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Replacement of Gas Extraction Plant at two Council owned Former Landfill

Sites

The Environment and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee

25 March 2009

Toni Slater, Service Manager

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Purpose of Presentation

• Progress report on the replacement of gas extraction plant at two council owned former landfill sites.

– Llanypwll landfill

– Gwersyllt landfill

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Background Information

• Consultation:

– A presentation was made to Environment and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee, October 2007. The recommendations including the replacement of old landfill gas extraction plant at Llanypwll and Gwersyllt were supported by Scrutiny Committee.

– A report was submitted to Executive Board in April 2008 to seek approval to transfer Capital Preparation Pool to the 2008/2009 Capital Programme for the management of contamination issues by upgrading existing plant at two former landfill sites during 2008.

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Llanypwll Landfill

• The flare and extraction system had been in place for approximately 15 years.

• Were in relatively poor condition.

• System was not working efficiently.

• Uniflare were engaged to carry out monthly monitoring and mechanical checks of the gas flare/extraction system.

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Gwersyllt Landfill

• The venting system that had been in place was approximately 15 years old.

• The telemetry system installed to alert Council personnel to plant failure needed to be upgraded.

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• The EU “ATEX” Directives were introduced to protect workers from operating in potentially dangerous environments where there might be a risk of fire and explosion arising from the use of and/or generation of explosive, oxidising or flammable substances.

• Plant and equipment must also be intrinsically safe and not be a potential ignition source.

• The Directives also apply to landfills where there is active/passive gas venting systems.

• The two gas extraction systems at Llanypwll and Gwersyllt landfills were installed before the regulations came into force in 2006.

• Neither plant at Llanypwll or Gwersyllt complied with the ATEX Regulations.

ATEX Regulations

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Why Was Plant Replacement Necessary? • The plants at both sites were old and not working

efficiently.

• The plants were being ‘nursed’ along by Uniflare Ltd visiting on a frequent basis to ensure the equipment was working effectively at a cost of £2000 a month.

• Neither site had equipment that complied with ATEX Regulations.

Public Protection Service went out to tender in May 2008 and awarded the contract to

Uniflare Ltd.

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Installation of two Gas Flares

Llanypwll Landfill• No planning permission

required as replacing like for like.

• Raised the concrete plinth to protect the plant from flooding.

• Successfully installed on Monday 9th March 2009.

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Installation of two Gas Flares

Gwersyllt Landfill• Applied for planning

permission to install the new flare.

• Granted on 20th October 2008.

• Successfully installed on 17th February 2009.

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What Next?

• Maintenance contract has been put in place with Uniflare Ltd to maintain the flares.

• Review the gas extraction fields on both Llanypwll and Gwersyllt to determine if any work is required to improve gas extraction.

• Climate change –replacing the gas flares and reviewing the gas extraction fields will improve Wrexham County Borough Councils emissions to air.