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to produce
energy
The use of biogas (gases from the break-
down of organic waste) as a source of
energy is nothing new for us. Thanks to our
experience in this field, FCC Environment in
Gyál (Hungary) was the winner this year of
the Energy Efficient Company” prize.
Although the use of biogas (gas generated
by the natural bio-breakdown of organic
material in waste) is not FCC Environment’s
core business, it is one of the company’s
most attractive line of business and also an
essential service for numerous reasons.
Methane (CH4), a main component of bio-
gas (an average content of 50%), is a very
dangerous gas for the atmosphere. In fact,
CH$ is the third most abundant of the gre-
enhouse gases (after H
2
0 and CO
2
vapours)
and its potential global damage is 25 times
higher than CO
2
.
Biogas production cannot be prevented
and, therefore, it must be collected and
treated. The system for capturing it de-
pends on the type of landfill site, the ope-
rations system, and the characteristics of
waste. In large landfill sites which produce
large amounts of biogas, active capturing
systems are used in which degasification
is obtained by forced extraction. When gas
production is less, either because of the
size of the landfill or due to the composition
of waste, passive systems can be used.
Small landfills generally do not produce
sufficient gas to make its conversion into
energy viable. In these cases, the gas must
be destroyed. One of the systems used is
FCC Environment in Gyál (Hungary) wins
the Energy Efficient Company award
Control panel in Gyál.
Biogas