Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Licence needed for work use Learn More

Local Govt | National News Video | Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Search

 

Council sustainability initiative wins award

Council sustainability initiative wins national award


The landfill gas treatment plant at the closed Burwood Landfill. The gas is transported to this plant, where it is compressed and dried, before being piped to QEII

Christchurch’s landfill gas scheme, which powers the city’s largest sports centre, has won the sustainability and clean technology category of the New Zealand Engineering Excellence Awards.

In a national first, a 3.7km pipeline takes methane gas from the closed Burwood Landfill to QEII Park, to heat the swimming pools and generate electricity for the complex.

The $4.2 million project saves ratepayers more than $1.1 million a year in energy costs, and earns about $1 million per annum in carbon credits, says Christchurch City Council City Water and Waste Manager Mark Christison.

“We’re rapt to have this project recognised as one of the country’s leading sustainability initiatives and this is only stage one of three – when the whole project’s finished, ratepayers will save about $2.3 million a year in energy costs.”

The complex scheme collects gas from approximately 18 wells, processes and compresses it, and transports it to QEII where it is burnt in modified boilers. The greenhouse gas generated by landfills is usually controlled by flaring to the atmosphere.

The money earned from carbon credits will fund the 28 initiatives in the Council’s Sustainable Energy Strategy for Christchurch 2008-18. The first, subsidised building consents for solar water heating systems, was launched this month.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Mr Christison says stage two of the landfill gas scheme is almost complete, extending the pipeline 6km from QEII to the Christchurch Wastewater Treatment Plant (CWTP), where the gas will be used in conjunction with a wood-waste boiler to heat the new biosolids drying plant.

The Council recently approved stage three, which will extend the pipeline 7km from the CWTP to heat, cool and power the Christchurch Art Gallery and the new Christchurch Civic Building. All three stages will cost about $8.2 million.

When the landfill gas runs out in 15 to 20 years, the stage two and three pipelines will carry biogas from the CWTP to fuel QEII, the art gallery and the civic building.

The awards attracted 64 entries across eight categories. The category won by the landfill gas scheme recognises excellence in new or improved clean technologies, lowering resource consumption, or improving environmental sustainability.

The scheme was up against stiff competition, including Dunedin Airport’s groundwater heat pump and the largely automatic building management system in the Department of Conservation’s head office, which adjusts the internal environment according to occupancy and weather conditions.

It was entered by Beca Carter Hollings and Ferner, and the Council, and was also named a finalist in the utilities, networks and amenities category.

The judges said the landfill gas scheme achieved a positive environmental outcome by converting a waste product and damaging greenhouse gas into a viable resource, by innovative use of technology that saved the community money.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

Featured News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.