Tennessee City to Implement Waste-to-Energy System

PHG Energy, a Tennessee-based alternative energy company, has signed an agreement with the city of Covington, Tenn., to convert waste to energy using PHG’s downdraft biomass gasification equipment and technology. The system converts a wide range of waste materials or renewable biomass to a low-emission substitute for natural gas or other fossil fuels.

According to Covington Mayor David Gordon, using PHG’s system reduced the landfill and transportation fees for about 360 tons of material each month. Through the process, PHG integrates established commercial technologies into one system that simultaneously eliminates waste and produces heat that will be used for feedstock drying and the production of electricity.

“Covington may be a small city, but we’re constantly looking toward the future in our thinking and planning,” says Mayor Gordon. “We want to embrace technology that fits our situation, and this system lets us turn waste into an opportunity. Working with PHG is a win-win for Covington. It helps our environment and it helps our city financially. Simply put, we’re doing the right thing, in the right way, for the right reason.”

To make the program effective, Covington has been awarded a $250,000 Clean Tennessee Energy Grant from Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam and Department of Environment and Conservation Commissioner Bob Martineau for the waste-to-energy system. Total cost of the project is $2.25 million, with $2 million of funding obtained through the Tennessee Municipal Bond fund in the form of a general obligation bond issue.

PHG’s biomass gasification waste-to-energy system will be built adjacent to the wastewater treatment plant on city owned property. The waste to be used, about 12 tons per day, is primarily composed of woody biomass from the city’s collections. The use of biosolids from the treatment plant is also being investigated as a possible fuel for the gasifiers.
PHG’s technology combines a downdraft gasification system with thermal oxidation equipment and a 125 kilowatt Organic Rankine Cycle power generator to produce electric power. ORC generators offer low operating and maintenance costs while running without the need for constant attendance by an operator. Combustion of producer gas within the thermal oxidizer provides heat to power the system while maintaining emission levels comparable to the use of natural gas.

Construction of the system is slated to begin in November of this year and will take several months to complete.