SIMFLEX-LF
This research facility at a real landfill is developed and operated by FluxLab to evaluate methane detection and quantification technologies under realistic landfill conditions. Located at a closed landfill in Ontario, Canada, it is the world's first large-scale facility purpose-built for this purpose.
Landfills are among the largest anthropogenic sources of methane globally. Measuring their emissions presents challenges: releases are spatially diffuse, variable over time, and shaped by complex terrain, cover conditions, and weather.
SIMFLEX-LF is designed to replicate these conditions, giving technologies a genuine test against the full complexity of real landfill emissions.
Since 2023, FluxLab has hosted over 50 different participants from North America and Europe under diverse weather conditions.
2025
2026
Facility Capabilities
• Large-scale controlled-release experiments • Computer-controlled methane release system • Point-source and area-source emission simulation • Release rates up to approximately 840 kg/hr • Programmable experimental scenarios and blind testing protocols • Support for multiple technology classes and deployment configurations
Technologies Evaluated
SIMFLEX-LF supports testing and validation across all major measurement classes: satellite-based systems, aircraft-based systems, drone and UAV platforms, truck-mounted sensors, continuous monitoring networks, ground-based measurement systems, and surface emissions monitoring methodologies. The facility accommodates both commercial technologies and emerging research and development systems.
Information for Participants
Past participants have included technology developers, service providers, and universities, and they have benefitted from independent testing, collaborative research, and access to one of the most advanced landfill methane test environments in the world.
FluxLab coordinates controlled-release campaigns at SIMFLEX-LF and the following materials are available to prospective participants.