Aberdeen council completes works at Banchory landfill

The management of gas produced within landfills is a significant environmental concern due to its potential to cause air pollution and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.

Banchory landfill has installed an active landfill gas extraction system. Instead of allowing gas build up to pose environmental risks, this system extracts gas and converts it into electricity.

The electricity produced is then fed into the national grid, contributing to Scotland’s green energy objectives and is also used to power essential on-site facilities. By utilising the extracted gas to meet its energy needs, the council reports that the landfill site reduces its reliance on traditional energy sources.

System

Aberdeen council has also completed improvements to the reed bed system in Banchory to ensure that any leachate water draining from the landfill site is thoroughly cleansed before being released.

Leachate, which forms as water percolates through waste material within landfills, poses a potential risk to the environment if not properly treated.

The upgraded system incorporates large underground tanks equipped with rotating aerator engines, which stir the leachate among a specialised activated sludge and water mixture to effectively cleanse it.

Subsequently, the treated water is decanted into reed bed lagoons. Here, natural processes involving bacteria and other organisms further purify the water to a standard exceeding regulatory requirements set by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).

Work

Councillor Alan Turner, chair of the council’s infrastructure services committee, highlighted the project’s broader significance, stating: “There is far more to the recycling and waste service than bin collections, and this is an excellent project to highlight that.

“Even in this most unlikely of places, work is ongoing to make things more sustainable and better for our environment.”

To find out more about Scottish recycling rates, visit LARAC Scotland. To book tickets to attend or for more information please click here.