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City of Greater Sudbury to expand its gas collection system

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Construction is underway at one of Greater Sudbury’s landfill sites. The Kingsway location, in the east end of the city, will see expansion with its gas collection system.

The city said the waste at landfill sites produces gas which is composed of 50 per cent methane and 50 per cent carbon dioxide. And, the city is required by legislation to capture the landfill gas.

"The landfill gas system is composed of perforated pipes that capture the landfill gas and that gas is then sent to a control facility where an engine turns it into energy," said Renee Brownlee, acting director of environmental services with the City of Greater Sudbury.

"The pipes are laid at different depths within the landfill site and as the waste ages it produces less gas. So, as we expand the landfill area vertically we need to add another layer of piping in order to collect the gas."

There are many benefits to capturing landfill gas, Brownlee said.

"Capturing that gas reduces landfill odours, greenhouse gas emissions, as well as produces energy and generates revenue for the city."

Director of communications for Greater Sudbury Utilities, Wendy Watson, said this expansion will provide more gas to the utility company, which purchases the gas uses it to create more electricity in the city.

"In 2020, we paid the city $357,000 for that gas. The life of the project though we started in 2007 up to and including 2020, it would have been close to $4 million that the city has recouped from those gases which they are compelled to collect," Watson said. "In 2020, we generated 9.4 million kilowatt hours of electricity."

Cost to the city for the expansion project is $876,000, with work to be complete by March.

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