Debra Devine of Devine And Associates at the gas conversion engine works at Glassmullagh Landfill Site which is currently generating enough electricity to heat 500 homes for the next 10-15 years
FERMANAGH District Council is to purchase the 27-acre former Glassmullagh landfill site on the outskirts of Enniskillen for £266,000.
The site opened in 1967 and was extended in 1982 and was operational until the new landfll/recycling centre at Drummee opened in 2006.
It was then closed to landfill but not to other uses.
In mid-2009, an ambitious waste gas extraction scheme for conversion into electricity was entrusted to a local firm, Devine Associates, who are based at Lackaboy on the Tempo Road.
Since then, it has been producing the equivalent energy to run 500 homes a day and, is expected to keep on producing that amount for another six years.
The site is also home to the council dog compound and a leacheate treatment plant.
According to Gerry Knox, the council’s director of technical services, the decision to buy the site was the only course open to it.
“Like all councils, a landfill site needs to have security of tenure for 60 years after it closes because there is an after-care arrangement we have to adhere to.
“That meant we needed to do that rather than a leasing arrangement with the landowner.
“We needed to have a freehold arrangement, so the council has agreed to buy it.
“The valuation has been agreed. It is a big site (26.6 acres), and we’re still getting gas out of it to generate electricity.
“If we were not generating electricity there, we would still have to flare the gas off because the gas coming from the site still has to be managed so that it isn’t allowed to build up and be harmful.”
As to the potential use of the site, Mr Knox explained there are 45 on-site gas wells which means Glassmullagh would have restrictive use until 2020 when the gas flow begins to fade.
“Don’t forget there is a dog compound on the site, a gas generation plant and a leacheate treatment plant.
“So, the site has that value in it as well. It isn’t just agricultural land, there are those three other aspects to it also.”
At last month’s meeting of the council’s policy and resources committee, members agreed, subject to Shadow Council approval, the £266,000 valuation of the 26.6 acre site and a further rental payment of £10,000 in October this year.
Debra Devine, a director of Devine Associates, estimated there was sufficient gas, at a daily output to power 500 homes, for another six years.
“It was our first landfill site, and we’re doing another one at Drummee landfill site which is similar in size.
“It is due to become operational any time.”
She said Glassmullagh had been successful for her firm and for the council, and she was looking forward to getting Drummee into commission.
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