1. Asserting Carbon Offsets fromLandfill Gas
Flaring at Regina’s Landfill Site
Presented at CPANS Lunch Meeting
Calgary, Alberta
November17, 2010
By: Paresh Thanawala, P.Eng; QEP
4. PROJECT SCOPE
Phase 1 (North Hill) Main
Components:
• 27 vertical gas wells
• Gas collection headers
• Condensate removal sump and
tank
• Blower building
• Instrumentation and Control Room
• Flare header, flame arrestor and
candlestick flare
SystemCommissioned in July 2008
7. Typical Quantity and Quality
• 250 – 350 acfm
• HHV 16 – 18 MJ/m3
• Up to 1.5 MW potential
Compound Mol %
CH4 50
CO2 40
N2 9
O2 0.5
H2O Trace
H2S Trace
Siloxanes Trace
8. LFG UTILIZATION IN CANADA
Number of Sites Surveyed by Environment Canada, January 2009Number of Sites Surveyed by Environment Canada, January 2009
Year Utilization (U) Flaring (F) U & F
2006 26 44 12
2007 29 50 15
Year Power (P) Heating (H) CPH
2006 17 9 0
2007 17 10 2
Number of Landfills Capturing LFGin Canada
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2006 2007
Year
Landfill
9. Experience of Selected Landfills
Western Canada
Vancouver
Cogeneration (Electricity + Waste heat). 4 x 1.7 MW Cat Engines. Waste
heat for greenhouse heating
Prince George Gas recovery system. No power or heat recovery
Kelowna (Glenmore)
Generate electricity (kW TBC) + Waste heat utilization. Micro-turbines.
Export power
Victoria 1.6 MW Cat engine
Edmonton (Clover Bar) 3 x 1.6 MW Cat engines
Calgary (Shepard) Gas recovery/clean up - 400 kW engine
Calgary East 70 kW micro-turbine. Expand to install 1 -2 MW engines
Brandon, MB
Open flare. MB to buy LFG credits. Discussing “design – build – operate –
finance” scheme for LFG energy use with IGR
10. Carbon Credits
Value of GHG emission reduction as carbon dioxide equivalent (COValue of GHG emission reduction as carbon dioxide equivalent (CO22E) in tonnesE) in tonnes
GHG CO2 CH4 N2O
GWP 1 21 310
CO2E 1*CO2 + 21*CH4 + 310*N2O
CER Certified emission reductions, CDM, Kyoto
ERU Emission reduction unit, JI, Kyoto
VER Verified emission reductions, Voluntary
11. Regulatory Framework
Framework Key Highlights Website
Federal
Draft Offset System Documents (summer 2009). Finalization delayed –
awaiting US directive. Administer under CEPA. Must achieve real,
incremental, quantifiable, verifiable and unique reductions of
greenhouse gases
http://www.ec.gc.ca/creditscompensatoires-offsets/default.asp?lang
SK
LFG not regulated and hence eligible. Bill 126. Target 20% reduction
by 2020. Registry for offsets. Adopt/merge with AB. Reduction
Targets for regulated emitters. Climate R&D Corp. Expect regulated
frame work in place by 2010
http://www.qp.gov.sk.ca/documents/english/FirstRead/2009/Bill-12
BC
Bill 18 - Greenhouse Gas Reduction Cap & Trade Act 2008. Partner
with WCI. Registry, trading, verification as of 2010. Compliance unit
tracking system
http://www.leg.bc.ca/38th4th/3rd_read/gov18-3.htm
AB
Climate Change Central. Offset registry in place. Trade within AB only.
LFE > 100,000 t CO2
E to meet targets or pay to carbon fund.
Quantification protocols in place and under development.
http://carbonoffsetsolutions.climatechangecentral.com/
MB
Bill 15 - the climate change and Emissions Reduction Act. MB will buy
out credits from LFG operators.
http://web2.gov.mb.ca/bills/39-2/b015e.php
Western Climate
Initiative
Launched Cap & Trade Program in 2008. Partners are: Arizona,
California, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Washington,
Manitoba, BC, ON and Quebec. AB and SK oppose the scheme (cash
grab)
http://www.westernclimateinitiative.org/
Montreal Carbon
Exchange (MCeX)
Created in 2006. CO2
E futures contracts. Joint venture between CCX
and MCeX.
www.m-x.ca
Chicago Climate
Exchange (CCX)
Voluntary Cap & Trade System. Sell surplus allowances or purchase
carbon financial instrument (CFI)
http://www.chicagoclimatex.com/content.jsf?id=821
12. Project Validation
• Eligibility [real, additional, quantifiable, verifiable, unique]
• Description/Quantification methods
• Assertion [relevance, completeness, consistency,
accuracy, transparency, conservativeness]
• Monitoring
• Document so 3rd
party can verify
• Follow ISO 14064(3)
Generally occurs once, before registration
13. Verification
• Systematic, independent and documented process to
confirm assertion of credits
• Reasonable (high level) or limited (low level) assurance
• Occurs after emission reductions have occurred
• Usually once a year
• Validated project/documentation must be in place
• 3rd
party, knowledgeable of industry, no conflict
• Follow ISO 14064 (3) guidance
14. Project Registration
• After project is validated
• SK or Federal System
• “License” for creating carbon credits
• Can occur as part of verification
15. Project
Proponent
Validates the project. Applies to the Project Authority to
register GHG reduction report
REGISTRATION OF PROJECT
Project Authority
Project
Proponent
Verifier
Project Authority
REPORTING & VERIFICATION OF REDUCTIONS
ISSUANCE OF OFFSET CREDITS
Reviews the project and registers the Project
Document
Implements the Project
Asserts/reports the GHG reductions in the
Reduction/Removal Report
Engages verifier to verify the assertion/claim
Conducts verification
Issues instructions to deposit offset credits in
account in the tracking system
Certifies all conditions for credit issuance have
been satisfied
Submits Verification Report to Project Authority
18. Asserting LFG Offsets
• CO2E Offsets = CO2E Baseline – CO2E Project
• CO2E Offsets = 21(mass of methane in LFG that is destroyed in the flare)
• MR = (QLFG)(CCH4)( t)(ρCH4)( η)(1 tonne/1,000 kg) )/(35.31 ft3
/m3
)
MR = Mass of methane reductions (tonnes CH4/day)
QLFG = Average flow of LFG collected (sft3
/min) @ 1 atmosphere and 0 °C
CCH4 = Mol fraction of CH4 in LFG
t = Net operational period (min/day)
ρCH4 = Density of methane (kg/m3) = 0.7174 @ 1 atmosphere and 0 °C
η = Methane destruction efficiency of flare (80%)
Calculated Offsets: 2008 15,582 t CO2E
2009 21,829 t CO2E
19. About DRE and CE
Destruction & Removal η (DRE)
DRE = 100* (Wt. of Compound in –Wt. of Compound Out)/(Wt. of
Compound in)
DRE indicates how well a specific compound is destroyed during
combustion
_______________________________________________________________
Combustion η = 100* (Mass Rate of Carbon in fuel converted to
CO2)/(Mass Rate of Carbon in Fuel)
CE is a measure of how much carbon is converted to CO2
20. Flare Testing: DRE of CH4
CH4 + 2O2 = CO2 + 2H2O
•Grab samples at various points
•Testing by Maxxam Analytics, Nov, 2009
•Follow Alberta Stack Sampling Code/
•US EPA Methods
21. Impact of Wind on Flare
Efficiency
Ref: Efficiency Measurements of Flares in a Cross Flow, by M.R. Johnson, O. Zastavniuk, D.J. Wilson and L.W. Kostiuk,
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta,
Presented at Combustion Canada 1999, Calgary Alberta, May 26, 1999
22. DRE of Methane
• Flare gas testing in November 2009 indicated average DRE of 86%.
• Flame color – blue or colorless (mostly)
• HHV ~ 16 MJ/m3
indicating good combustion
• Flare velocity and design comply with 40 CFR60.18 which recommends a minimum
DRE of 93% (for compliant flares)
• Auto pilot ignition
• KO Pot to remove water. No free liquids or hydrocarbons carried to the flare – which
may impair combustion
• Wind guard to minimize wind impacts and loss of DRE
• O/M procedures in place
• 3% reduction allowed due to possible wind impacts
• Additional 3% reduction allowed to add conservativeness
• 80% DRE assumed for offsets calculations
23. Anticipated Price of Carbon
• AB – Trades between $12/t - $15/t
• SK – Expect AB trend. +$15/t anticipated (once offset
framework in place)
• BC – Pacific Carbon Trust proposed to buy @ $25/t
• FED – LFE to comply if cost of reduction < $15/t
• CCX – $0.15/t
• MCEx – $2.00 settlement price for March 2011 contract
• Voluntary – ($3/t - $8/t)
24. Conclusion
• Carbon offsets from flaring of LFG at the Regina landfill
are eligible for registration and trading
• Emission offsets verified to “reasonable level of
assurance” by ICF International
• Awaiting SK regulations and registry to be finalized
• 30,000 t CO2E offered for sell
• Carbon trading prices expected around ~ $15/t or more
