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Waste-to-Energy. Proven Commercial Technology Environmentally-Sound; Sustainable Economic. Wheelabrator Experience and Qualifications. Wheelabrator a wholly owned subsidiary of Waste Management WM has been on island for more than 15 years Operate 21 facilities
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Waste-to-Energy • Proven Commercial Technology • Environmentally-Sound; Sustainable • Economic
Wheelabrator Experience and Qualifications • Wheelabrator • a wholly owned subsidiary of Waste Management • WM has been on island for more than 15 years • Operate 21 facilities • 16 Waste –to-Energy – 609 MW • 5 other energy plants – 227 MW • Over 30 years of operating experience • Serves more than 500 municipalities
Waste-to-Energy • A key component of a well developed solid waste management plan • Reduces waste volume by over 90%, conserving landfill capacity while providing renewable energy to the island • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Waste-to-energy plants generate electricity “with less environmental impact than almost any other source of electricity.”
Waste-to-Energy Provides More than Just Disposal • Reduces:- greenhouse gases (European Environmental Agency Briefing 01-2008, ISSN 1830-2246)- dependence on imported oil • Complements Hawaii’s sustainability goals and recycling
Waste to Energy • What would the plant accept? • County municipal solid waste remaining after recycling • confidential documents/records (assured destruction) • Incidental waste tires • What would the plant not accept? • Green waste • Post-sorted recyclables • Hazardous waste • Medical waste
Waste to Energy Plant (attached to County Sort Station)
Waste to Energy Plant (not attached to County Sort Station)
Waste-to-Energy Environmentally-Sound Sustainable
Environmental Compliance • Highly regulated facility – Oversight would be by: • County • Hawaii Department of Health (multiple branches) • U.S. EPA (multiple branches) • Continuous emissions monitors • Extensive, annual emissions testing with DOH oversight • An initial Environmental Analysis Report to be completed under the initial contract phase. • If project moves forward after initial period, the permit process will occur over 1-2 year period with much public input
Waste-to-Energy Overview • Full time Environmental, Health and Safety specialist at all Wheelabrator facilities • All of Wheelabrator’s facilities certified by OSHA as among the safest worksites in the Country • Voluntary Protection Program Star workplaces • New plants will be, too • All workers are subject to initial and annual health screenings
Waste-to-Energy Technology“Old Technology”??? • Constantly improving the Technology • Fourth generation of boiler design since the 1970’s • Reduced maintanence • Improved energy per ton of trash • Collaboration between Wheelabrator and Von Roll (Switzerland) • Von Roll : second largest waste-to-energy vendor in the world • Working relationship for more than 30 years
Waste-to-Energy “No one’s building these plants anymore” • Europe - 100 new waste-to-energy plants by 2020 • Finland plans to triple it’s waste-to-energy capacity by 2016 • A new waste-to-energy unit began operation in 2007 in Florida, with another to be completed by 2009 • Expect contracts for three more plants to be issued in US in 2008
Recycling needs to be addressed regardless of Disposal Method chosen by County • Recycling and Waste-to-Energy are NOT mutually exclusive • - Waste-to-energy and recycling are compatible and complimentary
Waste-to-Energy Economic
Economic • Total Cost of Project includes: • Construction Cost • Operating cost (offset by tip fee and electric revenues) • Wheelabrator has estimate of construction cost • working to refine and firm-up guaranteed number • County does not have a firm power price yet • Power Price drives final economics
Economics • Waste-to-Energy • - higher capital cost • lower operating costs • New Landfill • high capital cost • high, and escalating, operating cost • Trucking to West Side Landfill • low capital cost • high, and escalating, operating cost • Barging to Mainland • low capital cost • high, and escalating, operating cost
Impact of Energy Price Increases on Costs of Alternatives • Between 1997 and 2007, oil prices increased at 14% per year. • Increasing oil prices increase the cost of landfilling, trucking and barging. • Increasing oil prices decrease the cost of waste-to-energy
Impact of Energy Price Increases on Waste-to-Energy Income Lifetime cost of new landfill is $263 million At 1% increase in energy price, waste-to-energy lifetime cost is $251 million At 3% energy price increase, waste-to-energy lifetime cost is $169 million
Finishing the Process • Within 180 days after signing contract:- Wheelabrator refines lump sum capital cost - County negotiates with HELCO on electric sales • Both numbers are needed so County can make an informed decision. County can make a “go” or “no go” decision on cost. • Within 270 days after signing contract: - Wheelabrator completes Environmental Analysis Report • County makes a “go” or “no go” decision with this information • County can terminate at each step -- at no cost to County