ARCADIS the international consultancy and engineering company, today announced that its affiliated company BIOGAS has brought online an installation to extract methane gas generated by the Sao Joao Landfill in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The gas is extracted from the 150 acre Sao Joao landfill where 7,000 ton of urban waste is placed daily, representing 50% of total urban waste of the city of Sao Paulo. The other 50% of Sao Paulo's waste goes to the Bandeirantes Landfill where BIOGAS has run a similar operation since 2004.
All methane extracted from the Sao Joao Landfill will be destroyed by combustion in high temperature flares until the end of this year. After that time, a 23 megawatt power plant should be ready near the Sao Joao Landfill which will use the methane as fuel for energy production. Bandeirantes and Sao Joao power plants will together produce about 340 million of Kwh of electricity annually, sufficient to supply power to more than 120,000 households.
The Sao Joao Project has been developed by ARCADIS Logos, the Brazilian subsidiary of ARCADIS together with Van der Wiel Stortgas BV and the Brazilian company Heleno Fonseca Constructechnica. These three companies formed the joint venture BIOGAS.
The methane gas from the landfill is hazardous to the environment and contributes to global warming. By using the methane gas generated by the two landfills in Sao Paulo for generating energy, the equivalent of 12 million tons of CO2 will be saved in the coming years. On the basis of the Kyoto Treaty, the joint venture will benefit from 12 million carbon credits to be shared 50%/50% with the Municipality of Sao Paulo. A part of this will be used to finance the improvement of the area around the landfill as a compensation for the nuisance from the landfill that the local people have been confronted with. Of the 6 million carbon credits that are for BIOGAS, a contract for the sale of 5 million of these credits was already signed with the German bank KfW until 2012.
Harrie Noy, Chairman and CEO of ARCADIS about the project: "Today is World Environment Day and therefore a good day to open this special project. We are proud that the Mayor of Sao Paulo Mr.Kassab is willing to preside over the operational start-up ceremony of the Sao Joao landfill gas project. It signifies the importance of the project for the city as well as for the environment. Sao Joao underlines our commitment to mitigate green house gases, thereby contributing to a healthier world climate. We look forward to similar opportunities in other cities in Brazil."