Solid Oxide Fuel Cells’ Prospects for Landfill Gas Utilization in Russia

The problem of municipal solid wastes' (MSW) utilization is one of the most actual all over the world nowadays. In Russia, landfills are still the main way for MSW utilization. However, waste decomposition, leading to landfill gas generation, causes, on the one hand, a lot of complaints from local people mainly due to hydrogen sulphide emissions. On the other hand, landfill gas, containing 40–60 vol % of methane, can be considered as calorific fuel. Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), due to high operation temperatures, can be considered as an efficient device for landfill gas conversion to electricity and heat. Withal some companies and laboratories are developing SOFCs with direct methane oxidation to increase conversion efficiency on account of steam reformer expulsion. In this research, issues of landfill gas' useful utilization are considered. Experiments on different materials' application for model gas mixtures' direct conversion into energy by means of an SOFC and foreign experience in the field of landfill gas purification and estimation of its volumes in Russia are taken as initial data. The estimation results obtained allow the authors to consider SOFC application for landfill gas conversion as a significant market niche for Russian hydrogen technologies. Energy efficiency and environmental issues can also be improved by SOFC application in this niche.