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Current Trends in Energy-from-WasteNJ SWANA Spring Conference 2012
Atlantic City, NJ
By Kenneth E. Armellino, P.E.Director , Environmental Science and Community Affairs
Agenda
• Who am I & who is Covanta• Energy-from-Waste (EfW) Synopsis• Greenhouse Gas Benefits• Current Emissions Trends• Market Picture from EfW perspective• Alternative Technologies• Looking Forward
Who is Covanta Energy?
ME
MAOR
WA
OK
MN
AL
IN
MI
FLHI
NJPA
VA
CT
NY
BC
CA
EfW facilities
Ashfills and landfills
Transfer stations
BiomassHydroelectric
Landfill gas-to-energy
Development projects
Corporate headquarters
CT
NJ
MA
NY
VA
PA
MEOntario
MD
• # 1 EfW Company in North America
– NYSE Company (CVA)– Over two-thirds of EfW capacity– Dispose of 6% of U.S. waste– 8% on non-hydro renewable power
– Focus on attractive, densely-populated Northeast markets
– High waste disposal prices– Liquid electricity markets
Portfolio
• 41 EfW facilities• Other renewable generation
– 8 wood biomass facilities– 3 landfill gas projects– 4 hydroelectric facilities
• Complementary waste operations– 13 transfer stations– 4 landfills (primarily for ash disposal)
After Recycling, Composting, Producer Responsibility, Product Stewardship, etc.?
Two Paths Remain:
Energy-from-Waste Landfills
550 kWh of Power
50 lbs of Recycled Metal
Ash: 10% of Original VolumeOne Ton of MSW
The Energy-from-Waste Process• Provide disposal of non-hazardous post recycled waste
• Technologically advanced facilities combust waste at high
temperatures
• Steam is sold directly or used to produce electricity for sale
• Metals are retrieved from the process and sold to recyclers
Environmental Management System
Continuous Emission Monitoring System
(CEMS)
Odors Burned in Boilers
Enclosed Unloading and Storage Areas Ash Quench
SystemHigh-temperature
Combustion
Flue Gas Scrubbers
Particulate Control
NOx Control
Carbon InjectionAnnual Stack Testing
Radiation Detectors at Scalehouse
Storm Water/Waste Water Reuse*
* Some Facilities
Turbine Generator
EfW – A Solution to Key Challenges
• Sustainable Waste Management– Most attractive solution after recycling– Waste volume reduced by 90% – Avoids impacts of landfills
• Generates Renewable Energy– Reliable baseload power 24/7; located near demand centers– Advances goals of domestic energy security
• Combats Climate Change– 1:1 CO2 offset for each ton of waste processed
• Fewer fossil fuels burned: 1 ton of waste ≈ ¼ ton of coal– Methane from landfills: 20+ times more potent than CO2 as a greenhouse gas
• Green Jobs – Average plant construction can produce approximately 300-500 construction jobs and
50 permanent jobs– New plant construction: hundreds of millions in economic activity for a community
Global Waste Management
EfW 0.2 Billion tons Recycling 0.5 Billion tons Landfill 1.2 Billion tons
U.S.
Denm
ark
Swed
en
Neth
erla
nds
Ger
man
y
Aver
age
Italy
U.K.
Irela
nd
Japa
n
Taiw
an
Sing
apor
e
Chin
a
U.S.≈90 EfW facilities
Western Europe≈400 EfW facilities
Asia≈300 EfW facilities
Landfill
Recycling/Composting
EfW
EfW is a net Reducer of GHGs• Benefits recognized by U.S. EPA:
– EPA Scientists: “Is it Better to Burn or Bury?”
– Office of Solid Waste Webpage: http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/municipal/wte/airem.htm#7
• Benefits are well recognized internationally:
– Recognized as a “key GHG mitigation measure” by the Nobel Prize winning IPCC
– Exempted from the EU Emissions Trading Scheme
– Eligible to generate carbon offsets under the Kyoto Protocol
– Recent U.S. expansions generating & selling carbon offsets under a voluntary program
EfW is a Net Reducer of GHG
-1.5
-1.0
-0.5
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
CO2 from combustion of MSW
Fossil CO2 avoided by EfW power
Methane avoided by EfW
Net GHG factor
Ton
CO
2e /
ton
MSW
EfW Life Cycle Unit Operations
CO2 from the combustion of biomass not counted as an emission
CO2 from the combustion of plastics counted as an emission
DATA FROM JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING © ASCE / AUGUST 2010
Revenue Generation• Revenue generation from 3 main sources:
– Fees charged for waste disposal or operating projects
– Sale of electricity and steam
– Sale of recycled ferrous and non-ferrous metals
Revenue by Source
Waste &Service
Revenue57%
Metals3%
Energy & Steam Sales 34%
Other6%
Waste (Fuel) Market Drivers
• Decreasing volumes– Economy– Recycling
• Abundant landfill capacity• Rail and bail increase disposal range• Transportation costs• Flow Control• NYC Interim to Long Term Transition
Highly Contracted Revenues
• Over 75% of waste and service revenue contracted
• Long-term strategy: seek to maintain majority of facility capacity
under long-term contracts
• Over 70% of energy revenue contracted and not subject to market
price fluctuation
Alternative Technology Development• Covanta R&D continues to lead the state of the art for
conventional EfW– High Pressure boilers with increased energy output– Advanced APC for lower emissions– Semi-dry ash systems– Improved metal recovery
Durham / York, Ontario Canada
Ince Park, UK
Alternative Technology Development
• Covanta Investments in alternative technologies– Goal of smaller physical and environmental footprint– Gasification– Waste to diesel– Organics recovery and conversion– Improved metal recovery– Ash reuse
Pilot and demonstration project investments have positioned Covanta for continued
leadership in generating energy from waste
MSW Gasification Processes
1. GASIFICATION / COMBUSTION – Goal of Improved Emissions and Higher Energy Efficiency
2. GASIFICATION TO SYNGAS – Goal of Combined-Cycle Power or High-Value End-Products
PostCombustion
MSW Low TemperatureGasification
ConventionalBoiler, APC,Power Gen
Air
Low QualitySyngas
Reduced NOx , CO & gas flow
High TemperatureGasification
MSW
HydrogenProduction
CombinedCycle Power
SyngasCleaning
Liquid FuelsProduction
O2/Air
High QualitySyngas
Energy from Waste Looking Forward
• Public Acceptance
– Science based decision-making(?)
• Efficiency/Output
– Lowest net energy use/greatest energy output target
• Climate sensitive
– Lowest net GHG target
• Emissions Improvement – round 2 of MACT
• Valuation of costs of alternatives to the public