WTE in North America: Managing 110,000 tons per day

Journal Article · · Solid Waste and Power; (United States)

OSTI ID:6402561

In recent years it has become more difficult for communities to site waste-to-energy (WTE) facilities. Environmental standards have tightened, the public hearing and permit approval processes are longer and more onerous, and air pollution control and monitoring requirements are greater. Despite the obstacles WTE facilities now manage nearly 110,000 tons per day of MSW - approximately 18 percent of the MSW generated in the US WTE facilities are a small but growing part of the renewable energy picture with a current capacity to produce about 2,500 MW of electrical power. The heaviest area of development has been in the eastern states where population densities are greater and costs of disposal in landfills is higher. The average WTE plant entering service in the 1990s has a cost exceeding $100 million. While costs have increased since the 1980s, most of the rise is due to larger plant size and added sophistication of the facilities; costs per design ton have not increased substantially. The effects of the Clean Air Act of 1990 and new EPA regulations in 1991 are evident in the configurations of recently constructed and planned facilities. Besides acid gas and particulate control devices employed at most WTE facilities, new facilities are including specific systems for control of nitrogen oxides and mercury.

• OSTI ID: 6402561
• Journal Information: Solid Waste and Power; (United States), Journal Name: Solid Waste and Power; (United States) Vol. 7:3; ISSN SWPOEX
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320604* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Municipalities & Community Systems-- Municipal Waste Management-- (1980-)
AEROSOL WASTES
AIR POLLUTION CONTROL
AIR POLLUTION MONITORING
ASHES
CAPACITY
CHALCOGENIDES
COMBUSTION PRODUCTS
COMPLIANCE
CONTROL
DESIGN
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCE DEVELOPMENT
ENERGY SOURCES
FLY ASH
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
LAWS
MERCURY
METALS
MONITORING
MUNICIPAL WASTES
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN OXIDES
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION CONTROL
POLLUTION LAWS
POWER PLANTS
REFUSE-FUELED POWER PLANTS
REGULATIONS
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
RESIDUES
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
US CLEAN AIR ACT
US EPA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASTE PROCESSING PLANTS
WASTE PRODUCT UTILIZATION
WASTES