The project activity involves the capture of the landfill gas (LFG) generated at Salta´s municipal landfill and the destruction of the methane contained in the LFG in a flare. It is expected that the project activity avoids the emission of 210,900 tonCO2e to the atmosphere over a period of 21 years starting in 2008. The project activity will generate Certificates of Emission Reductions (CERs) and revenues through the selling of CERs in the Clean Development Mechanism. The revenues obtained will contribute to eliminate the barriers that prevent the implementation of this project.

Contribution of Project Activity to Sustainable Development:
The proposed project activity will also contribute to the sustainable development of the city of Salta. In fact, the development of this project under the CDM framework implies for the Municipality of Salta a commitment to improve the current solid waste management and sustain it during the 21-year lifetime of the project. In turn, an enhanced solid waste management will bring an improvement in the environmental conditions of the surrounding areas of the landfill site -where several thousands people live in slums- due to decreased emissions of GHG and other harmful components in the LFG.

In addition, the proposed project activity will contribute to implementing a new technology, improving the demand of local labor, and encouraging the local supply of equipment and other components for the construction and operation of the LFG capture plant. These activities will build local capacity and therefore increase the possibility to replicate the project activity throughout the Northwest region of the country.

The Municipality of Salta owns the landfill that is currently operated by a private concessionaire, therefore any revenue coming from the exploitation of the landfill gas, including revenues coming from CERs sales, will be administered by the Municipality of Salta to improve landfill operation and the overall waste management in the city. For the construction, operation and maintenance of the proposed LFG recovery plant, the Municipality of Salta will call for international bids.

In addition, Municipality of Salta will allocate part of those revenues in a Community Benefit Plan (CBP). The objective of the CBP is to improve the infrastructure and working conditions for separating, classifying, storing and recycling inorganic components of municipal waste before it is landfilled. Currently this work is being done by approximately 100 people working in an informal fashion with no infrastructure or proper equipment.

Overall, the proposed activity will help to consolidate a better practice for municipal solid waste management and landfill gas recovery in Argentina where open dumps are still the common practice throughout the country. Project activities will also demonstrate the advantage of the GHG emission market and Kyoto mechanisms to finance new technologies and management in the public sector that may contribute to a sustainable development.