CTL Landfill Gas Project

CTL Landfill Gas Project, Brazil: Turning Waste Gas into Clean Energy and Climate Impact

In São Paulo, Brazil’s most populous city, municipal solid waste totals more than 20 000 tonnes per day. When organic waste breaks down in unmanaged landfills, methane (CH₄) – a potent greenhouse gas up to 25–30 times more powerful than CO₂ – is released into the atmosphere, driving climate warming.

🔧 What the Project Does

At the Central de Tratamento de Resíduos Leste (CTL) landfill in São Paulo, landfill gas (LFG) is collected before it can escape into the atmosphere. The gas is cleaned and used to generate electricity on site, and excess gas is supplied through a dedicated pipeline to local customers, replacing fossil fuels with cleaner energy.

📊 Impact in Numbers

This project delivers measurable climate benefits annually:

• ⚡ ~35 369 MWh of electricity produced on site — clean power that offsets fossil generation.
• 🔌 ~57 537 579 m³ of landfill gas transported to users via pipeline, boosting renewable energy use locally.
• 🌍 ~1 203 298 tCO₂e avoided per year, thanks to methane capture and energy substitution.

By capturing and using landfill gas, the project prevents methane from entering the atmosphere and displaces fossil energy — two climate wins in one.

🌱 Social and Economic Benefits

The initiative also supports inclusive governance, with women in leadership and decision-making roles, and some of the biogas even powers the vehicles that collect the waste.

💚 Why This Matters for GoClimate Supporters

Supporting projects like the CTL Landfill Gas Project through GoClimate means:

• Verified climate impact — over 1.2 million tonnes of CO₂e avoided annually.
• Real renewable energy use in a major urban context.
• Circular resource solutions where waste becomes energy, not pollution.

This is climate finance focused on real-world impact: reducing emissions at the source and strengthening local renewable energy systems.