Case Studies
Featured Case Study
Walker harnesses biogas from a closed landfill in Region of Peel now home to a championship golf course
|Region of Peel
The landfill gas collection and utilization system at the BraeBen Golf Course—formerly the Britannia Landfill site—has a total generating capacity of 5.5 MW, meaning more green energy for the grid without disrupting the greens.
The Britannia Sanitary Landfill Site was an active landfill from 1980 to 2002 owned by the Region of Peel. With its prime location in the centre of Mississauga’s Heartland community, the finished landfill surface was developed into the BraeBen Golf Course that operates an 18-hole championship course plus a 9-hole par 3 course. During the active lifespan of the landfill over 10 million tonnes of waste was received, making it a significant source of renewable energy if the landfill gas produced could be utilized to its full extent. Not only would a landfill gas collection system generate clean energy, but it would also help to reduce potential odour impact to customers using the course.
With its expertise in designing complex integrated gas recovery systems, Walker collaborated with its partners and the City of Mississauga to design an intricate wellfield system that avoided the golf course’s fairways while maximizing the collection of landfill gas. A total of 45 gas wells were installed to collect and send the landfill gas through an 800-meter pipeline to an off-site electricity generation plant, avoiding any interference with the course and its customers’ performance.
Innovative reuse of closed landfill
space for the City to enjoy
250,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide destroyed
by utilizing landfill gas for energy
5.5 MW of green energy
generated from landfill gas
Project Benefits
- Provides renewable energy with no disruption to existing operations
- Reduces potential odours
- Destroys 250,000 tonnes of harmful carbon dioxide
- Innovative use of a former landfill site
About the System
The wellfield is designed to avoid the fairways of the golf course while maximizing the collection of landfill gas. Wells are strategically located in the driving range and along cart paths as well as the perimeter of the fairways. The system which includes approximately 45 wells, is designed to collect approximately 2,500 cubic feet per minute (4250 m3 /hr) of landfill gas.
The electricity generation plant is located off-site from the landfill to ensure it has no impact on the golf course. Gas is delivered to the plant through an 800 m dedicated pipeline. The plant comprises a gas processing plant with two two-stage RoFlo compressors and gas drying equipment, and a generation plant with three Cooper Superior reciprocating engines with a total generation capacity of 5.5 MW of power.
This project displaces traditional sources of electricity and ensures the destruction of 250,000 tonnes of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) annually through the combustion of landfill gas that would otherwise vent to the environment.
