Istanbul completes first phase of world’s biggest landfill gas power plant

The first 20 MW came online in Istanbul Energy’s landfill gas power plant, which uses 20 hectares under waste. At full capacity, 90 MW and 130 hectares, it will be the biggest system of its kind on the planet, according to Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.

The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) finished the first part of its Seymen landfill gas energy plant. The facility uses 20 hectares under waste to extract methane and produce power in a 20 MW system. The project cost EUR 14.6 million when calculated at the current exchange rate.

Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu said that when finished, it would be the biggest such facility in the world. The project envisages covering 130 hectares and boosting the capacity to 90 MW.

YAPTIK✅

Yapımı durdurulmuş yatırımlardan biri olan Seymen Çöp Gazı Enerji Üretim Tesisi'nin ilk etabını 130 milyon liralık yatırımla faaliyete soktuk.Tamamı bitince dünyanın çöp gazından elektrik üreten en büyük tesisi İstanbul’da olacak.

Duran tüm projeler tek tek canlanacak. pic.twitter.com/vHujaH4Grz

— Ekrem İmamoğlu (@ekrem_imamoglu) September 14, 2020

Getting projects back on track

The project has stalled for a while. Now that the initial phase is complete, İmamoğlu said all dormant endeavors would be brought back to life.

Another 10 hectares are planned to be covered by the end of the year, the local authority said. Istanbul Energy runs the power plant on the landfill operated by municipal firm Istanbul Environmental Management Industry and Trade (İSTAÇ).

Electricity for half million households in Istanbul

When all stages are operational, the Seymen landfill gas power plant in Istanbul should be able to cover the electricity demand of 500,000 households, the press release reads. Compared to conventional energy sources, it means it would save two million tons of carbon dioxide per year, Istanbul Energy claimed.

At full size, 45,000 cubic meters of landfill gas is planned to be collected per hour, according to the city’s announcement. Now there are 14 collectors, 168 measurement points, 18 condensate tanks and 2,700 meters of horizontal channels. Engineers have the task to boost the number of collectors to 125 and expand the network to 1,120 measuring stations and 47,000 meters of horizontal channels.

There will be 52 generators for production of power from landfill gas 

Total pipe length is seen at 150,000 meters. The number of engines should grow to 52 from the current 12, YEO Group’s Chief Executive Officer Tolunay Yıldız told Dünya news website. His company was responsible for the design, manufacturing and procurement, assembly and commissioning.

It cooperated with Jenbacher and Conveco. In Yıldız’s words, the current capacity of the gas power plant is 18 MW, translating to a reduction in CO2 emissions of 277,000 tons per year or 3.6 million when the system is completely online.

All the municipal waste from the city’s European side comes to the site, located in Silivri in the far west, the city government revealed. It first undergoes separation and other treatment. The landfill gas plant in Istanbul will supply the districts of Silivri, Beylikdüzü, Arnavutköy, Büyükçekmece, Esenyurt and Çatalca with electricity.