Turn unwanted gas into electricity: Methane power called for desal

Gold Coast Sun
Wednesday 4/6/2008 Page: 10

Tallebudgera inventor Peter McKinlay says backers of a wind farm off the southern Gold Coast to help power the Tugun desalination plant have turned up their noses at a more effective power-generating wind' - methane. Mr McKinlav says the gas is so plentiful it presents a disposal problem for the Gold Coast City Council but the wind farm backer, the Queensland Conservation Council, is not interested.

He said the quantity of methane was growing with the booming population. "A friend of mine has had to design a special manhole cover to stop the methane smell," he said. "But that created another problem with the lids in danger of popping off because of the increased pressure in the pipes." After installing the sealed manhole covers, the council has had to build eight to 12-metre high vents to disperse the methane.

Mr McKinlay's backing company, DaS Energy Pty Ltd, wants the State Government to spend $4 million developing methane powered heat pump technology which it says could generate large quantities of electricity. "We are not asking for funds for a feasibility study like Queensland Conservation Council, but an actual working green-power generator needing no more wind speed than a fart," he said. "It's odd that when asked to back DaS, the Queensland Conservation Council said 'no that's not us'." Mr MCKinlay said Gold Coast Mayor Ron Clarke had done all he could to help his proposal and it was now up to the State Government to get on board.