Biocover - reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from landfills by use of engineered bio-covers

Abstract

Emission of methane from landfills due to anaerobic decomposition of organic material is one
of the most important environmental concerns with regards to solid waste management. This
is due to the amount of methane released from landfills globally and the relatively high global
warming potential of methane. An approach to reduce emissions is to improve conditions for
biological oxidation of methane in the top cover using engineered biocovers.
A demonstration project was initiated at the Technical University of Denmark under the EU
Life Environment program, where this technology is applied in full scale at section I on Fakse
landfill in Denmark. Construction of the full scale biocover at the test site was completed at
time of writing.
The main project objective was to document the construction and efficiency of the system.
The project actions consist of a logical order of tasks performed in able to meet the objectives
of the project. At first the landfill was characterized. Expected landfill gas production was
estimated based upon the collected data using models. Then, a baseline study was performed,
consisting of an evaluation of the spatial variability in methane emission at the site. The total
methane emission from the landfill was measured by use of a tracer technique.
Mixtures of locally available soils and organic waste residuals were tested by laboratory batch
and column experiments. A cover improvement plan included details on material additions to
selected areas of the landfill, maintenance plans of the total landfill cover. A plan for
monitoring performance was setup. The emissions after the cover improvement will be
compared to the emissions obtained during the baseline study. Scenarios for other landfills
will be calculated based on the experiences obtained from the studied landfill.