Renewable Methane Gas from Payatas Dumpsite for Low Cost Alternative Energy

to Power Quezon City Streetlights

Introduction
It is part of our daily lives that we are associated with utilizing different materials that
eventually produce wasteful products after use. Unfortunately, we dispose these wasteful
products without even realizing that we could really turn these things into useful ones. With an
innovative and creative mind, we can possibly use this supposedly dispose products to create
alternative ways in finding solutions for the problem of our country.
Like other developing countries, waste management has become the major problems in
the Philippines for the past decades. Lack of disposal facilities can harm the health of all people.
Of the estimated 6,700 tons generated per day, approximately 720 tons per day is recycled or
composted. The balancesome 6,000 tons dailyis either hauled to the citys dump sites,
dumped illegally on private land, in rivers, creeks, Manila Bay, or openly burned, adding to the
heavily polluted air shed. Some 1500 tons daily are illegally dumped in rivers and sea water and
sometimes burned that contribute to air pollution.
Severity of waste crisis in Metro Manila is illustrated in Payatas dumpsite. Informal
settler near the dumpsite suffers health and safety issues because of danger of methane gas
produced by the decayed waste material. The site was permanently closed with plans to fast-track
a new sanitary landfill project. A crisis in collection ensued, with mountains of garbage left
uncollected throughout the metropolis. Over time, without any alternatives in place, dumping at
Payatas has resumed.

Background of the Study:

Payatas dumpsite is known as one of the largest garbage landfill operated more than
years. Waste materials decomposed over a period of time and tend to produce methane gas.
Methane gas as toxic gas kills many people who suffered health issues. Many researchers are
looking for alternative source of electricity that lessens the power consumption of Metro Manila
in all power plants. The Philippines primarily uses power plant as primary source of electricity.
Sometimes the country experience power shortage when some of the power plant unfortunately
shut down for repair of damage system.
The researchers try to find out an alternative source of electricity using methane gas that
produce by decompose waste materials in Payatas dumpsite. Methane gas is a flammable gas that
emits heat where it can be converted as electricity. This alternative can help to lessen the
methane that can contribute green house effect.
The thermal energy cause by the flame of methane gas can be harness and contained in a
container. The device which enables to convert thermal energy to electricity can be used to
power some streetlights of Quezon City. This research can help to conserve the power energy
allocated for all the houses in Metro Manila and help the National Grid of the Philippines to
properly manage the electricity distribution.

Statement of the Problem:

The researchers conducted this research to find for the alternative source of electricity
using waste materials in the Philippines. This study was concerned to know if methane gas can
produce electricity coming from the decomposed waste materials. This problem wanted to find
the answers for the following questions:
1. Is the methane gas can be possible alternative solution for harvesting energy?
2. What percentage of methane gas needed to make electricity that can power the streetlights?
3. What are the compositions in the waste materials enable it to generate methane gas?
4. How methane gas conversion can be an alternative source of energy that could help the
Payatas community?