Performance of a waste cell in cold climate operated as an anaerobic landfill bioreactor

A bioreactor landfill was constructed by the city of Calgary, Canada to sustainably manage solid waste. It includes initial operation of bioreactor landfill under anaerobic conditions to recover biogas, then under aerobic condition to convert waste into compost and finally mining compost for reuse. The bioreactor landfill is equipped with leachate recirculation systems to accelerate the decomposition of organic waste. Rapid decomposition leads to large quantities of landfill gas, which in turn results in rapid settlement. The landfill gas produced is collected and used for energy recovery. The methane present in landfill gas is a potent greenhouse gas and the use of landfill gas in energy recovery reduces the environmental impact of this gas. The gas extraction and leachate recirculation systems are quite expensive. Hence the bioreactor landfill requires efficient operation to maximize gas generation while having excessive settlement. This manuscript presents details of a full scale landfill bioreactor performance during the anaerobic phase of the sustainable landfill, including leachate generation and recirculation, and gas generation and monitoring of performance date including temperature and settlement.