From Landfill To The Tomato Plant - Purified Biogas Powers Greenhouse Operation

By Eco-Tec Inc.

The Board of Waste Management for the Mauricie region of Quebec, Canada, known as RGMRM, needed a gas scrubber to remove the highly corrosive levels of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) at its municipal landfill.

The aim was to purify the landfill gas for a greenhouse on site, which also is RGMRM's customer. The gas was to be converted into a usable source of heat for the greenhouse, especially during the winter months, and into a source of CO₂ to enrich the hydroponic tomatoes grown there. In turn, the renewable source of carbon dioxide, present in the biogas, would eliminate the costs associated with having to purchase and maintain CO₂ for the operation.

In 2009, RGMRM found a solution through an Eco-Tec Inc. system known as BgPur, which uses a patented, high efficiency gas-liquid contacting process, allowing H₂S to be absorbed and the gas purified for reuse in power generation, cogeneration and heating applications. Today, the BgPur system continues to successfully remove more than 99 percent of hydrogen sulfide from the gas at RGMRM's landfill, for reuse in its internal processes. Located among the Laurentian Mountains, RGMRM is the board of management of waste for the Mauricie region of Quebec, Canada, which has a population of approximately 300,000 people. The public body was formed through an amalgamation of several municipalities entrusting it to manage the region's waste. RGMRM's mission includes respect for the environment, sound management principles and a focus on innovation.

©Biomass Products & Technology Magazine, June 2011