‘SENT Landfill Gas Management (Reprocessing) Facilities’ converts landfill gas to energy for the public of Hong Kong

The ‘Landfill Gas Management (Reprocessing) Facilities’ at South East New Territories (SENT) Landfill officially opens on 24 November 2017. This facility turns surplus landfill gas into synthetic natural gas, which is conveyed to the distribution network of the Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited (Towngas) as a renewable energy source, supplying the public of Hong Kong.

As a pioneer of waste management, Veolia is committed to turning waste into resources. Landfill gas, generated during the anaerobic decomposition of organic waste at the landfill, consists of methane, carbon dioxide, as well as a small amount of non-methane organic compounds, is a readily available, local and renewable energy resource. Landfill gas generated at SENT Landfill has always been collected through a system of horizontal gas pipes and vertical wells, and provides power for the site operation as well as producing heat energy for leachate treatment. 
 
To further diversify the usage of landfill gas, Green Valley Landfill Limited (GVL), a Veolia joint venture company, reached an agreement with Towngas in 2014 to build the ‘Landfill Gas Management (Reprocessing) Facilities’ at SENT Landfill. The facility has been designed and built by Towngas and will be operated by Towngas while the landfill gas is provided by GVL. Collected gas is sent to the facility for purification and conversion into synthetic natural gas. A 12-kilometre pipeline conveys the treated gas to the Towngas Offtake Station at Tseng Lan Shue, where the treated gas is blended with towngas for injection into the Towngas distribution network for public use.
 
“Veolia is committed to giving waste a second life by turning it into resources. Following the commissioning of the ‘Landfill Gas Management (Reprocessing) Facilities’ at SENT Landfill, Hong Kong has taken a step forward to a circular economy. Veolia is proud of being a part of this project in providing the landfill gas to Towngas, serving the community by enriching the sources of our energy. ” said Joe Zorn, the Country CEO of Veolia Hong Kong.   
 
It is estimated this project will contribute an annual reduction of 56,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emission, equivalent to planting 2.4 million plant seedlings. 
 
Also officiating the commissioning ceremony are Mr. K. S. Wong, Secretary for the Environment, and Mr. Alfred Chan, Managing Director of the Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited.  
 
SENT Landfill is one of the three strategic landfills of Hong Kong, it was designed and built in 1994 and is operated by Green Valley Landfill Limited, a subsidiary of Veolia.