Guest Myra Anubi discusses the repurposing of landfill sites into green spaces, focusing on Singapore's landfill island made from incinerated waste. The podcast also explores how a French company converts landfill methane into biomethane for energy use. Other topics include the purification process of landfill gas and efforts to reduce methane emissions from landfill sites.
Singapore has repurposed an active landfill site into a thriving island ecosystem, addressing space shortage and creating a visually appealing solution.
WAGA Energy's system collects methane from landfills and converts it into biomethane, reducing harmful emissions and providing clean energy.
Deep dives
Transforming active landfill sites into beautiful spaces: Singapore's innovative approach
Singapore has found a unique solution to deal with its waste problem by transforming an active landfill site into a purpose-built island. The government connected two existing islands and built a seven-kilometer embankment to enclose part of the sea. They then filled these sections with ash from incinerated landfill waste, compacted it, and added soil to enable plant growth. The result is a thriving ecosystem that serves as both an active landfill site and a beautiful green space. By repurposing active landfills in this way, Singapore has not only addressed its space shortage but also created a sustainable and visually appealing solution.
WAGA Energy: Harnessing methane from landfills to create renewable energy
WAGA Energy, a French company, has developed a system that collects methane gas produced by landfills and converts it into biomethane, a renewable energy source. The WAGA Box, a key component of the system, captures methane which would otherwise contribute to climate change or be burned off. The biomethane is then injected directly into the natural gas grid for household use. This innovative approach helps to reduce harmful methane emissions while providing clean energy. Although biomethane currently represents a small fraction of natural gas demand globally, initiatives like WAGA Energy's are gaining momentum, particularly in Europe, and can play a significant role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Addressing methane emissions and harnessing its energy potential
Methane, a potent greenhouse gas, is a significant concern in landfills due to its contribution to climate change. To address this issue, projects like WAGA Energy's focus on capturing methane and using it for renewable energy. Methane has over 80 times the heating power of carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. By converting methane from landfills into biomethane, which can be used to heat homes or power vehicles, these projects help reduce methane emissions and utilize a previously wasted energy source. While more efforts are needed to reach global methane reduction goals, capturing and utilizing methane from landfills is a step in the right direction to mitigate climate change.