Process
Nature meets nurture
As the organic content of landfill decomposes, landfill gas is produced. This ‘gas’ is actually a combination of potentially environmentally damaging gases, which can include methane, and carbon dioxide in different proportions depending on the content of the landfill. These gases are classified as 'Greenhouse Gases' (GHGs), which are deleterious to the environment and to human health when vented directly to the atmosphere. Our process enables the separation of methane from this mixture and its purification before it is liquefied to create LBM.
Our process brings together proven and reliable modular technologies, which employ a range of separation techniques such as membrane permeation and pressure swing adsorption, in a sequence that allows the recovery of between 75% and 85% of the methane contained in the landfill gas. The biogas that results is over 95% pure methane, which allows easy conversion to LBM by a final liquefaction unit.
Compared to landfill, anaerobic digestion results in greater volumes of process gas. The technology we use processes the organic feedstock to create a slurry, which is fed into the digester. The activity of micro-organisms maintained in ideal circumstances in the slurry leads to the decomposition of the organic material and production of gas. Not only can the gas that emerges go on to become LBM, but the solid residue, too, can be used as a fuel source due to its high energy content.
