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Published byCori Fisher Modified over 9 years ago
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WHAT DRIVES INVESTMENT DECISIONS IN CHOOSING WASTE-TO-ENERGY CONVERSION TECHNOLOGIES John Baker, Alan Environmental George Voss, Sustainability Business Management
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INCINERATION;
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WASTE HEAT FROM INCINERATORS CAN BE USED TO PROVIDE HEAT AND POWER (WHP) Drawbacks Expensive Relatively Inefficient Environmental Concerns
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WASTE TO ENERGY INCUDES ANAEROBIC DIGESTION;
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COGENERATION SYSTEMS (CHP) CAN EFFICIENTLY CONVERT DIGESTER GAS TO ELECTRICITY(~40%)&HEAT(~50%) Digester Biogas CHP Power Generation Plant with “Plug & Play” Container Module, including Gas Conditioning & Treatment System
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WASTE TO SYNGAS
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GASIFICATION TECHNOLOGIES CONVERT A VARIETY OF WASTE INTO CLEAN ENERGY & COMMERCIAL MATERIALS
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ABILITY TO RECOVER RECYCLABLES UPFRONT Sustainability, environmental, economic and a philosophy of zero-waste-to- landfill drive consideration Municipalities have goals to meet State mandates Environmental groups fear WtE will reduce recycling Increases BTU value of remaining feedstock Recovers inert material that does not add to energy
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BENEFICIAL USE OF WASTE AND MARKETABILITY OF PRODUCTS All WtE systems create residues Incinerator ash is mostly landfilled Digesters have sludge and wastewater Sludge can be composted and nutrients recovered from wastewater Gasifiers create either a powder-like ash can be used as soil or cement additive or vitrified ash (high temperature Plasma) can be used as construction materials All WtE projects must take in to account all residuals requiring disposal and the potential marketability of residuals that may be recycled
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NON-RECYCLABLE WASTE DIVERSION RATE Important to clients that have Corporate mandate for “Zero” waste to landfills State mandates and EPA waste management hierarchy has landfill ranked last Environmentalists favor highest diversion rates from landfill The cost savings associated with diversion (equivalent to savings from avoiding tip fees) oftentimes drives the initial economics of waste-to-energy implementations
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EXPERIENCE AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES OF COMPANY Management team important especially if the only offer on the table is a turnkey installation] Management team needs to have technical resources for on-going support of WtE that are sold WtE company needs to have financial resources to have guarantees and post performance bonds, etc. WtE company financials need to show they will continue to exist in order to support the technology
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FACILITY SIZE (ACRES AND HEIGHT) AND DESIGN FLEXIBILITY, INCLUDING DESIGN SOUNDNESS, Based on feedstock (i.e., waste) tons(gallons)/day capacity, with fuel flexibility important in influencing economics Ability to fit seamlessly for on-site WtE operations Easy to operate automatically and monitor remotely Needs to be safe and have safety approvals- like UL, CE, etc for local codes/regulations
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FEASIBILITY OF OBTAINING ALL CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATING PERMITS Political and environmentalist climate Public/community relations State and Federal Agency experience with permitting similar technologies Local regulatory support Attainment vs. non-attainment considerations for air permit More environmental permitting challenges are usually experienced in terms of length of approval process and technology review if hazardous wastes are utilized
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OWNERSHIP PREFERENCE In some cases, clients prefer to own and operate Wte equipment and facilities If a client wants to own a new technology, starting with a lease may be preferable so can gain on-site experience and confidence in eventually buying the technology Most technologies need to have trained operators Material handling experience is required Some suppliers will only provide turnkey systems for concerns of inappropriate operations could cause system failures
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PRE-PROCESSING OF FUEL MIX Determine if material handling/pre-processing is included in price/lease of equipment Varies by technology- some take in waste “as-is” Some require shredding/sizing Some require RDF or pelletizing to certain size and dryness (e.g., 15% moisture) Some require additional small amounts of fossil fuel/catalysts, etc.
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READINESS AND RELIABILITY, INCLUDING CLIENT REFERENCES Is technology been proven with 3 rd party engineering studies? Has the technology been commercially proven and meeting performance efficiencies, environmental and compliance permit requirements? Are plant tours available? Can delivery schedules be met or are there back-log issues?
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RISK ALLOCATION Technology insurable? Performance bond rating. Shared risk? Experience with solving problems at operating plants (e.g., retrofits, redesigns, etc)
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CAPITAL, OPERATING, FINANCING, AND TIP FEES Proforma for 15-20 year operating life including labor, consumable materials, parasitic load factors, feedstock contracts, recycling contracts for residuals, ROI, Comparisons of existing options for waste disposal Energy incentives, government grants, low interest lending programs for renewable energy projects can play an important role in initiating a waste- to-energy project
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STANDARD CONTRACTUAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS Evaluation of supplier contracts for turnkey, sale or lease options Legal review Non-performance criteria
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THERMAL AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY Compare energy output per volume/ton of waste among suppliers reviewed Some have capx higher for the same waste capacity but have higher energy production
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UTILITY NEEDS Sewer, water, electrical, fossil fuel needs New construction required or existing on-site
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