Marton Geotechnical (MGS) are selling the Flaretech Solar Ignited Flare, which is innovative and sounds like a great idea.

On their web site they describe the Flaretech™ SPE as a solar powered elevated (open) landfill gas flare. It can be used on landfill gas vents, LFG wells and, we are told, leachate chambers. In fact use this anywhere that methane gas is emitted and the explosion risk will be safely controlled by this equipment.

Landfill gas enters the flare under its own ambient pressure so there is no need for additional blowers or an external power supply. The air/gas mixture can be manually altered to suit the composition of the gas and to provide the optimal burning condition. The solar panel trickle charges the battery, which provides the continuous high energy spark for ignition. A multi-function timer can be programmed to provide symmetrical or asymmetrical cycles to suit ithe specific site conditions.

Not only is this a safety device, it is also a ‘green’ device as the gas that is burnt is much less damaging in terms of its greenhouse gas effect than it otherwise be if methane was discharged to the atmosphere.

The use of this type of flare in a developing nation might be funded be the Carbon Emission Reduction it produces, and payments made to the owner under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), as well: WebMaster.

The need for this equipment is identified within the landfill site owner’s DSEAR Risk Assessment. Have you done yours yet? Have you updated it recently?

This is a question for our expert visitors.

The answer is: “Leakage Detection Layers”. We have quoted some text from a US landfill lining systems report.

“The double-composite liner system, …, consists of a primary liner overlaying a secondary liner with a leak detection layer between the two liners. Both the primary and secondary liners have two low permeable components. The leak detection layer is a layer between the two liners. The purpose of the leak detection layer is monitor the performance of the upper liner and allow appropriate action to be taken when leachate is found in this layer. This liner system has a leachate collection system directly above the primary liner.”

Just why the idea never took off in Europe is the next question. It has been suggested to your BlogMaster that the presence of the leak detection layer introduces an additional weakness, and this is probably the reason why it is disliked outside the US. After all, if the leak detection layer becomes contaminated the leachate in it might find a hole anywhere across the base to escape through due to the ability for it to flow through the detection layer material itself.

Also the theory has it that to spend equal money due to the cost of the detection layer, on Landfill CQA is a much better investment, after all the landfill owner will be monitoring outside the landfill for any escape of leachate, in any case, as a matter of good practice, so the leakage detection layer isn’t essential to detect any leak.

Continue to use the “comment” link below, and tell us what you think about the cross-atlantic differences in approach here. We would be delighted to see you views.

Leading drilling specialist Magpie has announced the deepest boreholes/wells for leachate extraction drilled to date.

SITA UK approached Magpie with a need for one of the most challenging landfill drilling projects undertaken to date.

Enderby Warren a closed landfill site in Leicestershire has existing leachate extraction chambers 74m deep. SITA wanted to retro drill some chambers adjacent to the existing chambers as a back-up to the wells. Magpie were contracted to drill two wells to an estimated target depth of 75m.

To Magpie’s knowledge this had not been achieved before in landfill in the UK. They completed the first well in just under two weeks, and on the second visit completed the second well in a week. This included drilling of the wells in 450/350mm diameters, with a double permanent steel installation. 406mm steel was installed to 50m and 273mm steel installed to final depth.

More on Magpie’s web site here.

Most UK businesses are “completely unprepared” for major new waste regulations coming in on October 31, requiring waste to be “pre-treated” before it is sent to landfill.

That is the view of business advisory company Grant Thornton, which said the “vast majority” of companies in this country are not ready for the legislation, which will require their non-hazardous waste to undergo some form of treatment before being landfilled (see letsrecycle.com story).

From October 31, commercial and industrial waste must be treated physically, biologically, chemically or thermally before going to landfill.

Grant Thornton’s government and infrastructure advisory team warned of “serious” penalties for those companies who do not comply with the new pre-treatment regulations.

Meanwhile, landfill operators are unhappy that they look set to take on the lion’s share of legal sponsibilities for waste coming in to their sites, to make sure waste producers have carried out pre-treatment.