An assessment of bioreactor landfill costs and benefits

Waste Manag. 2009 May;29(5):1558-67. doi: 10.1016/j.wasman.2008.12.010. Epub 2009 Jan 23.

Abstract

Because effective operation of bioreactor landfills involves careful operation and construction of infrastructure beyond that necessary in traditional landfills, upfront capital and operating costs are greater than those associated with traditional landfills. Prior to investing in bioreactor landfills, landfill owners must be convinced that larger short-term expenses (e.g., liquid and/or air injection infrastructure) will be balanced by future economic benefits (e.g., extension of landfill life, reduced leachate treatment costs, etc.). The purpose of this paper is to describe an economic model developed to evaluate the impact of various operational (anaerobic, aerobic, or hybrid) and construction (retrofit and as-built) bioreactor landfill strategies on project economics. Model results indicate retrofit bioreactor landfills are more expensive than traditional landfills, while both the as-built and aerobic bioreactor landfills are less costly. Simulation results indicate the parameters that influence bioreactor economics most significantly are airspace recovery, gas recovery and subsequent use to generate electricity, and savings resulting from reduced leachate treatment costs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bioreactors*
  • Computer Simulation
  • Cost-Benefit Analysis
  • Models, Econometric*
  • Refuse Disposal / economics*
  • Refuse Disposal / methods*