Calcinato Completes 5MW Biogas Plant to Power Thousands, Reduce Emissions
The construction of the biogas recovery system at the solid urban waste landfill in the locality of Antica Idrovora, in Calcinatello, has been completed in recent days.
Description of the plant and its potential
The complex involves the installation of four power generation units with a total installed capacity of 5,000 KWh, which are fed into the Enel grid: this amount, roughly, could meet the electricity needs of all the households in Calcinato, Ponte San Marco, and Calcinatello.
Present at the unveiling of this important energy recovery facility were the Comune di Calcinato Ecology Councillor, Corrado Casaretti; for Asm di Brescia, Paolo Avanzi and Valentino Rossetti of the Urban Hygiene sector; Oscar Pedrinelli and Alfredo Ghiroldi from the Communications sector.
History and development of the plant
Several participants noted that the plant was partially operational as early as 1996, with the installation of an initial 1,250 kW unit, followed in 1998 by a second unit of the same capacity.
In 1999, work began to complete the system, involving the installation of two additional units totaling 2,500 kW, as well as the construction of the biogas treatment plant and the control and regulation cabin, along with other general refurbishment works.
The plant essentially comprises the biogas extraction, treatment, and possible combustion system; the biogas-powered generator sets; the plant control and regulation system; and a continuous emission monitoring system.
Operation and control systems
It was highlighted that the biogas produced from buried waste in the landfill is conveyed to the plant through dedicated pipelines. Before use, the biogas undergoes filtration and dehydration treatments.
It is then sent to the fuel circuits of four generator sets, installed in containers to allow easy and quick removal. Each unit consists of an engine compartment, a transformer that steps up the electrical voltage from 400 V to 15,000 V, and a control panel containing all necessary equipment for managing the individual generator set.
Production and benefits
The plant’s electricity production, which in 1996 was operated with a single unit, totaled 619,800 kWh; it has increased year after year, and in the first five months of this year alone, approximately 7.5 million kWh have already been produced.
For a practical and easily understandable example, technicians pointed out that producing the same amount of power would require about 7,500 tons of oil.
Therefore, under an agreement between Asm and Comune di Calcinato, for the entire duration of the contract (the exact number of years during which this biogas will be produced from waste cannot currently be specified), the system used for electricity generation generates hundreds of millions annually: so far, approximately 300 million, and this figure is expected to increase significantly.
In addition, technicians believe that the system prevents potential hazards and pollution of the surrounding air and soils.