EPA Pacific Environmental Conference

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Developing a 21st Century Energy From Waste Facility – An Island Perspective Marc J. Rogoff, Ph.D.


Outline • What Is Energy From Waste (EfW)? • What Are The Steps in Conducting

Feasibility Analysis? • Case Study in American Samoa

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My Career Background • Education – Ph.D., Resource Development – MBA, Finance

• Resource Recovery Program Administrator (4 Years) • Solid Waste Management Consultant (25 Years) • University Institute of Government (4 Years)

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Our Global Challenges • Today, we face numerous environmental & economic challenges: – Population growth and associated waste disposal needs – Global warming – Dependence on fossil fuels

• There is a common solution for all of these challenges:

Energy from Waste (EfW) provides: – Safe, economic waste disposal – Greenhouse gas reduction – Renewable energy

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Overdependence on Imported Fuels Over 70% in 2009

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A Growing Waste Problem • In the US an increasing amount

of trash is buried in landfills: Proliferation of MSW Municipal Solid Waste in U.S. (in millions of tons) – Waste generation has increased by over a third in the past 25 years in the 245.7 250 U.S. alone. 200 – Recycling efforts have not 151.6 been able to keep pace with 150 the increased generation of 100 trash. 58.4 50 • The EU has addressed waste 14.5 0 disposal with a directive that 1980 2005 requires reduction of landfilling raw garbage MSW Generation

Recycling Recovery 6


Why Choose EfW ? • Clean power: The US EPA has stated that EfW plants are a “clean,

reliable, renewable source of energy” that “produces electricity with less environmental impact than almost any other source of electricity.”

• Less dependence on imported fuels: For every ton of waste

processed in a EfW facility, we avoid the need to import 1 barrel of oil or mine one quarter ton of coal.

• Net Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reduction: For every ton of waste

processed in a EfW facility, almost one ton of GHG is avoided.

• A safe and effective solution for managing local trash

generation: Less reliance on landfills and long distance shipping of trash preserves valuable land and resource with minimal disturbance to surrounding neighborhoods.

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EfW Worldwide EfW

• EfW is used extensively worldwide – 780 EfW facilities; 140 million tons per year (TPY)

Recycling/ Composting

U.S. 89 EfW facilities 29 million TPY

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Western Europe

Asia

388 EfW facilities 62 million TPY

301 EfW facilities 48 million TPY

China

Singapore

Taiwan

Japan

Ireland

U.K.

Italy

Average

Germany

Sweden

Denmark

U.S.

Landfill


Islands and EfW

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EfW Benefits For Islands • Preserve limited land for future generations • Decreasing dependence on fuel imports by

using a renewable indigenous fuel • Minimize groundwater contamination • Use of solid residues (ash or slag) to add to land surface • Utilization of recovered metals, ash and low pressure steam (by-product of EfW in ecoparks created around EfWs. 10


EfW Technologies EfW is a specially designed energy generation facility that uses household waste as fuel and helps solve some of society’s big challenges • Traditional Mass Burn – Refuse Derived Fuel –

• Alternative Thermal – Biological –

Power: 400 to 560 kWh Municipal Solid Waste (MSW): 2000 lbs

Metal: 50 lbs

Ash: 10% of original volume

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Typical Mass Burn Facility

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Refuse Derived Fuel Systems


Smaller Modular Facilities

•Pre-Fabricated at Factory •Modules Can Be Added

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Steps in the Process

Loading of Combustion Chamber 450 degrees – air starved condition

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Secondary Combustion 1200 degrees C


Steps in the Process

Energy Recovery in Waste Heat Boiler, Turbine Generator, Chiller, Heat Exchanger 430 to 650 kwh/Ton of Waste

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Bottom Ash


Air Emission and Process Control

SCADA Operator Control Designed to Meet EPA and EU Standards 17


THERMAL (Plasma Gasification) Air, O2 or steam MSW Air Lock MRF

Reactor (Gasifier)

Syngas Emission Treatment Heat Source

cooling water blowdown 18

• power generation by various means

Slag

• other uses in manufacturing


BIOLOGICAL (Anaerobic) Steam Biogas MSW

MSW

Anaerobic Reactor Water Mixing

Compost Heat Source

Filtrate Water

• boiler fuel • power generation

Sludge

MRF

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Treatment


BIO-CHEMICAL (Hydrolysis) Sewage sludge MSW Fermenter

Distiller Ethanol production

Hydrolysis Reactor

MRF

Acid

lignin Biogas

Wastewater Gasifier

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PROCESS SUMMARY Process

PreProcessing

Pyrolysis

High

Gasification

Med.

Product

Commercial Readiness

Syngas/Oil

Yes

Ash/Slag

Syngas/Char

Yes

Filtrate Water

Biogas, Compost

Yes

By-Product

Char/Ash/Tar/Oil

Anaerobic Digestion

Med./High

Hydrolysis

High

Waste water, ash

Ethanol

No

Aerobic Digestion

Med./High

None

Compost

Yes

Plasma Gasification

Claims Low

Slag/ Blowdown

Syngas 21

No


PROS / CONS Process

Advantages

Drawbacks

Pyrolysis / Gasification

Potential for high power production, high conversion

Untested, possibly high O&M costs, ash disposal

Biological (aerobic & anaerobic)

Proven, “low� tech. Emissions less of a concern.

Some odor. Lack of market for compost, low conversion

Plasma Gasification

Potential for high power production, high conversion

Untested, possibly high O&M costs, safety concerns, slag market (?)

Bio-Chemical (Hydrolysis)

Fuel production, sludge processing

Untested, Treats only cellulosic part of waste

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Beyond The “HYPE” • Some companies that market the thermal technologies have had

dubious performance records with some plants operated abroad. • Problems ranged from complete failures, to explosions, excess air

emissions, continual process breakdown, discharges of contaminated liquids, false claims, and data validation. – Verification of operating records & permitting conditions in other countries makes

direct comparisons incomplete and risky.

• California, Hawaii, Arizona, and Washington have had problems with

actual facilities or technical proposals.

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Case Study of EfW Feasibility Analysis in American Samoa

American Samoa Power Authority

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Similar Island Concerns • Increasing cost of energy • Limited space due to topography for new

landfills • Increasing population growth • Improvements in solid waste management

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Steps in Feasibility Analysis Funded by DOI

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

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Phase I – Feasibility Analysis Waste Stream Analysis • Review Permitting Requirements Waste Disposal Practices Analysis • Risk and Legal Assessment Energy and Materials Market Study • Financial Analysis Analysis of Feasible Waste-to-Energy • Develop Project Alternatives Technologies • Go/No-Go Decision Analysis of Potential Facility Sites Phase II – Procurement Select Project Alternative • Develop Financing Plan Select Site and Acquire • RFQ/RFP Produced and Issued Permitting Underway • Contractor Selected Market Contracts Concluded • Contract Negotiations Concluded Waste Stream Guarantee • Notice-to-Proceed Phase III – Plant Construction Site Preparation • Equipment Installed Complete Final Design • Testing and Startup Equipment Ordered • Acceptance Testing Building Constructed • Certificate of Completion Phase IV – Plant Operations Service Fee Payment • Annual Report (Optional) Annual Tipping Fee Adjustment • Facility Retesting (Optional)


EfW Building Blocks 1. Waste supply 2. Energy markets and potential revenues 3. Site – good logistics, permitable, 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 27

neighbors Landfill Contractor Capital Ability to finance Political will


Waste Composition Analysis

Two Weekly Sorting Programs – February and July, 2009

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Detailed Components in Waste Stream

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Top Ten Materials in Waste Stream Material Type

Mean %

Cum %

Cardboard and Kraft

3,316

15.1%

15.1%

Ferrous Cans

2,930

13.4%

28.5%

Mixed Residue

2,927

13.4%

41.8%

Yard Waste

2,010

9.2%

51.0%

Diapers

1,027

4.7%

55.7%

Fish Meal

925

4.2%

59.9%

Food Waste

909

4.1%

64.1%

Fish Waste

761

3.5%

67.5%

Bag Film Plastic

749

3.4%

71.0%

Boxboard

621

2.8%

73.8%

Total

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Tons

16,174

73.8%


Preliminary Waste Composition Results – Feb 2009

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Other Important Wastes

Waste Oil 120,000 Gallons/Year

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Tires 1,200 Tons/Year


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EfW Plant Sizing

Assumptions Waste Growth (1.5%/Year) WTE Downtime &10% WTE Downtime @15%

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0

1

2

3

4

Year 5 6

68

69

70

71

72

73

74

75

77

78

79

75

76

77

78

79

81

82

83

84

86

87

78

79

81

82

83

84

86

87

88

89

91

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8

9

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Can American Samoa Serve As Regional MSW Disposal Hub?

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Proposed Plant Siting

Tafuna Power Plant

3.5 Acre Parcel

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Who Is Responsible For What ? (there is no set structure)

EfW Company

Financing

Investors

Grant

ASPA Contract

Design / Build Operate Company

Permits “Avoided cost� Payments

Owner 37

Territory/ Federal Agencies Regulatory Agency


Energy Revenues/Deferred Costs

Year 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 38

$ Per KWh Fuel and Production Total Operating Expenses Expenses 0.097 0.124 0.110 0.142 0.141 0.175 0.181 0.207 0.180 0.211 0.260 0.289


Other Revenues • Process steam to industry • Process steam for district heating • Chilled water or air for central cooling • Desalinated water • Scrap metal recovered from bottom ash • Carbon credits • IRS Section 45 production tax credits • Treasury grant under ARRA

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Financial Analysis • Developed a Pro Forma Economic Model – Operating costs – Capital costs – Project revenues – User fees/customer charges – Grant/bond financing – Roadmap

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Next Steps • Conduct second waste sort • Finalize inputs to Pro Forma model • Finalize draft report • Regional market study? • Issue final report • ASPA Go/No-Go • Move onto procurement phase

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Questions??? Marc J. Rogoff SCS Engineers mrogoff@scsengineers.com 42


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