Helektor Rates The Geotech GEM5000 For Landfill Gas Extraction Monitoring

Geotech GEM5000Greek waste management specialists, Helektor S.A. use Geotech's portable gas analyser, the GEM5000 to adjust gas flows to optimise energy generation on the Tagarades landfill site, outside Thessaloniki, Greece. Their four MWM-Deutz TBG 620 V16 engines generate a total of 5MW.

The site has been in operation since 2006, with power generation driven by 3000 m3/h of landfill gas, drawn from boreholes across the landfill site. Gas is pumped through a horizontal pipeline network and fed to a cooling, de-humidifying and cleaning station before reaching the engines. The electricity produced is fed to the Greek power grid from a 20kV station.

Helektor has used Geotech's landfill gas analysers over the last 20 years, including the GA94 and GA2000.

"The GEM5000 is a leading biogas analyser that allows us to take fast, reliable measurements and to adjust the Tagarades landfill gas field to optimise operation of the power plant," comments Mr. Christos Chasapopoulos, manager of the Thessaloniki Tagarades LFG to electricity plant.

"I particularly like the low weight and size, as well as the easy-to-read display", Mr. Chasapopoulos adds, "and would certainly recommend this analyser. "We have a fleet of Geotech's analysers now and the GEM5000 is a useful tool for our technical personnel to accomplish their work quickly and accurately in a demanding environment such as landfill." Helektor also uses the Gas Analyser Manager (GAM) software for download, analysis and evaluation of gas readings.

HELECTOR S.A. is the Waste Management arm of the ELLAKTOR Group and a waste management specialist in South Eastern Europe, also active in Germany. The company has built a large number of Mechanical Biological Treatment, Anaerobic Digestion and leachate treatment sites and operates many landfill and landfill waste to energy sites.

The Geotech GEM5000 was designed specifically for the landfill gas extraction application. Landfill gas composition (primarily methane and carbon dioxide, although the analyser can measure up to six gases) and gas flow are measured. These are used to calculate a figure for the energy generated by the gas, shown in KW or BTU.