We are actively seeking collaborations with technology providers and researchers interested in advancing methane measurement capabilities.
Landfill operators globally are being pressed to reduce methane emissions. Measuring is the first step in managing. The methane measurement needs of the solid waste sector are unique and technologies developed for use in the oil and gas sector may or may not be successful. Landfills are large features (up to sq km), emit from a combination of point and area sources, and air flow around the complex topography may interfere with downwind measurement.
2023
We were contracted by the Environmental Research and Education Foundation (EREF) to execute a controlled release program to evaluate methane measurement technologies under full-scale realistic conditions. Over the summer and fall of 2023, we built and operated a 12-hectare controlled release study site on a closed landfill near Sarnia, Ontario. The landfill has classic topography with 30 m elevation change, and an effective collection system with very low baseline emissions. The capabilities of the test facility were very unique. We could release methane in a controlled fashion from a combination of 10 remote-controlled point sources and area sources (several hundred sq m) spread across the 12-hectare test facility.
Sixteen different technologies from all across North America came to site for blind testing of detection and quantification abilities up to 300 kg/hr. Satellites to aircraft to drones, to trucks and ground sensors participated. Mobile technologies performed well during quantification trials. Almost all values were within 3x of known release rates, and more often within 0.5x with high correlation (generally R2>0.75) between estimates and known release rates. In leak detection trials, results were far more variable with some technologies performing very well, and others not delivering expected outcomes. Access the final report from this study here.
2024
With additional technical leadership from Tarek Abichou at Florida State University and support from EREF, we established a more permanent test site in the same location named SIMFLEX – Simulation and Measurement Facility for Landfill Emission Experiments. SIMFLEX incorporates 11 computer-controlled point- and area-sources with capacity to emit up to ~840 kg/hr.
In November, we held our second set of experiments which considered how varying weather and wind conditions affect emissions measurements, particularly in relation to site topography and meteorological influences. This study brought together a diverse array of technology providers, including start-ups, consulting firms, NGOs, and researchers from the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Several methodologies were tested by participants, including: Continuous Sensors; Surface Emissions Monitoring, including ground and drone-based methods; Satellite Imaging; Drones; and Truck-Mounted Sensors. Study results will be presented at the 2025 EREF Summit on Landfill Emissions on March 4-5 in Raleigh, North Carolina. Following the conference our presentation will be made available on this website.
This year, we are coordinating two major controlled release campaigns at SIMFLEX to advance methane measurement technologies:
- May 12–18: We will focus on a wide range of methane measurement technologies, including eddy covariance towers, UAV-based, vehicle-based, and ground-based systems. The goal of these experiments is to refine quantification and detection methodologies by applying them in realistic landfill conditions. This campaign will help participating vendors improve their measurement systems and methodologies, by better addressing the unique challenges of landfill methane emissions, such as large-scale spatial variability, mixed emission types (point and area sources), and interference caused by complex topography and meteorological factors.
- June 2–15: We will focus on releasing rates useful for improving satellite- and aircraft-based methane detection technologies. Controlled releases of up to 800 kg/hr will simulate a variety of emission scenarios, including dispersed and point-area sources. Key research objectives include understanding how area sources affect satellite detection capabilities, how weather conditions and atmospheric dynamics influence satellite methane measurements, and how emission rates and their spatial distribution impact satellite-based quantification accuracy.
We are pursing collaborations to fund future experiments at this globally unique test facility to help improve methane measurement and management at landfills. For information on SIMFLEX please contact Khalil el Hachem at kelhache@stfx.ca