Two million tonnes of waste disposed of in Stirling Council’s former landfill site at Lower Polmaise is now being used to generate of 0.6 megawatts of green electricity.

The electricity, which is being fed into the national grid, provides sufficient energy to power around 900 households.

The innovative partnership project between Stirling Council, Renewable Power Systems and Scottish Power, is one of the first of its kind in Scotland, and an excellent example of deriving sustainable energy from waste materials.

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Gas, mainly methane, from the decomposing landfill is captured by a network of 38 pumped gas wells throughout the capped and restored landfill site, and fed to a combustion engine which in turn generates the electricity. The residual heat from the process is also captured and used to improve the on-site wastewater treatment process.

Waste-ElecCouncillor Jim Thompson, Stirling Council Portfolio Holder for Environment and Sustainability, said: “The success of this project further emphasises Stirling Council’s continued commitment to work towards a more sustainable and environmentally focused future, through innovative and efficient waste, recycling and re-use practices, coupled with the benefits of renewable energy sources, and further contributes to the on-going reduction in the Council’s carbon emissions.”

(GK)