7: UTILIZATION OF LANDFILL GAS AS A RENEWABLE SOURCE OF ENERGY IN INDIA

Solid waste generation in India has been increasing during the past few decades and its management has become a major issue. Landfilling is one of the most common techniques of municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal in many countries. Poorly maintained landfill sites are prone to soil and groundwater contamination because of the percolation of leachate. Landfill gas (LFG) emissions, particularly methane, are also of increasing concern for its strong global warming potential, while available technologies enable recovery of the LFG for environmental and economically beneficial purposes. The main objectives of this work are to evaluate the current practices of solid waste management in four major cities in India and to identify the barriers against the use of LFG as an energy source. Options to overcome these barriers were explored and a cost-benefit analysis was conducted to determine the feasibility of using LFG for energy generation.