Gas Recovery and Reuse from Closure of Three Delhi Landfills (Carbon Finance)

Objective of the projectThe Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) will be closing four uncontrolled MSW dump sites over the next four years. The objectives of the project are to rehabilitate and close these sites in an environmentally sustainable manner including control of methane gas emissions to take advantage of Carbon Finance opportunities.Project description and proposed activitiesMCD has four active dumping sites at Gazipur, Bhalaswa, Bhalswa Crossing and Okhla, which at present do not have any infrastructure to collect landfill gas emissions. The year of start and the projected year of closing of these four landfill sites are as follows:- Okhla: 1996, 2006- Gazipur: 1984, 2008- Bhalswa: 1992, 2005- Bhalswa Crossing: 1998, 2005All the 4 sites mentioned above fall under the category of uncontrolled solid waste disposal facility. Many of the tip faces are steep and unstable and methane generation in the uncovered waste piles is spontaneously igniting causing smoldering surface fires. The proposed project plans to stop uncontrolled dumping on the site, control fires and re-contour and stabilize slopes so that a final cover can be installed and landfill gas emissions brought under control. There is evidence that leachate from the landfills are contaminating surface waters in the vicinity of the sites and will be brought under control through the project.Although a significant portion of the material in the dumps has already decomposed or has burned, it is estimated that considerable amounts of biodegradable material remain, which will continue to generate methane after dumping at these sites has been halted. Appropriate closure of the dumps with capture and destruction of methane can produce major reductions in Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from the sites. Closure plans will therefore be designed and implemented specifically to reduce methane emissions.With the assistance of consultants, MCD have prepared a draft Master Plan for MSW treatment and disposal in Delhi and the neighboring regions of the State of Delhi . This Master Plan includes a number of assumptions about waste quantities, composition and gas generation potential that should be reviewed and refined in order to optimize the Plan for GHG reduction and earning Carbon Emission Reduction (CER) credits. It is proposed to undertake this work concurrently with the current project, which would then form the basis for a potential second carbon credit application to implement the final Plan over the short (5 yr) and medium term (10 yr).Technology to be employedOptions that will be considered and analyzed for closure/rehabilitation of the landfills will include conventional waste capping and gas collection systems as well as an alternative Evapo-transpiration Cover (ET)/bio-filter approach (see Annex 1). The later approach, which is coming into increasing use in the US and Europe, is based on the provision of a layer of organic material, up to 1m thick, over the final waste contours. This layer supports the growth of methanotropic bacteria which oxidize the methane to simpler products. Available information indicates that inclusion of a high portion of compost material in this layer greatly enhances its performance. Afforestation of closed landfills with native timber species is also part of ET landfill cover design.Some of the compost plants (with solid waste as input) owned or contracted by MCD are running under capacity due to various reasons (See Annex 2). In case the later technical option is preferred, these plants could provide the additional compost required for capping the landfills. Alternatively establishment of additional composting facilities may be considered if the demand or location considerations warrant. These plants could provide compost for future landfill capping or be used for daily cover material. However, only the additional production to be brought on-stream under the project would be considered for carbon credits.Consideration will also be given to improving source separation of biodegradable wastes in order to improve the performance of the composting plants. Moreover, the higher the percentage of biodegradable material in the feed source for these plants the higher the carbon credit generated per tonne of waste treated.A detailed techno-economic feasibility study will be undertaken to select the preferred technical option.