landfill is located near Burns Bog in the city of Delta, about 20 kilometres south of Vancouver. This landfill specializes in solid household waste and can accommodate up to 750,000 tonnes of waste annually, including construction debris. It serves Vancouver, Delta, Richmond, White Rock, the University of British Columbia Endowment Lands, and parts of Surrey, covering 70% of waste disposal needs.
The landfill began operations in 1966, and by the late 1990s, it was overwhelmed with waste mountains reaching approximately 15 metres high.
Fire at the Landfill
In 1999, a massive fire broke out at the Vancouver landfill, prompting a state of emergency. The fire began in an area where wood and asphalt concrete from construction sites were accumulated. The fire smouldered deep underground, delaying detection.
When the landfill operator suspected something unusual, attempts to extinguish the fire inadvertently accelerated the spread.
Within weeks, the fire became visible on Vancouver’s horizon, covering an area of over a hectare and burning 20 metres deep at its peak. The operation to extinguish the fire took over six months and cost $4 million. The primary cause of such fires, including this one in Delta, is the accumulation of explosive methane gas.
Construction of the Biogas Plant
Landfills are significant sources of greenhouse gas emissions, with methane and carbon dioxide being the primary culprits. The main purpose of the biogas plant is to process these gases into a safer form of energy equivalent to natural gas derived from fossil fuels. Methane, being highly flammable, poses significant environmental hazards, including the risk of landfill fires.
Construction of the biogas system began in 2003, with the installation of 10 horizontal gas collection wells and 50 vertical wells, which later increased to 339 vertical wells and 25 horizontal collectors. Excess gas is burned on-site using flares to minimize greenhouse gas emissions.
Impact of the Biogas Plant
According to Vancouver city officials, approximately 60 million cubic metres of landfill gas were collected and destroyed in 2015. Of this, 50% was methane, equivalent to the emissions of approximately 109,000 vehicles. The total energy generated from the collected gas amounts to 500,000 gigajoules annually, enough to meet the energy needs of 3,000 to 4,000 households.
The collection of landfill gas has helped to:
- Reduce odours;
- Lower greenhouse gas emissions;
- Provide a renewable energy source.
By turning waste into energy, Vancouver has taken a significant step toward a more sustainable and eco-friendly future.