Landfill gas, the natural by-product of decomposing rubbish, is to be harnessed to produce electricity at two further landfill sites in Hampshire following the award of Non Fossil Fuel Obligation (NFFO) contracts from the Government.

Investment in a mini power station has gone ahead at Somerley, hidden in the depths of the New Forest with Verwood the nearest village more than a mile away. Another project is starting in the north of the county at Bramshill, close to Yateley.

Both are due to be up and running by the end of the year on the completed landfill sites. As the restoration work continues, so the infrastructure for the recovery of the gas is constructed, extending to 1.5 kilometres of pipeline and some 30, ten-metre deep gas wells in each case.

Next comes the installation of a Jenbacher V20 1500 hp engine at each site, complete with its own containerised unit, to burn the gas and generate electricity.

"Our on-going monitoring of all landfill sites will involve the burn off of gas to ensure we have no gas migration," reports Hampshire Waste Operations Director, Richard Bray. "Here however we are using the gas for a purpose. As there is no nearby industry to benefit from the gas, we are putting it through the power plant to generate just under one megawatt of electricity at each site. This is exported to the National Grid and is sufficient in each case to supply electrical power to some 1,000 local homes."

The substantial investment costs for the development of the mini power stations and connection to the National Grid are off-set by the government in the NFFO price paid for the electricity, thereby acting as an encouragement for the use of non-fossil fuels.

With the power generated by an existing plant at the Paulsgrove landfill site near Portsmouth, this brings the total power generation from landfill gas in the county to 4 megawatts, and the total investment in landfill power plants in Hampshire to £3.5 million.

14 September 2000

For further information, contact Richard Bray, Hampshire Waste Services' Operations Director on 01962 764000.

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