Capital gains

Waste-to-energy (WTE) facilities have been converting waste into electricity and steam for decades in North America, powering homes and businesses from Spokane, Wash., to West Palm Beach, Fla., to Peekskill, N.Y. But just because many of these facilities are well established does not mean there aren’t opportunities to improve efficiencies, expand capacity or enter new markets.

The North American Waste-to-Energy Conference (NAWTEC) is one place where the industry can find out how. Co-sponsored by the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) and the Energy Recovery Council (ERC), in partnership with the Waste-to-Energy Technology Council (WTERT) at Columbia University, the 22nd annual edition of NAWTEC has plenty to offer.

Being held just outside of Washington, D.C., at the Hyatt Regency in Reston, Va., May 7-9, the 2014 version of NAWTEC is taking advantage of its proximity to the nation’s capital as well as to the Montgomery County Resource Recovery Facility.

ERC President Ted Michaels explains, “We are going to have the opportunity to attract speakers and attendees from the federal government, and it allows us to host the conference in a place where there are a lot of WTE facilities, which led to hosting a great tour of the Montgomery County facility.”

Tours of the Montgomery County Resource Recovery Facility, in Dickerson, Md., are available on May 7, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. or 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. The tours are sponsored by the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection, the Northeast Maryland Waste Disposal Authority and Covanta Montgomery Inc. The facility processes up to 1,800 tons per day of solid waste, generating up to 52 megawatts (net) of renewable energy—enough power for 37,000 homes.

“Everyone thinks very highly of the Montgomery County facility,” says Michaels. He describes it as “a modern facility that has won a lot of awards.” Limited space is available on the tours, which require an additional fee.

Then on May 8 and 9, sessions will provide attendees with several areas to increase their knowledge and expand their network of relationships. As described on the conference website, NAWTEC is recognized as “the industry’s premier conference and trade show focusing on municipal waste-to-energy operational issues and policy, the latest in legislative updates that impact your company, as well as technology and research initiatives.”

This year, Michaels says a few panels are designed to discuss enhancing business opportunities for WTE facilities. For example, in the panel titled “Creating Opportunities in the WTE Sector,” Vin Langone, regional vice president Wheelabrator Technologies Inc., will present a case study on its Wheelabrator Westchester facility in Westchester County, N.Y. adding a steam line to its electric plant.

In a session titled, “Innovations to Enhance the Value of WTE Products,” Dominic Meo III, principal associate, Meo & Associates, will discuss beneficial reuse of WTE ash, while Jeff Wolfe, North American sales manager for waste, alternative fuels and energy at Vecoplan, will discuss how the city of Edmonton, Alberta, is increasing value through front-end processing. Rounding out the panel is Ralf Koralewska, project engineer, Martin GmbH, who will address opportunities for improved recovery of metals and minerals through on-site processing, and John Joyner, president, Inashco North America Inc., who tackles the subject of taking metals recovery to the next level.

“WTE Capacity Development” is the focus of another panel discussion. Panelists will each share how they increased capacity either through a facility expansion, acquisition or greenfield development. Speakers include Patrick Carroll, director facilities management, Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County, Fla.; Mirka Januszkiewicz, director of waste management services, Regional Municipality of Durham, Ontario; Matt Clark, senior vice president, RRC, Texas; and James Warner, CEO, Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority, Pennsylvania.

A panel titled “WTE and Department of Defense (DOD)” is being developed to show how the WTE industry can work with DOD to be included as part of its renewable energy strategy. Michaels points out that WTE can help the military achieve its renewable energy mandates. “With the military being the most voracious energy user in the federal government, understanding how the service branches plan to address their needs, and how that may include WTE, should spark a lot of interest,” he says.

Other sessions taking place over the two days will include an opening plenary; “Emissions, Health and Overcoming Perception”; “Utilizing 21st Century Communications Strategies to Promote WTE”; “WTE Research and Technology”; “WTE Conversion Technologies”; and a WTE Lightning Round, which will include several short presentations.

The full agenda is available at https://swana.org/Events/NAWTEC/ConferenceProgram.aspx.

Another important benefit of attending NAWTEC, according to Michaels, is the networking opportunities, noting, “It is the one place where everyone in this space gets together at the same time.” He adds that with a total focus on WTE, everything offered at the conference and trade show is relevant to the sector. “If you are interested in WTE, this is the conference to attend.”

More information on the event is available at www.nawtec.org.

The author is managing editor of Renewable Energy from Waste.