Administrative Support Group ASG Update

1
Opportunities for Landfill Methane Use
in the Latin American Region
Brian Guzzone U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency Latin American LFG Project Expo 2005

2
Why Does the U.S. Govt. Care About Global
Landfill Methane Emissions?

• Landfill methane is a potent heat-trapping gas
  and its global.
• Landfills are the third largest human-made source
  of methane in the world (and rising).
• Global emissions will increase as countries
  improve landfilling practices.
• LFG energy projects reduce global methane
  emissions and local air pollution, and create
  jobs, revenues, and cost savings.
• U.S. ratified UNFCCC and launched Methane to
  Markets Partnership (July 2004).

3
Landfill Gas Energy Advantages

• Combustion destroys methane and other organic
  compounds in LFG.
• Offsets use of nonrenewable resources (coal, oil,
  gas) reducing emissions of SO2, NOx, PM, and CO2
• LFG is a recognized renewable energy resource.
• LFG projects have on-line availability over 90.
• Serves as the baseload renewable energy
  resource.
• LFG is among the most cost competitive renewable
  resources available (US 0.04 - 0.06/kW).
• LFG can act as a long-term price and volatility
  hedge against fossil fuels.

4
Global Human-Caused Landfill Methane Emissions
(2005)
5
Global Landfill Methane Emissions Trends

• Industrialized Nations Declining
• Increased LFG regulation
• Increased recycling of organics/paper
• Increased LFG utilization (gt1000 worldwide)
• Developing Nations Sharply Increasing
• Shift from open dumps to sanitary/engineered
  landfills
• Increased MSW generation and disposal
• Lack of LFG regulation and recycling

6
Challenges Dumps v. Sanitary Landfills

• Lack of information on sanitary landfill design,
  implementation, management, and how to integrate
  landfill methane capture
• High organics (e.g., food)
• Lack of environmental controls (e.g., air, water
  public health impacts)

7
Challenges Political

• Solid waste and landfill management a low budget
  priority for cities
• Landfill management and methane recovery not a
  priority for central governments
• Municipal investment needs are not a high
  priority on the central governments capital
  investment plan, and municipalities typically
  lack the funds to finance this investment

8
Challenge Economic

• Low/artificial energy prices
• Landfills often physically distant from potential
  methane clients
• Landfills of medium/small cities may not generate
  enough garbage to produce enough methane
• Investment in small scale methane production may
  not attract investors

9
Achievements Near-Term Opportunities

• Track Record of Operating Projects, mainly in
  developed countries (1100 worldwide)
• New Projects in Developing Countries (e.g.,
  Nanjing, China Monterrey, Mexico)
• Near-Term Potential JI/CDM Projects (e.g., Asia,
  Latin America)
• Consolidation of small open dumps to regional
  disposal sites
• Emerging LFG technologies showing promise for
  developing countries

10
Landfill CH4 Emissions M2M Latin American
Countries (2005)
11
M2M Goals and Objectives

• Create an international framework to advance the
  recovery and use of methane as a valuable clean
  energy source
• Promote cost-effective, near-term methane
  recovery and use projects through partnerships
  between developed, developing, and transition
  countries
• Catalyze private sector investments by engaging
  private companies, multilateral development
  banks and other relevant organizations in M2M
  implementation and activities

12
M2M is a Public-Private Partnership

• Private sector involvement is central to the
  success of the Partnership
• Provide technical input and expertise
• Identify and implement activities and projects
• Participate in all activities
• Private sector will benefit from investment
  opportunities created through the Partnership
• M2M brings together governments and the Private
  Sector through the Project Network

13
Landfill Technical Subcommittee

• Co-Chairs
• Argentina and Italy
• Current Landfill Subcommittee Membership
• Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Italy,
  India, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Ukraine, United
  Kingdom, United States

14
Potential Short-Term Landfill Subcommittee
Initiatives

• Workshops/Project Expos
• Orientation Visits to U.S. and other Partner
  countries
• Feasibility (and pre-feasibility) studies
• Direct project assistance
• Capacity building
• International database
• Pipeline of projects

15
USG LFG Project Assessment / Training Tools

• International Landfill Database
• International LFG Model (generation and recovery)
• Feasibility Assessments 
• Technical Training

16
Landfill Database
17
LFG Model (Mexico)
Prados de la Montana Landfill Mexico
18
Upcoming M2M Events

• M2M Landfill Gas Workshop, 31 May 1 June,
  Moscow, Russia
• M2M Landfill Subcommittee Meeting, 13 June,
  Torbay, UK
• M2M Steering Committee Meeting, 2-4 November,
  Buenos Aires, Argentina

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For More Information

• www.methanetomarkets.org
• Brian Guzzone (U.S.EPA)
• guzzone.brian_at_epa.gov
• 1.202.343.9248