Owner/Operator: Covanta Energy Corp.
Covanta Energy Corp. doesn’t believe in wasting waste. Since 1995 the Covanta Onondaga waste-to-energy (WTE) plant has converted approximately 4 million tons of solid waste into 3 million MWh of clean electricity. Additionally, unlike power plants that use wind or solar energy, this 39-MW WTE facility operates 24/7, making it and similar WTE plants among the most continuously reliable sources of renewable electricity generation currently in operation.
Electric utilities are discovering that a cheap source of renewable energy is as close as the nearest trash Dumpster.
Recently, there has been renewed emphasis on the need for energy sources that promote U.S. energy independence, avoid fossil fuel use, and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Waste-to-energy (WTE) electricity generation is well-positioned to deliver these benefits while also providing for safe and reliable disposal of household trash. From a GHG production perspective, for every ton of nonhazardous solid waste processed at a WTE (also known as energy-from-waste) facility, a nominal 1 ton of carbon dioxide equivalent is prevented from entering the atmosphere (applying the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s [EPA’s] lifecycle analysis). Similarly, one barrel of oil is saved for each ton of solid waste processed.
Today, only approximately 2% of the electricity produced in the U.S. comes from non-hydro renewable sources, but the abundant supply of trash for fuel makes WTE facilities attractive and dependable sources of renewable power. Americans dispose of 278 million tons of municipal solid waste annually, of which less than 30 million tons is used as fuel in WTE facilities. It is clear that for the foreseeable future there will be no end to the amount of municipal solid waste available as a renewable fuel.
Since 1995, the Covanta Onondaga WTE facility has succeeded in turning garbage into green energy. The plant reroutes nonhazardous solid waste normally destined for landfills and gives the refuse a second productive life as a fuel source for generating electricity. According to Mark Byrne, the plant’s shift supervisor and facility safety coordinator, Covanta Onondaga processes approximately 350,000 tons of waste annually and produces 220,000 to 225,000 MWh of electricity. To date, the plant has avoided releasing more than approximately 4 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere by using waste instead of coal as a fuel source (Figure 1).
1. Choice location. Interstate Highways 481 and 81 intersect where the Covanta Onondaga waste-to-energy facility is located, providing fast and convenient access to the plant for waste haulers, suppliers, and other customers from all locations. Courtesy: Covanta Energy Corp.
The Covanta Onondaga WTE facility has continually exceeded industry benchmarks. Due to the high caliber of its operations, the facility has received numerous awards. "Most recently, in 2008 the American Society of Mechanical Engineers selected the plant as its Large Facility of the Year," Byrne said. "In 2007, the Solid Waste Association of North America honored the plant with its silver award for excellence in WTE facilities. Also in 2006 the facility achieved star status in the OSHA [Occupational Safety and Health Administration] Voluntary Protection Program, and in 2007 it obtained the EPA National Environmental Performance Track endorsement."
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