WC Archive

Susbus started a decade ago as an academic project, looking at the feasibility, benefits and potential use of landfill methane extraction. They've worked out the technical details, and are now moving to the stage of examining more closely the commercial applications. New Scientist reported recently on the project, and noted that Europe alone has the potential to generate up to 94 billion cubic meters of methane annually from landfills, with only 1% of that currently being tapped. The remainder either escapes into the atmosphere (where it is a greenhouse gas 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide) or is simply flared -- burned off to prevent explosive accumulation -- dumping a variety of impurities into the air.

Project coordinators claim four key advantages to the model:

1.Removal of pollution problems
Gas arising from landfill sites in many parts of the world is uncontrolled and contains harmful gases. At low cost Susbus can clean up these emissions and reduce local pollution.
2. Low cost technology
The technology is simple and consists of relatively inexpensive components. Maintenance and operating costs are low due to the lack of moving parts. It should be capable of widespread application.
3. Multiple beneficial uses
The purified gas can be used in many ways depending upon the location of the site, quality and quantity of gas and local markets for fuel. It can produce cleaner gas for power generation, gas for transmission into pipelines as well as high value vehicle fuel.
4. Widespread environmental benefits
Depending upon the final use of the purified gas the technology provides many benefits from the substitution of fossil fuels, low emission vehicle fuel, more efficient and cleaner power generation and the development of new local fuel source.

The Susbus website gives a basic breakdown of how their methane reclamation process works. A report from 2002 (DOC) is available for download, going into great detail about the technical, organizational and economic aspects of the project; at nearly 100 pages, it's hefty reading. Be aware: the link is to a zip archive of a Word document, so you will need a Word-compatible application to read the file.