RATIONALE

The existing sewerage treatment facility at Kinoya constructed during 1970‟s consists of both primary
and secondary processes with the final treated effluent being disposed to the sea and the sludge generated
by the anaerobic digester being tapped off for drying and used for soil application as end use.
(Kinoya pdf)

The project was first implemented by Water Supply & Sewerage Department (WSD) under the Ministry
of Works, Transport and Public Utilities in the year 2010 but later transferred to the Water Authority of
Fiji (WAF)
(Kinoya pdf)

The greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is mainly the cause of global warming. Fiji is a country that is
prone to natural disasters and one reason being the emissions from Kinoya Sewage Treatment plant which
releases huge amount of methane (CH4) in the air. Methane, hence is a contributing factor to global
warming and also produces foul smell and therefore disrupts nearby residentials and society in whole.

The Kinoya Sewerage Treatment Plant Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Project comprises recovery
and destruction of methane generated from anaerobic decomposition of organic matter in wastewater.
The gas recovered is flared in enclosed units where complete combustion of the methane-rich digester
gas (biogas) occurs, ensuring maximum destruction of the GHG. The plant treats approximately 472
cubic meters per day of wet sludge. (Cdm brief)

methane would be vented out into the atmosphere, contributing to GHG emissions. (Cdm brief)

The project is registered with the CDM Executive Board (CDM EB). The project is expected to start
generating carbon credits from September 2011.

(Cdm brief)

TECHNOLOGICAL DETAILS

 The project aimed to reduce significant quantity of methane and was successful with the local
government benefiting in the revenue from the CER’s sales.

Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)

Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is one of the Flexible Mechanisms defined in the Kyoto
Protocol (IPCC, 2007) that provides for emissions reduction projects which generate Certified Emission
Reduction units (CERs) which may be traded in emissions trading schemes.
The operation of wastewater treatment plants results in direct emissions, from the biological processes,
of greenhouse gases (GHG) such as carbon dioxide (CO 2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O), as well
as indirect emissions resulting from energy generation

A possible option to reduce GHG emissions from WWTPs is to capture and treat them. An important
number of technologies are available to destroy or capture N 2O, CH4, and CO2 from industrial gaseous
streams but there is still a need for the development of efficient low-cost abatement technologies to
treat gaseous streams from WWTPs.

https://www.moleculargate.com/biogas-digester-gas-purification/biogas-purification-treatment-
plants.html

Flare
https://energy360.com.au/flare-for-waste-water-treatment/

GAS FLARING PROCESS

The definition of gas flaring is by Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers as the

controlled burning of natural gas that cannot be processed for sale or use because of technical
or economic reasons. Gas flaring can also be defined by the combustion devices designed to
safely and efficiently destroy waste gases generated in a plant during normal operation. It is
coming from different sources such as associated gas, gas plants, well-tests and other places.
It is collected in piping headers and delivered to a flare system for safe disposal. A flare
system has multiple flares to treat the various sources for waste gases. Most flaring processes
usually take place at the top of stack by burning of gases with the visible flame. Height of the
flame depends upon the volume of released gas, while brightness and color depend upon
composition. Gas flaring systems are installed on onshore and offshore platforms production
fields, on transport ships and in port facilities, at storage tank farms and along distribution
pipelines. A complete flare system consists of the flare stack or boom and pipes which collect
the gases to be flared. The flare tip at the end of the stack or boom is designed to assist
entrainment of air into the flare to improve burn efficiency. Seals installed in the stack
prevent flashback of the flame, and a vessel at the base of the stack removes and conserves
any liquids from the gas passing to the flare. Depending on the design, one or more flares
may be required at a process location. A flare is normally visible and generates both noise
and heat. During flaring, the burned gas generates mainly water vapors and CO2. Efficient
combustion in the flame depends on achieving good mixing between the fuel gas and air (or
steam) and on the absence of liquids. Low pressure pipe flares are not intended to handle
liquids and do not perform efficiently when hydrocarbon liquids are released into the flare
system.

The typical enclosed flare specifications include:

  methane destruction efficiency of 98% and above
 sustain stable combustion with methane concentrations of at least 20% at reduced flow rates
without any burner adjustments or flare modification
 destruction efficiency greater than 98% of total organic compounds and greater than 98% of
total non-methane organic compounds (NMOC) throughout the entire flare operating range,
without any burner adjustments or flare modification.
 Insulated stainless steel flare stack
 Gas feed: centrifugal blower incorporating variable speed drive control; Methane analyser
with built in alarms; In-line gas flow meter
 Filtration: appropriate gas filters with demister pads
 Power Supply: 415V 3 phase with 240v General Power Outlet
 Slam Shut Valve
 Externally removable spark ignited pilot
 Flame detector incorporating auto shut down
 Flame Arrestor
 Gas Isolation Valves
 In-line Pressure Gauges
 Appropriate Temperature Sensors
 Paperless Chart Recorder

SUSTAINABILITY COMPLIANCE

Environmental impacts

Gas flaring is one of the most challenging energy and environmental problems facing the world today.
Environmental consequences associated with gas flaring have a considerable impact on local
populations,
often resulting in severe health issues. Generally, gas flaring is normally visible and emitted both noise
and heat.
BENEFITS

The overall project will increase the capacity of the Water Authority of Fiji (WAF) to provide safe water
and sewerage services to the urban population of the greater Suva area (GSA) by reducing the GHG
emissions. The area of study is based or located in Kinoya, Suva City, Viti Levu, Fiji Islands.
The project reduces GHG emissions by approximately 22,000 tons CO2 per year. The CDM revenue helps
the project proponent overcome significant barriers related to technology and human resource capacity.

Multiple Benefits of Methane Capture and Use Methane capture and use at wastewater treatment
facilities has multiple benefits:

• Reduces GHGs and associated air pollutants.

• Provides a local source of energy that supports energy independence.

• Converts a waste product into a revenue source.

• Creates renewable energy that can replace fossil fuel use.

• Creates jobs related to project construction and operation.

• Enhances local community image as innovative and sustainable.

https://www.globalmethane.org/documents/ww_fs_eng.pdf

The proposed project activity will reduce GHG emissions (methane in particular) in an economically
sustainable manner. This will also result in other environmental co- benefits, such as improved digested
sludge quality and reduced odour. Basically, the project activity proposes to move from a potentially
high GHG emission option of open air venting of methane to environmentally benign option of capture
and combustion of methane.

(kinoya pdf)

LESSONS LEARNT

CONCLUDING

The project is a first-of-its-kind methane recovery and flaring activity in Fiji. In the absence of CDM, the
WSD has no incentive to implement the project due to the risks associated with the introduction of a
new type of technology in the country. CDM, therefore, provides an opportunity for the WSD to seek
better wastewater management practices.
Policy Recommendations, Priority Actions, and High-Level Costing
The following policy recommendations and priority actions are proposed for each long-term
low emission scenario:
BAU Conditional (40% waste diversion from SWDs and flaring methane at Kinoya WWT): • A
national 3R policy will be adopted and implemented to minimise waste going to landfills
and to promote composting of household kitchen and green waste. The NIWMS
indicates that the 3R policy is still in draft form and should be finalised soon. The policy
should clearly outline the incentives for practicing 3R and should also include the
polluter pays principle. Policymakers will also need to address the tariff structure for
collection and disposal of waste to promote an integrated solid waste management
strategy.
• Currently, local households usually opt for the simplest option of waste disposal – which is
to put everything into a bin and let the municipal and town councils dispose of it in a
landfill. There is a need for greater national consultations to increase social awareness
and to promote behavioural change in order to successfully implement the 3R policy.
• In the Fiji National Budget 2018-2019, funding is allocated for development of a waste
transfer station in Nasinu. The waste transfer station will not only reduce the emissions
from transporting waste,200 but it also provides an opportunity for separating organic
waste for resource recovery, such as recyclables, and for promoting green jobs.
• Fiji will pursue a program to develop composting facilities so that organic waste can be
composted on a large scale. The compost produced could be sold in local markets as
fertilisers or soil conditioner. Many stakeholders suggested that the best place to
develop a composting facility is at Naboro Landfill itself. Studies have shown that using
compost as a soil cover enhances methane oxidation and thereby reduces methane
emissions from the landfill.2011
High Ambition (30% Paper and 40% plastic recycling and WTE for Kinoya WWTP): In
addition to the actions proposed for the BAU Conditional scenario, the following actions
are included in the High Ambition scenario: • Adoption of a source separation policy,
i.e., for separating recyclable and organic waste from general household waste. •
Implementation will begin of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Policy to
promote recycling and put the responsibility on the producer to ensure their products
are returned to them and are disposed of properly or recycled or re-used. The EPR
policy will also need to be in place for hazardous materials like car batteries, electronic
waste, white goods, cars, and plastics. Shifting the responsibility to the producers will
force them to make products that can be easily recycled or reused and with the return
policy it will enhance the life of the local landfill. • Adoption of a mechanism for
collecting paper and plastics from households. Currently there is limited awareness
about recycling paper and plastic bottles. Collection points will need to be established
where these recyclables can be dropped off, or recycling companies will be able to pick
up these resources from each household on designated days of the month. •
Introduction of Container Deposit Legislation (CDL) to require the collection of a
monetary deposit on beverage containers (refillable or non-refillable) at the point of
sale. The CDL was passed in the cabinet in September 2011 but it has not yet been
enacted.202 For the high ambition scenario to increase recycling of plastic, effective
implementation of CDL is of paramount importance. • Introduction of subsidies for
recycling companies to counteract the fact that recycled materials are sometimes
subject to significant taxes (first when they are sold back to the industry as raw
materials and again when they are sold as new products). which reduces the demand
for recycled material, compared to virgin material.203 Fiji intends to introduce tax
exemptions to make recycling a lucrative business model in Fiji. • A final action will
involve methane capture from anaerobic digesters at KSTP for co-generation of
electricity.