[Gasification] Better BTU Technology Blog: Large-Scale EfW Company Covanta Gets on Board with Gasification

[Tom Miles]

New developments in industrial scale gasification. 

http://betterbtutechnology.blogspot.com/2012/08/large-scale-efw-company-cova
nta-gets-on.html?goback=%2Egde_2401449_member_146257078

For anyone out there who is still skeptical of gasification we offer you
this: when one of the world's largest energy from waste (EfW) companies
climbs on board the gasification train, you know the technology is here to
stay.

 


 <http://www.rewmag.com/FileUploads/image/Covantaunitlowres.jpg>
Description: http://www.rewmag.com/FileUploads/image/Covantaunitlowres.jpg


Courtesy: Covanta, REW Mag. 

Covanta Energy, owner and operator of more than 40 EfW facilities in the
U.S. and Europe announced plans to commercialize a gasification unit it has
been testing at the Covanta WBH site in Tulsa, Okla. The unit has just
completed a 10-month test run, processing 350 tons of post-recycled
municipal waste per day. 

 

The adoption of gasification technology marks a significant shift in
Covanta's stance on waste to energy. The company, which uses a mass burn
process at the majority of its facilities, has previously felt that
separation of materials and new technology such as gasification, was
unnecessary. Covanta has always been focused on producing the maximum amount
of reusable energy from its feedstock and has been quoted as saying the high
cost of sorting and recycling didn't justify the difference it made:

 

"Within the [waste] hierarchy, the most debated and potentially contentious
boundary is that separation of waste for recycling and recovery. It is
accurate that as a general rule a high level of separation of waste for
recycling is desirable before the residues are diverted towards recovery
(generally, energy recovery). However, the costs of segregation and of
reprocessing tend to increase significantly as ever higher percentages are
achieved while quality, contamination issues, and the additional activities
required to achieve the higher percentages often reduce the environmental
benefit. Thus the marginal cost-benefits of very high levels of recycling
may not be favorable."

            - Covanta Energy Comments on: National Waste Policy Discussion
Paper

 

Similarly, Covanta had previously said that gasification was unnecessary due
to the fact that large-scale EfW plants had developed sophisticated back-end
cleanup systems to keep hazardous gases from escaping into the air. The
changes in Covanta's views on gasification signify an ongoing revolution
towards cleaner waste-to-energy processes. 

 

 <http://media.marketwire.com/attachments/201203/24280_CovantaLogo.jpg>
Description:
http://media.marketwire.com/attachments/201203/24280_CovantaLogo.jpgAlthough
Better BTU has not been able to find out specifics on Covanta's gasification
system, it appears to be a partial-oxidation technology that heats the MSW
to high temperatures to create a syngas. The syngas is then combusted and
processed through an energy recovery system followed by an emissions control
system. The company has not released the energy value of the syngas.

 

Covanta headquarters says the successful demonstration will allow the
company to market its CLEERGAS (Covanta Low Emissions Energy Recovery
Gasification System) to clients interested in the technology. Interestingly
enough, the company has not made announcements that it plans to use the
technology in any other existing or new facilities and President and CEO
Anthony J. Orlando had this to say on the Q2 2012 Results - Earnings Call:

 

"We believe this technology will enable us to be more competitive on small
units and that opens new markets. The level of interest we've seen thus far
is encouraging and we're now exploring several opportunities. We believe
this technology will be an important part of our long-term growth. But I
don't want to get anybody too excited, I'm talking long-term. Development
and implementation of energy from waste projects take years."

 

So while it is extremely encouraging to see the EfW giant embracing
gasification, it sounds like we still have a ways to go before it replaces
the traditional mass burn facility.  

For anyone out there who is still skeptical of gasification we offer you
this: when one of the world's largest energy from waste (EfW) companies
climbs on board the gasification train, you know the technology is here to
stay.

 


 <http://www.rewmag.com/FileUploads/image/Covantaunitlowres.jpg>
Description: http://www.rewmag.com/FileUploads/image/Covantaunitlowres.jpg


Courtesy: Covanta, REW Mag. 

Covanta Energy, owner and operator of more than 40 EfW facilities in the
U.S. and Europe announced plans to commercialize a gasification unit it has
been testing at the Covanta WBH site in Tulsa, Okla. The unit has just
completed a 10-month test run, processing 350 tons of post-recycled
municipal waste per day. 

 

The adoption of gasification technology marks a significant shift in
Covanta's stance on waste to energy. The company, which uses a mass burn
process at the majority of its facilities, has previously felt that
separation of materials and new technology such as gasification, was
unnecessary. Covanta has always been focused on producing the maximum amount
of reusable energy from its feedstock and has been quoted as saying the high
cost of sorting and recycling didn't justify the difference it made:

 

"Within the [waste] hierarchy, the most debated and potentially contentious
boundary is that separation of waste for recycling and recovery. It is
accurate that as a general rule a high level of separation of waste for
recycling is desirable before the residues are diverted towards recovery
(generally, energy recovery). However, the costs of segregation and of
reprocessing tend to increase significantly as ever higher percentages are
achieved while quality, contamination issues, and the additional activities
required to achieve the higher percentages often reduce the environmental
benefit. Thus the marginal cost-benefits of very high levels of recycling
may not be favorable."

            - Covanta Energy Comments on: National Waste Policy Discussion
Paper

 

Similarly, Covanta had previously said that gasification was unnecessary due
to the fact that large-scale EfW plants had developed sophisticated back-end
cleanup systems to keep hazardous gases from escaping into the air. The
changes in Covanta's views on gasification signify an ongoing revolution
towards cleaner waste-to-energy processes. 

 

Although Better BTU has not been able to find out specifics on Covanta's
gasification system, it appears to be a partial-oxidation technology that
heats the MSW to high temperatures to create a syngas. The syngas is then
combusted and processed through an energy recovery system followed by an
emissions control system. The company has not released the energy value of
the syngas.

 

Covanta headquarters says the successful demonstration will allow the
company to market its CLEERGAS (Covanta Low Emissions Energy Recovery
Gasification System) to clients interested in the technology. Interestingly
enough, the company has not made announcements that it plans to use the
technology in any other existing or new facilities and President and CEO
Anthony J. Orlando had this to say on the Q2 2012 Results - Earnings Call:

 

"We believe this technology will enable us to be more competitive on small
units and that opens new markets. The level of interest we've seen thus far
is encouraging and we're now exploring several opportunities. We believe
this technology will be an important part of our long-term growth. But I
don't want to get anybody too excited, I'm talking long-term. Development
and implementation of energy from waste projects take years."

 

So while it is extremely encouraging to see the EfW giant embracing
gasification, it sounds like we still have a ways to go before it replaces
the traditional mass burn facility.  

 

 

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