Comparison of Environmental Performance Expectations: Gasification Versus Mass-Burn WTE Facilities Currently Under Construction in North America

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth A. Rice
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Solid Waste ◽  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Waste To Energy ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Emissions Modeling ◽  
Technology Applications ◽  
Under Construction

In recent years, factors including limited landfill capacity, increasing costs of fossil fuels, and increased pressure to actively recover value from waste in the form of materials and energy have encouraged municipalities throughout North America to advance waste management strategies that utilize waste-to-energy (WTE) technologies as an alternative to landfilling. Currently, utilization of alternative conversion technologies, including gasification, is limited to small-scale or pilot municipal solid waste (MSW) to energy facilities in North America. Though limited history of environmental performance when using MSW as a primary feedstock has delayed public acceptance of facility proposals, municipalities are now moving forward with alternative conversion technology applications. In Florida, two entities have received permits from the Department of Environmental Protection to proceed with construction of gasification facilities — Geoplasma, Inc. in St. Lucie County, and INEOS New Planet BioEnergy in Vero Beach. In Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Enerkem GreenField Alberta Biofuels has received a permit from Alberta Environment to begin construction of a gasification facility that will produce bioethanol from post-recycled MSW. Since 1996, no new greenfield MSW-processing mass burn facility has been constructed in the U.S., though facilities in Hillsborough County, FL; Lee County, FL; and Olmstead County, MN have undergone expansions, and in Honolulu, FL, a 900 TPD unit is currently under construction. In recent years, two municipalities have received permits to proceed with construction of mass burn WTE facilities and have made significant progress toward implementation: The municipalities of Durham and York, Ontario, Canada and The Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County, Florida. This paper will provide a direct comparison of the expected environmental performance of the recently permitted gasification facilities to the expected environmental performance of the recently permitted mass burn WTE facilities, as established by permit applications and emissions modeling studies. Comparison of emissions of particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, and hydrogen chloride will be performed on the basis of one ton of feedstock processed. Emission of these pollutants at the recently permitted facilities discussed above will be contrasted with emissions experienced at currently operating WTE facilities within North America.

scholarly journals Understanding Public Views on a Dam Construction Boom: the Role of Values

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (14) ◽  
pp. 4687-4700 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Schulz ◽  
Julia Martin-Ortega ◽  
Klaus Glenk
Keyword(s):  
General Public ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Political Legitimacy ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Dam Construction ◽  
Hydroelectric Power ◽  
Value Conflict ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Under Construction

AbstractLarge numbers of dams for hydroelectric power production are currently planned or under construction in many areas around the world. While positive and negative social and environmental impacts of dams are increasingly well understood, little is known about attitudes of the general public towards dams, even though benefits to wider society are often cited to legitimise their construction. In Brazil’s Upper Paraguay River Basin, more than 100 mostly small-scale hydropower dams are planned or under construction in what can be considered a regional dam construction boom. Here we analyse public preferences for strategies to manage dam impacts in the area by investigating the value base that underpins such preferences, drawing on the recently proposed Value Landscapes Approach as our theoretical framework and data from a large representative household survey (N = 1067). We find that contrasting attitudes towards dams, expressed in preferences for economically or ecologically oriented water policies are informed by opposing underlying value landscapes, that is, groups of closely related fundamental, governance-related, and assigned (water) values. While such tensions between opposing values can never be fully eliminated, our research nevertheless gives insights to policy-makers seeking to minimise value conflict and to improve the political legitimacy of public decision-making on dam construction. Moreover, we find that a majority of members of the general public would prefer concentrating dam construction on some rivers while keeping others free-flowing, with direct implications for ecosystems and inland fisheries. This finding may guide policy-makers wishing to develop publicly supported water resources management strategies.

scholarly journals Municipal Solid Waste as a valuable recycled asset for small-scale electricity production in rural communities

2019 ◽  
pp. 92-106
Author(s):  
Valter Silva ◽  
João Cardoso ◽  
Paulo Brito ◽  
Luís Tarelho ◽  
José Luz
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Municipal Solid Waste ◽  
Solid Waste ◽  
Economic Model ◽  
Electricity Generation ◽  
Integrated System ◽  
Waste To Energy ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Biomass Supply

Municipal solid waste provides an opportunity for electricity production. This strategy provides the rural communities a potential waste-to-energy opportunity to manage its costly residues problem, turning them into a valuable recycled asset. To address this issue, a techno-economic study of an integrated system comprising gasification of Acacia residues and Portuguese Municipal Solid Waste (PMSW) with an Internal Combustion Engine-Generator (ICEG) for electricity generation at small-scale (100 kW) was developed. Current studies only devote attention to biomass residues and do not explore MSW potential to eschew biomass supply shortage. Conventional systems are generally part of biomass supply chains, limiting flexibility and all year operation for their operators. Experimental data was gathered at a downdraft gasifier to provide a clear assessment of particle and tar concentration in the syngas and levers conditioning a satisfactory ICE operation. Once the potential of using Acacia residues and PMSW has been proven during gasification runs testing, and validation, a set of new conditions was also explored through a high-fidelity CFD model. We find that residues blends have the highest potential to generate high-quality syngas and smallest exposure to supply disruption. Despite both substrates showing potential at specific conditions, they also present individual drawbacks which will be best mitigated by executing a hybrid supply comprising the mix of substrates. An economic model coupling the financial indicators of net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR) and the payback period (PBP) considering a project lifetime of 25 years was developed. Cost factors include expenses with electricity generation, initial investment, amortizations and operation and maintenance (containing fuels costs). Revenues were estimated from electricity generated and sales to the national grid. A sensitivity analysis based on the Monte Carlo method was used to measure the economic model performance and to determine the risk in investing in such venture. The risk appraisal yielded favorable investment projections, with an NPV reaching positive values, an IRR superior to the discount rate and PBP lower than the project life span. This work allowed to confirm the positive effect of the generation of energy from downdraft gasification plants on a small-scale. Regardless of the project’s feasibility, the economic performance depended to a large extent on the electricity prices which present considerable variability and are subject to political decisions.

New Waste-to-Energy Projects: Opportunity Knocks!

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
John L. Rose
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Energy Recovery ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Waste To Energy ◽  
Operating Costs ◽  
The Public ◽  
Energy Projects ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Energy Plants

Never have conditions been more favorable for the development of new waste-to-energy projects. The record of operating waste-to-energy plants has dispelled all of the objections that had been raised by environmental activists with respect to emissions and residue toxicity. The economics have become positive due to the rising cost of disposal at distant landfills and the increased value of the recovered energy due to sharp increases in the cost of fossil fuels. The threat of global warming and the recognition of the need to reduce reliance on imported fuel sources have made the public aware of the need to make full use of all domestic sources of energy. Regardless of legal definitions, energy from wastes is renewable energy and established technology. Waste-to-energy plants are even now providing more energy then other renewable sources such as biomass, wind, and direct solar combined. What is needed now for the industry to look at the existing technology to see how it can optimize energy recovery, both in capital and operating costs, without compromising environmental performance. Above all, we need a major push to make our case with the public and the politicians who represent it to convince them that waste-to- energy is not only good economics, but good environmental policy as well.

A multi-criteria assessment of alternative sustainable solid waste management of flexible packaging

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 201-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Somying Pongpimol ◽  
Yuosre F. Badir ◽  
Bohez L.J. Erik ◽  
Vatcharapol Sukhotu
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Solid Waste ◽  
Solid Waste Management ◽  
Assessment Model ◽  
Waste To Energy ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Packaging Waste ◽  
Flexible Packaging

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the issues affecting end of life (EOL) management of flexible packaging. It focuses on Sustainable Solid Waste Management by using multi-criteria decision making, analytic network process (ANP), and Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT). Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 33 expert stakeholders, though a series of interviews and questionnaires. The subject seven aspects were applied from integrated sustainable waste management with 19 sub-criteria identified. Criteria were prioritized by using ANP and SWOT to the internal and external environments of organizations directly responsible for waste management. Findings The five most important factors in the management of flexible packaging waste include: techniques for waste management, material and design, management support, legislation and rule, and environmental care and environmental health, respectively. Solutions addressing flexible packaging waste were identified, including reuse and recycle, waste to energy, biopolymers, new innovative materials and material recovery. Research limitations/implications Data were derived from the national authorities and large companies. The findings may not represent local authorities and small-scale manufacturers. Future research should be conducted, in order to investigate and focus around small manufacturing enterprises. Practical implications The findings provide a strategic framework for policy makers and industrial manufacturers. The benefits of this will enable them to address flexible packaging waste, by using qualitative and quantitative criteria. Originality/value This is the first paper developing a multi-criteria assessment model to specifically manage EOL flexible packaging, a possible pioneering piece of research in this field.

scholarly journals Biowaste Treatment and Waste-To-Energy—Environmental Benefits

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1994 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Pavlas ◽  
Jan Dvořáček ◽  
Thorsten Pitschke ◽  
René Peche
Keyword(s):  
Municipal Solid Waste ◽  
Solid Waste ◽  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Marginal Cost ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Power Delivery ◽  
Waste To Energy ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Biowaste Treatment

Biowaste represents a significant fraction of municipal solid waste (MSW). Its separate collection is considered as a useful measure to enhance waste management systems in both the developed and developing world. This paper aims to compare the environmental performance of three market-ready technologies currently used to treat biowaste—biowaste composting, fermentation, and biowaste incineration in waste-to-energy (WtE) plants as a component of residual municipal solid waste (RES). Global warming potential (GWP) was applied as an indicator and burdens related to the operation of facilities and credits obtained through the products were identified. The environmental performance of a WtE plant was investigated in detail using a model, implementing an approach similar to marginal-cost and revenues, which is a concept widely applied in economics. The results show that all of the treatment options offer an environmentally friendly treatment (their net GWP is negative). The environmental performance of a WtE plant is profoundly affected by its mode of its operation, i.e., type of energy exported. The concept producing environmental credits at the highest rate is co-incineration of biowaste in a strictly heat-oriented WtE plant. Anaerobic digestion plants treating biowaste by fermentation produce fewer credits, but approximately twice as more credits as WtE plants with power delivery only.

Potential for the First WTE Facility in Mumbai (Bombay) India

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Perinaz Bhada ◽  
Nickolas J. Themelis
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Solid Waste ◽  
Traffic Congestion ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Solid Waste Management ◽  
Collection Efficiency ◽  
Solid Wastes ◽  
Waste To Energy ◽  
Waste Dumps ◽  
The City

The city of Mumbai (Bombay), India is facing a solid waste management crisis. The infrastructure has been unable to keep pace with economic development and population growth, resulting in insufficient collection of municipal solid waste (MSW) and over-burdened dumps. Improper disposal of solid wastes over several decades and open burning of garbage have led to serious environmental pollution and health problems. This study examined the solid waste management process in Mumbai and the potential for implementation of waste-to-energy facilities. Mumbai’s average per capita waste generation rate is 0.18 tonnes per person. Although the reported collection efficiency of MSW is 90%, almost half of the city’s 12 million people live in slums, some of which do not have access to solid waste services. The most pressing problem is the acute shortage of space for landfilling. When the present waste dumps were constructed they were at the outskirts of the city, but now they are surrounded by housing colonies, thus exposing millions of people to daily inconveniences such as odors, traffic congestion, and to more serious problems associated with air, land, and water pollution and the spread of diseases from rodents and mosquitoes. Mumbai is the financial center of India and has the highest potential for energy generation from the controlled combustion of solid wastes. The lower heating value of MSW is estimated in this study to be 9 MJ/kg, which is slightly lower than the average MSW combusted in the E.U. (10 MJ/kg). The land for the first WTE in Mumbai would be provided by the City and there is a market for the electricity generated by the WTE facility. The main problem to overcome is the source of capital since the present “tipping fees” are very low and inadequate to make the operation profitable and thus attract private investors. Therefore, the only hope is for the local government and one or more philanthropists in Mumbai to team up in financing the first WTE in India as a beacon that improves living conditions in Mumbai, reduces the City’s dependence on the import of fossil fuels, and lights the way for other cities in India to follow.

A Review : Sustainability from Waste

2019 ◽  
pp. 134-155
Author(s):  
Kriti Jain ◽  
Chirag Shah
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Solid Waste ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Waste To Energy ◽  
Waste Generation ◽  
Material Resources ◽  
Waste Dumps ◽  
Waste Segregation ◽  
Treatment And Disposal ◽  
Engineered Landfill

The increasing volume and complexity of waste associated with the modern economy as due to the ranging population, is posing a serious risk to ecosystems and human health. Every year, an estimated 11.2 billion tonnes of solid waste is collected worldwide and decay of the organic proportion of solid waste is contributing about 5 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions (UNEP). Poor waste management - ranging from non-existing collection systems to ineffective disposal causes air pollution, water and soil contamination. Open and unsanitary landfills contribute to contamination of drinking water and can cause infection and transmit diseases. The dispersal of debris pollutes ecosystems and dangerous substances from waste or garbage puts a strain on the health of urban dwellers and the environment. India, being second most populated country of the world that too with the lesser land area comparatively, faces major environmental challenges associated with waste generation and inadequate waste collection, transport, treatment and disposal. Population explosion, coupled with improved life style of people, results in increased generation of solid wastes in urban as well as rural areas of the country. The challenges and barriers are significant, but so are the opportunities. A priority is to move from reliance on waste dumps that offer no environmental protection, to waste management systems that retain useful resources within the economy [2]. Waste segregation at source and use of specialized waste processing facilities to separate recyclable materials has a key role. Disposal of residual waste after extraction of material resources needs engineered landfill sites and/or investment in waste-to-energy facilities. This study focusses on the minimization of the waste and gives the brief about the various initiations for proper waste management system. Hence moving towards the alternatives is the way to deal with these basic problems. This paper outlines various advances in the area of waste management. It focuses on current practices related to waste management initiatives taken by India. The purpose of this article put a light on various initiatives in the country and locates the scope for improvement in the management of waste which will also clean up the unemployment.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document