Jerusalem's lights will soon be working thanks to its residents' trash. The Jerusalem Municipality is about to publish a tender for a factory that will produce methane gas from the trash found in the Abu-Dis dump. The gas will serve as an alternative energy source for thousands of electricity consumers around the city.

An examination by the Afik Company on behalf of the municipality showed that considerable amounts of methane can be drawn from the dump. According to estimates, this amount would be 84,755 cubic feet per hour - to suffice in producing electricity for thousands of consumers.

The factory producing and selling this form of electricity to the Israel Electrical Company is expected to earn about $5.4 million in profits.

Methane is accumulated during the decomposition process taking place in dump sites over several years. By inserting pipes deep into the dump, the gas can be pumped and turned into energy.

Environmental Friendly

This process is far friendlier to the environment than producing energy by burning coal, which emits soot, particles and various gases, including carbon dioxide, which scientists believe to accelerate global warming. Therefore, using gas to produce energy has clear environmental benefits.

Facilities producing energy from Methane have been operating throughout Israel for sometime. One of the most prominent projects is the Hiriya dump, which pumps the gas and transfers it to a fabric finishing factory in the industrial area of Azur.

Pumping gas from dumps has another benefit; it prevents uncontrolled leakage that can end in a disaster. Methane is a highly flammable, odorless gas, which can cause a strong explosion if it leaked.

The initiative to produce gas out of the Abu-Dis dump was promoted by Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupolianski, as part of the "Jerusalem cleaned up" project for environmental improvement in the city. This project includes building new parks, cleaning litter and upgrading the city staff's equipment by purchasing non-polluting electric motor scooters.