Increased leachate treatment capacity and biogas recovery
At the Energipole Espérance site in Guadeloupe, progress continues in leachate treatment and biogas recovery.
Late 2020 saw the commissioning of a second leachate treatment unit, along with a significant upgrade to the biogas engine, now delivering 1 MW of power.
A high-performance new treatment unit
Commissioned in December 2020, the semi-mobile treatment station has a nominal capacity of 5 m³/h.
Installed inside two adjoining shipping containers, it features five successive treatment stages to ensure optimal purification:
1️⃣ Biological treatment with forced aeration in the storage basin, supported by two new 22 kWh aerators — tripling aeration capacity
2️⃣ Lamella settling to separate suspended solids (TSS)
3️⃣ Disc filtration (55 µm) to capture remaining TSS
4️⃣ Ultrafiltration membranes to remove fine particles, part of the organic load and some heavy components
5️⃣ Reverse osmosis, ensuring near-complete removal of organic compounds, metals and minerals for an output quality close to demineralised water
Together with the existing installation, this upgrade has significantly increased total leachate treatment capacity.
Enhanced energy production
In parallel, in September 2020, Energipole Espérance completed the biogas network loop, reducing network depression, lowering oxygen content and improving methane capture.
The result: higher-quality biogas, engine power increased to 1 MW, and a more than 60% rise in electricity production since late 2020.
