Committed to environmental quality Emerging Technologies for MSW and Sludge Atlantic County, NJ.

Committed to environmental quality

Emerging Technologies for MSW and Sludge

Atlantic County, NJ


The Atlantic County Utilities Authority is a public agency that provides environmental and waste management services to the people of Atlantic County and southern New Jersey.

The ACUA operates both Wastewater and Solid Waste Management Systems.

The Atlantic County Utilities Authority


About the

$70 million in annual revenue 250 employees Full service regional wastewater treatment facility, trash

& recycling collection, landfill, composting, single-stream recycling center, transfer station and CNG fueling station.

The Atlantic County Utilities Authority is responsible for enhancing the quality of life through the protection of waters and lands from pollution by providing responsible waste management services. The Authority is an environmental leader and will continue to use new technologies, innovations and employee ideas to provide the highest quality and most cost effective environmental services.

The ACUA Mission Statement. . .

. . .makes the Authority a natural facilitator for renewable energy projects


ACUA Goes Green With:

7.5 megawatt wind farm 500 kilowatt solar generation facility 5.4 megawatt landfill gas to electric facility

Biodiesel- B5 blend powers the ACUA diesel fleet

Compressed natural gas fueling station and fleet

Hybrid & electric vehicles

Geothermal heating and cooling

Energy conservation


Waste to Energy Procurement

Existing landfill capacity is through 2026 under existing permit conditions

Increasing EPA regulations and SSI standards are increasing the cost of sludge incineration

Atlantic County needs long-term regional waste management solutions


Waste to Energy Procurement

Multiple NJDEP meetings with vendors to discuss the viability of new technologies

Reputation as an innovator and comfortable being first

Best approach to implement and vet new technologies would be through NJDEP research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) permit process

Request for Information (RFI) to solicit information and proposals from vendors for an RD&D project

Goal of RFI to issue license(s) to eligible demonstration project(s)


RD&D Project Guidelines

RFI used NJDEP RD&D permit rules as a basis for the Demonstration Project parameters. 25 – 100 ton/day capacity 1 year of operation (with an option to extend for an additional

4 years)

Additional requirements Must be located at solid waste, approx. 15,000 sq ft

available Vendor responsible for construction, financing, owning,

operating and maintaining the project Technology must be able to process MSW with additional

consideration to technologies that process wastewater biosolids


Procurement Process

Issued RFI twice to ensure national coverage

8 responses received by April 2014

5 vendors invited for interviews

1 vendor met requirements of RFI


Evaluation Process

ACUA:

Formed a comprehensive evaluation committee including staff from solid waste, wastewater, finance, and engineering departments

Hired Gabel Associates to assist in the evaluation

Invited staff and students from Richard Stockton College to review vendor submissions


Technologies Proposed

TECHNOLOGY MSW BIOSOLIDS EST. CAPITAL COST

Microwave pyrolysis X $30 mil

Sublimation X X $23 mil

Hydrothermal decomposition w/ combustion X X $47 mil

Plasma gasification X $6 mil

Dry fermentation anaerobic digestion X X Not Provided

Gasification X $20 mil

Hydrothermal decomposition X X $30 mil


Vendors & Technologies

Pyrolysis Uses high temperatures and pressures to break down

waste, create a synthetic oil product Artificially speeds up the natural processes in the Earth

that create oil

USDA Agriculture Research Service



Pyrolysis

Proposed Feedstock: MSW

Capacity: 100 tons/day

End Products: biodiesel



Sublimation Transition of solid waste material directly into a

gaseous state without going through an intermediate liquid state

Uses heat gas to convert the waste into a gas, mostly methane, which can be used to generate electricity

Sustainable Biofuels Solutions



Sublimation



End Products: electricity



Gasification & Plasma Gasification

Breakdown of materials into their constituent elements at high temperatures without combustion.

Creates clean Synthesis Gas (Syngas) which can be burned to generate electricity

Plasma Gasification process that includes a higher temperature plasma arc to create cleaner constituent elements

National Energy Technology Lab / DOE



Plasma Gasification



End Products: syngas / electricity



Gasification



End Products: electricity or methane gas



Hydrothermal Decomposition Similar to autoclave technology, using high pressure steam to

breakdown waste into a high BTU content organic pulp

Delta Thermo Energy



Hydrothermal Decomposition (Proposal 1)

Proposed Feedstock: MSW & biosolids

Capacity: 100 tons/day (80 MSW, 20 biosolids)

End Products: electricity & liquid fertilizer



Hydrothermal Decomposition (Proposal 2)



End Products: fuel pellets (for cogen facilities)



Anaerobic Digestion Organic materials separated from the solid waste stream,

are broken down by micro organisms in the absence of oxygen to create biogas and fertilizer products.

Where are we now?

Vendor unable to secure financing

Next steps….


Katie Vesey

Deputy CFO / Director of R&D

Atlantic County Utilities Authority

Contact information:

609 272-6948

[email protected]

Committed to environmental quality Emerging Technologies for MSW and Sludge Atlantic County, NJ.

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