GE Supports One of the World’s Largest Waste Gas-to-Energy Projects
25 April 2009
One of the world's largest landfill gas-to-energy projects was formally unveiled in Istanbul on 25 April by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The landfill gas project, owned by Ortadogu Enerji Sanayi Ve Ticaret AS, was developed as part of a national initiative to reduce the environmental impacts of solid waste facilities and use landfill gas to generate electricity.
Turkey has been rapidly modernising its energy infrastructure to encourage the development of new domestic, alternative and renewable energy supplies, including landfill gas.
Ahmet Gür, chairman of Ortadogu Enerji Sanayi Ve Ticaret AS, said: "We are proud to have realised one of the world's largest landfill gas-to-energy projects with a high level of local contribution. Our group managed the whole project and more than half the project's value was provided by local sources.
"Also, through careful design and judicious selection of system components, we are able to convert the collected landfill gas to electricity with about 5% higher efficiency than most similar projects."
Located at two landfill sites in Istanbul, in Odayeri and Komurcuoda, the new renewable energy plants will be powered by 23 of GE's Jenbacher landfill gas engines. The first nine units have been commissioned and the final systems are scheduled to be delivered in 2010. Once the final units begin operation, the 35MW project will produce enough renewable energy to support the monthly requirements of about 100,000 average households in Istanbul, making it one of the largest waste-to-energy projects in the world.
GE Energy's Mete Maltepe said: "GE is very pleased to collaborate with Turkey on this important renewable energy initiative as the country seeks to enhance its energy independence and increase the use of alternative energy sources."
With a total waste disposal volume of 47 million tons and a daily disposal rate of about 14,000 tons, the two landfills in Istanbul are among the largest in the world. Methane-rich landfill gas is created as organic solid waste gradually breaks down. To prevent uncontrolled venting of the gas, it is extracted via a network of pipes, processed and fed into GE's Jenbacher engines to generate a renewable supply of electricity.
Capturing the gas to create renewable electricity will help reduce the landfills' annual emissions by an average of one million tons of CO2 equivalent during the 22-year life-spans of the plants, according to the project's owner.
The gas-to-energy project is being registered for international carbon credits to help provide financial support through a carbon credit trading system, thus making the project economically attractive.
The order was arranged by Topkapi Endustri Mallari Ticaret AS of Istanbul, GE's long-time local gas engine distributor that is responsible for servicing the plants and providing spare parts support.
With more than 25 years' experience in the utilisation of landfill gas for power generation and more than 1,400 landfill gas systems delivered around the world, GE's Jenbacher product team offers an unparalleled breadth of expertise and solutions.
GE Energy's Jenbacher gas engine business is a leading manufacturer of gas-fuelled reciprocating engines, packaged generator sets and cogeneration units for power generation.
GE’s gas engine technology covers an output range of 0.25MW to 4MW and can operate on a broad variety of gases while offering high levels of efficiency, durability and reliability.
