Renewable gas sources

While natural gas is considered a non-renewable fossil fuel, other sources of gas can be renewable.

For example, methane gas from household waste can be captured and processed into a renewable power source, sometimes called biogas.

Ever left food scraps in your room or kitchen for too long and noticed how they start to smell? This smell is caused by the scraps decomposing, being broken down by bacteria for food. As a side-effect of this process a bad-smelling gas, methane, is produced.

This process on a much larger scale can be used to create a renewable supply of gas. Household waste that cannot be recycled is dumped in landfills or tips. It begins to decompose, with bacteria and chemical changes breaking down the waste into substances including methane gas.

Methane is a greenhouse gas, when released into the atmosphere it can contribute to global warming.

When captured, methane can be processed into a renewable energy source for powering equipment or generating green electricity. This reduces greenhouse gas emissions at the same time!

In the ACT methane gas generators operate at the Mugga Lane and West Belconnen landfills.

These two power stations burn enough methane gas to generate 3.3 megawatts of electricity each year. This is enough energy to power over 3,000 homes for more than 20 years, or to power half of Canberra’s schools and a third of our streetlights for 10 years.