¦EFFICIENCY
PHOTO: COVANTA ENERGY
W
hen the Clean Air Act of 1990 was passed, it forced municipal solid waste (MSW) combustor plants across the U.S. to spend more than $1 billion on required upgrades, including combustion controls and sophisticated air pollution control equipment. By 2000, the industry had achieved compliance, and the U.S. EPA has reported that many of the upgrades exceed CAA requirements. Unfortunately, these power plants still have an undeserved reputation as being dirty. Paul Gilman, chief sustainability officer at Covanta Energy, which operates 44 waste-to-energy (WtE) plants across the globe, says most folks who describe these facilities as dirty are referring to the way they were operated prior to the CAA. “The act has made facilities that have survived the transition dramatically better in their emissions characteristics,” he says. “The percent reductions from emissions ranging from particulate matter, dioxins and mercury are on the order of 95 to 99 percent. NOx (nitrogen oxide) is the only pollutant that didn’t see those dramatic reductions—only about
GOOD NEIGHBORS: Covanta constantly improves emissions and efficiencies at its plants like this one in Alexandria, Va.
ONE SOURCE, ONE AUTOMATED SOLUTION You can count on our knowledge and experience for a cost-effective, integrated solution for your green energy plant. Our engineered system combines quality equipment and process management to control product flow from start to finish, with automated solutions for: • Grinding • Conditioning • Pelleting • Cooling • Sifting Call us today, and hold us accountable for your cost-effective solution.
800-552-2382 | WWW.CPM.NET
WATERLOO, IOWA 32 BIOMASS POWER & THERMAL | JULY 2011