Ankara Landfill Gas, Turkey

The Ankara landfill gas to energy project, awarded the ‘World Bank's Best Environment Project of the Year' in 2009, is an innovative first of its kind application in Turkey. The project owner has an ultimate goal of creating a ‘zero-waste' site, of which this project acts as the first step.

Prior to the project, Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) was received at the site from 3.6 million inhabitants in Ankara, the Turkish capital. The uncovered landfill allowed methane gas to vent directly into the atmosphere. Today a landfill gas collection system collects the methane produced by the existing landfill waste and combusts it to generate electricity while the fresh waste is fed directly into a bio-digester, reducing the amount of waste sent to the landfill. A new drainage and collection system has improved local water quality by protecting the nearby Imrahor Creek from the discharge of leachate.

In 2006 approximately 25 million tonnes of waste was deposited in landfill sites across Turkey, very few of which have any measures in place for comprehensive management. Projects like this increase the generation and supply of clean electricity, reducing Turkey's dependence on a fossil fuel dominant energy mix.

Alongside the emission reduction benefits, the project has contributed to the sustainable development of the region through:

• The creation of more than 200 employment and training opportunities including work for people who were previously dependent on scavenging from the landfi ll site as a source of income.
• Preventing the release of toxic organic compounds to improve local air quality.
• The planting of 4,500 trees on-site and the construction of a greenhouse producing flowers, fruits and vegetables, which is warmed by using excess heat created by a biodigester.
• The introduction of a sorting and recycling facility and public awareness campaign around waste management and recycling.

More information about the project can be found by visiting:
http://beta.worldbank.org/climatechange/news/turkey-making-use-trash
http://www.worldbank.org/eca/impact/2009/project13/video/index.html

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