Economic study on LFG energy projects in function of the number of generators

Abstract

Landfills are inexpensive alternative for the final disposal of solid waste, which is still in use globally, especially in developing countries. One of the ways to reduce environmental liabilities of these structures is the use of biogas produced for electricity generation. Regardless of the advantages of environmental and energy planning, as well as electric generation, using gas from landfills (LFG) has caught up to the financial and economic development. In this context, this paper presents a method for planning the energy use of landfill, based on an escalation of powers given by the addition of generating units over the life of exploitation; which determines the number of generators, as well as the operation time and the power of each generator. The methodology developed was applied to a sanitary landfill in Brazil to ensure the economic viability. This led to the conclusion that a maximum of three generating units should be utilized during the procedure, being the optimal number of generators for a parameter that varies as a function of economic parameters.