The Landfill Gas Utilisation project has been officially launched by Scottish Borders Council (SBC).
It will operate from the Easter Langlee landfill site in Galashiels to generate electricity which is then fed back into the National Grid.
Initial indications are that the scheme could generate an income of up to £2.6m.
A series of wells have been installed into the landfill site, connected to a generator via a network of pipes. The collected gas is used as fuel to power the generator, creating electricity.
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Throughout the process, SBC has taken guidance from an environmental consultancy with significant experience in this field and the project has been approved by SEPA.
The scheme provides a number of benefits:
- The set-up has been funded by ENER-G (experts in energy management and energy from waste), in return for a share of the profits, so there is minimal cost or risk to the tax payer.
- The scheme brings a new source of income to the Council which will be invested in services.
- It generates green electricity from what could otherwise be a harmful greenhouse gas.
When at full capacity, it is expected the site will produce enough electricity to power 1,000 homes.
Len Wyse, Executive Member for Environmental Services said: "This project demonstrates SBC's continued commitment to the local environment by capturing and making use of a potential greenhouse gas to produce electricity over a substantial timeframe."
(GK/BMcc)
