Environment Agency - Validation of landfill methane measurements using an unmanned aerial system

The aim of the project is to demonstrate that the unmanned aerial system (UAS) method to measure landfill methane emissions developed in Environment Agency project SC140015 can accurately quantify a known release of methane. The contractor would be required to provide a complete UAS to measure methane emissions in accordance with the method developed in project SC140015. The contractor would be required to provide a suitable known source of methane emissions. The contractor would use the UAS to measure the known emission and to provide an analysis of the results. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/measuring-landfill-methane-emissions-using-unmanned-aerial-systems.

Additional information: A full specification will be provided to all those who make an expression of interest. Please email Mark Bourn, mark.bourn@environment-agency.gov.uk, directly by the deadline of 30 June 2016.

The contractor will be expected to provide expertise in: development of unmanned aerial vehicle monitoring systems, e.g. instrument integration and data retrieval; unmanned aerial vehicle flight operations; ambient air monitoring including atmospheric methane measurements; atmospheric dispersion and data analysis.

The contractor is expected to supply all the necessary equipment (i.e. aircraft, instruments, ground stations etc.) to undertake the monitoring exercises. The Environment Agency will not pay for the purchase of equipment as part of the project.

The contractor will be expected to identify the known source of methane emissions that will be used. This could potentially include a landfill gas engine stack provided that the emission could be quantified with a sufficient level of accuracy.

The contractor will be expected to select the field trial location and secure any necessary permissions for undertaking the UAS flights. The contractor will need to meet all the necessary health and safety and CAA requirements for the UAS flights and liaise as necessary with the land owner on the site specific flight plans and risk assessments.

The contractor will be expected to plan and design the field measurements in order to best meet the aim of the project. The UAS mass balance method developed in project SC140015 must form the basis for the proposed measurements.

The contractor will be expected to make recommendations as to the number of repeat measurements of the known methane source that should be undertaken (the cost is to be provide on a per measurement exercise basis) and whether there is a benefit in undertaking UAS measurements at different distances downwind of the source.

The contractor will be expected to conduct the planned measurements at the agreed locations using the UAS mass balance method.

The contractor will be expected to calculate the methane flux rate and the associated uncertainty for each of the measurement exercises.

The contractor will be expected to compare the measured methane flux to the known emission figures and, taking into consideration the uncertainty in both sets of figures, draw statistically robust conclusions as to the performance of the UAS method.