Mass burn/municipal WTE

Covanta extends contract with Pennsylvania solid waste authority to 2035

The York County Solid Waste and Refuse Authority, owner of the York County Resource Recovery Center (RRC), and Covanta York Renewable Energy Systems LLC, operator of the RRC, have announced the extension of their long-term operation and maintenance contract until 2035 for the waste-to-energy (WTE) facility located in Manchester Township, Pennsylvania. Ongoing investments totaling $30 million “will continue to ensure the facility maintains rigorous performance and safety standards and reliable operations for decades to come,” say the two groups. “The extension reflects the successful and mutually beneficial long-term collaboration between the authority and Morristown, New Jersey-based Covanta, the largest WTE company in the country,” they add.

“This agreement positions the authority and Covanta to continue serving York County’s municipal solid waste management needs well into the future by ensuring reliable and outstanding operation of the RRC,” says David Vollero, refuse authority executive director. “Together, we’ve generated significant volumes of electricity for our residents from trash that would otherwise go to landfills. Our partnership with Covanta has played an important role in reducing the county’s carbon footprint and elevating the region as a waste management leader. We’re delighted to continue our successful collaboration.”

The agreement took effect Jan. 1, 2016, and continues through Dec. 31, 2035, and is based on the framework of the previous service agreement between the authority and Covanta.

Since the facility began operations in 1989 a total of 10.8 million tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) have been converted into 5.5 million megawatt hours of energy, according to the two organizations.

Vancouver officials rethink plans to build new incinerator

Metro Vancouver is rethinking its plan to build another waste incinerator now that people are throwing less garbage out and diverting waste more to recycling and compost. According to an article on the CBC/Radio-Canada website, the proposed plant site was cut in half a few months ago, and now officials aren’t certain there will be enough waste to feed the smaller-proposed 250,000-metric-tons-per-year plant.

Waste will head to the landfill while officials reevaluate the plan, the article says. Port Coquitlam Mayor Greg Moore is cited in the article as saying the incinerator or some other form of waste-to-energy conversion plant is the future for garbage in Metro Vancouver. He notes municipal efforts to increase recycling and composting are effective and have cut the amount of waste to about half of what officials were expecting as little as five years ago.

Moore says expects the region during the next year will keep researching and pick the best kind of waste-to-energy model that works for the scale and type of waste being thrown away.