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THE GAS PRODUCED from a landfill site in Co Kildare is to be used to create ‘green power’ for 14,000 nearby homes, under plans announced today.
Bord na Móna is to develop a ‘landfill gas’ power plant at the Drehid landfill near Allenwood, creating 25 construction roles and three or four permanent roles when the construction is finished.
The plant will exploit the gases generated by rotting waste in the landfill site, and convert it to a cleaner form of energy which can then be used in more traditional ways.
The gas generated by decomposition of organic waste is produced continually, and burned on a sporadic basis for safety reasons.
Bord na Móna said it believed the plant would produce 5.6 megawatts of renewable power – less than one fifteenth of the power generating capacity of Ireland’s largest hydroelectric power plant in Ardnacrusha, but enough to supply power to 14,000 local homes.
“This is a very exciting project for the company,” said Bord na Móna’s head of resource recovery, John Daly.
“Apart from the economic benefits, this energy project at Drehid will substantially reduce emissions of methane, which is a potent greenhouse gas when released directly into the atmosphere,” he said.
Daly said the company was particularly happy about being able to offer employment in the Allenwood community, where it has operated for nearly 80 years.
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Well done to them, they have also recently been granted planning permission for 250,000 tone mbt (mechanical biological treatment) plant. This will take mixed waste, separate plastics and non degradable material a with the remaining biodegradable materials being used in a biogas plant to create renewable heat and electricity.
It’s funny how Bord na Móna are moving to such sustainable and environmentally friendly business ventures considering their original mandate was to scrape up huge chunks of a unique ecosystem to be burnt.
People of Dublin, gimme a hose, a feed of Guinness and a Burrito and we”ll be good ’til Christmas
Thats gas
You’re a gas man!
Just attach a pipe to the Dail chamber and you’ll get an unlimited supply of Gas.
It is old news, they’ve been doing this in the Cork City landfill since at least 2001. The power is fed to the national grid. No wonder Cork people have a chip on their shoulder ;-)
Says the man with a fag coming out of his arse:-)
Stops you getting lung cancer…
Obviously but you must get serious backdraft.
Tom how is this old news? This story is about a new plant and not about new technology. There are 5 site in Ireland doing it, only 1 is in Cork, the other 4 are in dublin. the largest is 5MW and thats in lusk, Dublin (cork is only 2MW) this site is going to be 5.6MW so i think it is news worthy.
what woudl make the articel more intrestign is if they stated how much gas there actual is, so we can see the lifespan of the site.
@ Brian – There’s also an already active site in Kildare, one in Meath and one in Wicklow.
Brian you answered you’re own question, there are 5 sites already operating for over a decade = old news. Lifespan of the site will depend on the amount of waste going into it, leaks from the gas pipeline etc.
Dangermouse, you must come over sometime and meet my friend – Harry the hamster, you could go exploring together! Hope you don’t mind smoke……….
Ah stop blowing smoke out your arse Tom!
Doing this for years at my local incinerator plant. Biodegradables are stored in tanks under ground and the methane produced is used to run the incinerators. Positive move. Let’s hope there’s lots more to come.
Local incinerator ????. As far as I know there are no incinerators in Ireland.
The way I see this, their basic raw material is free..given to them by us who have to pay to have it dumped. So, as their fuel is free and after construction costs have been recouped would the people who are benefiting from this power not be entitled to cheaper power as they are supplying the rubbish?
There’s no mention that they won’t Tony.
But it’s not as though the final product is free for them to make. It costs a lot to collect, refine and use the gas that is produced.
Saying otherwise is like the people who say water should be free, sure doesn’t it rain all the time. Collecting, cleaning, transporting and maintaining both water and gas pipelines is costly business.
Tony Tony Tony THIS IS IRELAND what do u think is the answer yo your question
The basic raw material might be free but the collection, processing, landfill maintenance, landfill tax and infrastructure associated with it aren’t. And it won’t result in a discount to anyone because it’ll be sold off to ESB or one of the other energy providers.
Our begrudgery knows no bounds. Bnm should be commended for progressive measures such as this but instead we get whinging like this.
Fair play to bord na mona, hopefully these plants will become commonplace at all landfill sites in the future
This is a positive move but what Tony is saying is not far off the mark. Produces of bio fuels collect waste oil from places like McDonald’s to use as raw materials. As far as I am aware, the bio fuel producer buys it off McDonalds as opposed to McDonalds paying them to take it away. If we followed this process them our waste should be bought off us instead of us paying to have it taken away.
Not likely however. But as I said, this is good news particularly for our environment.
Absolutely John and I wouldn’t expect them to get it for free but as they’re supplying and basic raw materials ( albeit out of necessity) they should get it at a reduced cost after the suppliers costs have been taken into account.
@Tony Skillington
Sounds like an analogy to Income Tax!
Perhaps my original comment came across in a cynical way but that was not my intention. Kudos is definitely due to BNM for innovation. They’re making good use of something that otherwise with do damage to the environment.
@ Tony – How would you decide who gets the discount? What if you’re an Airtricity customer but the electricity is sold to ESB? Also the waste taken to Drehid doesn’t just come from around that locality or even just from Kildare. Waste from all surrounding counties is also taken there so the power isn’t really going to spread too far.
I would imagine (and I could be wrong) that Bord na Mona make regular donations to the locality so the people living close by are already benefitting from the revenue generated there.
@ Aaron..point taken. But I’d imagine it would be based on the amount of waste supplied by each household in the area. Points would be given for each kilo perhaps….I’m sorry I spoke now :)
Didn’t this happen in an episode of the Simpsons… don’t think it ended well.
Simpson = cartoon, news item = reality……….. oh but wait, your right, this is Ireland
So if I harvest the steam from me poo poos I get free lecky?
Great to see but why only Allenwood? Would this not work for other landfill sites?
City dump in cork does it on a small scale
They just cap a dump with a huge plastics sheet and then lay pipes under this to access the methane gas. The life span will be around 20 years I reckon. If you have a dump that is only been shut down your local dump can do it. They need a nearby grid connection to make it feasible. One dump outside limerick for the last couple of years. It’s common enough but most of the best sites have been already capped
Cork city council have been doing this for a while too at the old Kinsale Road landfill
http://www.lifetimelab.ie/media/MOB%20presentation%2019-02-2009.pdf
Other landfills are doing it….
Cork
Tramore Valley Landfill Site, South City Link Road, Cork. 2MW
Dublin
Balleally Landfill Site, Lusk, Co. Dublin. 5MW
Dunsink Landfill Site, Finglas, Co. Dublin. 4.8MW
Ballylogan Landfill Site, Co. Dublin. 2MW
Friarstown Landfill Site, Co. Dublin. 1MW
Depends on a number of things, size of site, proximity to grid connection, site infrastructure (old vs new sites), waste collection etc.
Unfortunately we are way behind the UK on this one, companies like Biffa are 20 yrs ahead of us and sites were not designed with this in mind.
So’ now we know, how to get something useful from rubbish! I wonder would that awkward looking machine fit into the Dail!
As far as I know all electricity produced in Ireland is sold to Eirgrid regardless of who produces it. The different suppliers then buy back the amount that there customers use. So in fact electricity produced in cork could be used in a home in Louth and if produced in Kildare used in a shop in Donegal … I would like to think that the more electricity we produce in Ireland via renewable sources the less we would have to import so the cost in turn would come down for all customers!
Gas from a dump in Dublin called the Dail would provide enough power for the country !!
How original
Ditto for your own comment Scott
We could generate enough electricity from all the hot air from the Dail we sell to UK then they could close Sellafield
This facility is in Derrinturn, not Allenwood.
That’s funny using one dump , to heat another dump
I wouldn’t begrudge job creation and innovation for the sake of getting a few cents off my electric bill. Your never going to get mainstream electricity from a scheme like this. Our main concerns should be any ecological advantage/disadvantages.
I see your point and personally I am against landfill, would much prefer to more incineration plants. I just really don’t agree with landfill.
Never knew they could do this, so its only a positive, I hear the smell out there can be very bad.
Does this mean the people who have put up with this mess will get reduced electrical prices?
Gavan; didn’t you mean a landfill in Kildare STREET? ;)
Jesus I wonder how many houses I could power with the amount of gas I release monday morn after a feed a Guinness
The way I have been farting lately I could power Dublin.
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