The Effect of Increasing Landfill Size on the Economic Viability of Landfill Gas Recovery

Kevin Croke
R. Eric Zimmerman

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DOI: 10.2190/YFXN-YJ7X-PNC9-24DK

Abstract

Landfill gas utilization has seen continual growth since 1975. Two principal reasons are the growing competitiveness of gas as a commercial and industrial fuel, and more stringent environmental regulations. Pressures from citizens and regulators have combined to decrease the number of landfills, and new landfills will generally be larger facilities that serve area-wide jurisdictions such as whole counties. As sanitary landfills, the source of landfill gas (LFG), increase in size LFG recovery is expected to become more economical. This article examines the impact of the expected landfill size increase over the next decade on the economics of LFG recovery. The percentage of landfill capacity expected to yield an adequate internal rate of return in 1995 is discussed, given the present and expected size distributions of landfills in the United States. The source and recovery of LFG, and models employed to estimate internal rates of return for LFG projects are discussed. LFG revenues and expenses are projected, based on production feasibility models developed by the U. S. Department of Energy and the Gas Research Institute.

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