Liepaja city solid waste landfill „Skede” has been operated since 1960. Leakage of leachate has created a serious pollution of nearby Tosmare lake till the remediation in 2004. Skede landfill needed substantial upgrades for stopping to spread pollution. During the operation landfill has taken 79% of waste produced in the city and region. The landfill covers 7.5 hectares of ground of which 6 ha is waste.
On August 2003 a contract was signed to remediate a landfill „Skede”. The total sum of contract was 1’759’976,39 EUR. The contract was financed by an amount of 63% by the ISPA fund (EU), as by 37% of local cofinancing. The contractor was „U. Pilena birojs” Jsc., who started the work on August 26. The contractor’s technical engineering supervision was carried out by a company from England „Scott Wilson Kirkpatrick & Co” Ltd.
The contract was carried out in two phases.
The first one consisted of remediation of the old landfill, which included – creating of slopes, covering of waste with a deposit of clay; covering of deposit with fertile soil; creation of 6 vertical bores for gas collection; creation of pipeline system for gas collection and connection to gas pumping station; greening of covered waste heap.
The second phase included remediation of new part of the landfill, which started after completion of the first phase at the new Grobina plant.The second phase included remediation of new part of the landfill, which started after completion of the first phase at the new Grobina plant. Tasks accomplished in the second phase included creating of slopes; covering of waste mass with a deposit of clay; covering of deposit with fertile soil; creation of 9 vertical bores for gas collection; creation of pipeline system for gas collection and connection to gas pumping station; greening of waste heap; creation of leachate collection system, building of inspection road; building of guard house; connection to electrical grid.
In the same time two other contracts were performed: delivery and installation of gas pumping stations, carried out by the company from Sweden „LNV Energy” (SIDA financed) and installation of energy conversion units financed by ISPA fund.
On September 2004 the solid waste landfill „Skede” was closed and operation started at plant in Grobina parish „Kivites”.