Landfill biogas for transportation

SORPA produces methane based biogas from a landfill in Iceland.

Landfill biogas

Landfill biogas

 

SORPA started collecting landfill gas at Álfsnes Landfill in 1996. The gas was flared in the beginning but obviously that was a waste of energy.

In 1999, SORPA with a community owned investment fund, founded Metan Ltd. for the purpose of producing and selling energy from the landfill. Metan Ltd. is now owned by SORPA, N1 (former ESSO), Reykjavik Energy and NSA. Metan Ltd. has been changed into being a marketing and development company for alternative fuel in the form of methane. SORPA handles the production.

The purpose of the company Metan Ltd. is to market and distribute energy in the form of electricity, raw gas, landfill gas and upgraded methane as well as knowledge collection within the field of biogas and landfill gas utilization.

Two buses, thirteen waste trucks and two container truck use methane from the Álfsnes Landfill as fuel. Approximately 110 smaller bi-fuel (methane/petrol) vehicles can also use methane from the Álfsnes Landfill.

Visit the Metan Ltd. web site

Visit the SORPA web site

The SORPA project was designed by Mannvit

More information: Icelandic Methane Project (pdf)

Article produced by Jorunn Gran 24.02.2009

Related Articles

Renewable energy popular in Finland

According to Statistics Finland, renewable energy is on the rise in the “land of a thousand lakes”. In 2008 electricity production from renewable energy sources increased by 15 % compared to the p

Biomass fuelled Stirling engine

The Stirling engine is old news. Still, sometimes looking to the past could solve the problems of tomorrow. Stirling DK is the world's leading provider of biomass fuelled Stirling engines, producing c

Finland: A pioneer in energy efficiency and energy technology research

Finland, often called the land of a thousand lakes, is abundant in renewable energy resources like hydro power, wood and peat. Their long experience with energy efficiency and strong research environm