Lebanon is set to launch its first landfill gas-to-energy (LFGTE) project in Naameh, near Beirut, using GE’s Jenbacher gas engine technology.

The pilot project, operated by averda International, a leading environmental solutions provider, will begin operating during the last quarter of this year.Naameh is the biggest sanitary controlled landfill in Lebanon, said a statement.

The new LFGTE initiative aims to convert waste to to useful energy, highlighting a new long-term energy development model that potentially can be emulated in other parts of the country.

The on-site power project will be powered by one of GE’s Jenbacher J312 landfill gas engines and potentially generate 637 kilowatts of renewable electricity. This project also will eliminate the equivalent of about 12,400 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2)—the amount of emissions produced by about 6,100 cars per year, it said.

Hani Wazzan, supply chain director at averda, said: “The Naameh project is a landmark that reflects the company's focus on adopting environmentally sustainable alternatives and inspiring similar applications for other projects.”

“The twin challenges of landfill management—promoting environmental sustainability and tapping the site’s renewable energy potential—are being addressed through averda’s collaboration with GE,” he said.

Nabil Habayeb, GE’s president and chief executive officer for the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey, said: “The potential benefit of the Naameh project is that it could encourage other landfill sites to use the gas that is currently being flared for conversion to electricity. The contribution of the project to the environment and the energy sector makes it a great value to the community.”

GE's Jenbacher gas engines are part of its ecomagination portfolio, which provides innovative solutions with improved economic value and environmental performance, said the statement. - TradeArabia News Service