Prof Gerhard Rettenberger (Hochschule Trier and Ingenieurgruppe RUK GmbH, Germany) presented the adaptation of the IPCC – gas model to Middle European Conditions.
The German national inventory for greenhouse gasses reported that landfills are the main source for greenhouse gasses in the sector of waste and waste water.
The methane emissions from landfills were calculated with the FOD Modell from IPCC.
The collection rate for landfill gas in Germany is about 24% which is rather low compared with international data which could indicate that the IPCC gas model needed adaptation.
The IPCC model is a first order linear decay model in relation to the carbon degradation in the landfill, the half time value, the methane correction factor, the degradable organic carbon, and the ration of degradable organic carbon in the disposed waste under landfill conditions are the important parameters in this equation.
In the original German national inventory some general numbers were linked to default parameters of the IPCC model. In order to adapt the IPCC model studies were undertaken at more than thirty landfill sites, laboratory tests had been carried out and numerous samples from old landfills had been analyzed to allow the standard values of the national inventory to be adjusted to the middle European conditions. Comparisons of modelling results with real gas collection data showed good consistency.
Interested to know more? Find the presentation here.
