Feasibility of energy generation by methane emissions from a landfill in southern Mexico

• Published in: Journal of material cycles and waste management 2020, Vol.22 (1), p.295-303
• Main Authors: Escamilla-García, Pablo Emilio, Jiménez-Castañeda, Martha E., Fernández-Rodríguez, Emmanuel, Galicia-Villanueva, Silvia
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Capital costs; Civil Engineering; Economics; Emissions; Energy; Energy technology; Engineering; Environmental Management; Feasibility studies; Flow rates; Hot water heating; Landfill; Landfill gas; Landfills; Methane; Profitability; Regional Case Study; Renewable energy; Sustainable energy; Waste disposal sites; Waste Management/Waste Technology; Waste to energy
• ISSN: 1438-4957; 1611-8227
• DOI: 10.1007/s10163-019-00940-3

This research addresses the use of methane (CH 4 ) for energy generation in a landfill located in Southern Mexico. To evaluate the feasibility of this renewable and sustainable energy project, a LandGEM model was used to estimate the CH 4 -emissions, the environmental benefits and the economic profitability. Taken together, results showed an average CH 4 -production of 2932 ft 3 /min, with a maximum CH 4 -generation flowrate of 4072 ft 3 /min (115.3 m 3 ). Energy generation resulted in 32.396 million KW h/year with a hot water/steam production of 63.990 million BTU/year. The installed capital costs of a 15-years project were estimated in $9,034,907 USD; economic parameters showed a financial profitability with a net present value of $6,304,060 and an internal rate of return of 25%. The environmental benefits reported a total collection and destruction of CH 4 at 9,824,469,979 ft 3 (278,198,009.2 m 3 ). The results obtained in this research can be used to conduct further studies to implement waste-to-energy technologies in Mexico and thus improve the sector of sustainable and renewable energy.