Researching landfill emissions

TU Delft researcher Julia Gebert is in the lead of a new fundamental research project about landfill emissions. A grant of 2.5 million euros was awarded via the NWO Open Competition Domain Science- GROOT.  This programme boosts curiosity-driven, non-programmed fundamental research. 

Coupled multi-process research for reducing landfill emissions (CURE)

Main applicant: Dr. Julia Gebert, TU Delft

Co-applicants: Dr. Anne-Catherine Dieudonné (TU Delft), Prof. Dr. Timo Heimovaara (TU Delft), Prof. Dr. Rob Comans (WUR)

Worldwide, landfilling remains an important aspect of solid waste management. Long-term emissions of landfill gas to the atmosphere and dissolved contaminants to groundwater are the result of bio-geochemical reactions acting on the landfilled wastes. In this project, fundamental research will be conducted regarding the relationship between the conversion of waste organic matter and the emissions of pollutants in the context of a full-scale field trial into the sustainable aftercare of three Dutch landfills. The research will lead to methods that enable sustainable management of contaminated sites, thereby minimising emissions of contaminants to the environment and reducing the time over which society has to actively manage the pollution arising from these sites.

About NWO Open competition

In the programme NWO Open Competition Domain Science - GROOT, 20 new consortia will start a large research project. This boost of more than 47 million euros will make new curiosity-driven, non-programmed fundamental research possible.