The Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia, through its partner, the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, has completed a pre-feasibility study evaluating the potential for landfill gas recovery and utilization at the existing Whein Town and the impending Cheesemanburg landfills in Monrovia. Landfill gas or LFG, is a mix of gases, primarily methane and carbon dioxide, produced by decomposing organic waste in landfills. This gas can be captured and used as a renewable energy source, or it can be flared to reduce emissions. There is a huge potential for renewable energy generation through LFG in Monrovia, the study concluded.

The study was initiated to support the fight against the continued smoldering fires at Whein Town (due to methane buildup) and set the scene for sustainable waste infrastructure and management in Liberia. It outlines actionable steps to harness methane emissions for clean energy, reduce greenhouse gases, and improve landfill management practices.

The landmark assessment reveals opportunities for clean energy and emissions reduction at Whein Town and the proposed Cheesemanburg Landfills. Key findings for Whein Town landfill reveal that LFG recovery could peak at 170 m³/hr by 2026, reducing 84,556 tonnes of COâ‚‚ equivalent by 2046, with reconditioning and closure cost estimated at $3.26 million. If the Cheesemanburg Landfill is designed as a modern engineered landfill with phased LFG extraction as planned, a peak recovery of 1,400 m³/hr would be achieved by 2046, mitigating 1 million tonnes of COâ‚‚ equivalent and providing about 1 MW of electricity in an LFG-to-energy project.

The study recommends prioritizing site reconditioning, fire prevention, and financing for LFG infrastructure for the Whien Town landfill and adopting best practices from the inception of the Cheesemanburg Landfill, including proper compaction, waste cover, and early LFG system integration in landfill construction.    Â

The findings provide conceptual details that can be used to develop a full engineering design for the Cheesemanburg landfill and the closure of the Whein Town landfill. Stakeholders are encouraged to access the full reports at the links below:

https://epa.gov.lr/epa-documents/pre-feasibility-study-to-assess-the-potential-lfg-recovery-at-the-cheesemanburg-landfill/
https://epa.gov.lr/epa-documents/pre-feasibility-study-to-assess-the-potential-lfg-recovery-at-the-wheintown/
More about the EPA: https://epa.gov.lr
More about the CCAC: https://www.ccacoalition.org