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Feasibility of energy generation by methane emissions from a landfill in southern Mexico

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Abstract

This research addresses the use of methane (CH4) for energy generation in a landfill located in Southern Mexico. To evaluate the feasibility of this renewable and sustainable energy project, a LandGEM model was used to estimate the CH4-emissions, the environmental benefits and the economic profitability. Taken together, results showed an average CH4-production of 2932 ft3/min, with a maximum CH4-generation flowrate of 4072 ft3/min (115.3 m3). Energy generation resulted in 32.396 million KW h/year with a hot water/steam production of 63.990 million BTU/year. The installed capital costs of a 15-years project were estimated in $9,034,907 USD; economic parameters showed a financial profitability with a net present value of $6,304,060 and an internal rate of return of 25%. The environmental benefits reported a total collection and destruction of CH4 at 9,824,469,979 ft3 (278,198,009.2 m3). The results obtained in this research can be used to conduct further studies to implement waste-to-energy technologies in Mexico and thus improve the sector of sustainable and renewable energy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto Politécnico Nacional, 4863 Anillo Periférico Sur, Tlalpan, 16020, Mexico City, Mexico

    Pablo Emilio Escamilla-García, Martha E. Jiménez-Castañeda & Silvia Galicia-Villanueva

  2. Technological Institute of Merida, Technological Avenue, 97118, Mérida, Yucatan, Mexico

    Emmanuel Fernández-Rodríguez

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  1. Pablo Emilio Escamilla-García
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  2. Martha E. Jiménez-Castañeda
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  4. Silvia Galicia-Villanueva
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Correspondence to Pablo Emilio Escamilla-García.

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Escamilla-García, P.E., Jiménez-Castañeda, M.E., Fernández-Rodríguez, E. et al. Feasibility of energy generation by methane emissions from a landfill in southern Mexico. J Mater Cycles Waste Manag 22, 295–303 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-019-00940-3

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