Tampa, Florida, completes $100 million WTE facility upgrade

The city of Tampa, Florida, has completed a $100 million retrofit of its McKay Bay Waste-to-Energy Facility, part of the city’s plan to prioritize infrastructure improvement, according to a news release from the city.

Originally established in 1985, the waste-to-energy (WTE) facility is a cornerstone of Tampa’s Solid Waste and Environmental Program Management Department. The facility converts more than 2 million pounds of waste daily into electrical energy, powering approximately 15,000 homes monthly.

Beyond electricity generation, the facility prioritizes sustainability by recovering metals from processed ash and employing a multistep pollution control system for gases, according to the city.

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The $100 million investment ensures compliance with industry standards, according to the release, securing the facility’s functionality for future generations and enhancing its WTE capabilities. Additionally, facility buildings, technology and machinery have been modernized. WTE facilities are typically designed with a 20- to 30-year estimated operating life. Upgrading the city’s current facility will help to extend the life span of the McKay Bay facility as the city continues to grow, city officials say.

“Investing in McKay Bay’s Waste to Energy Facility is a strategic commitment to the health, safety and future prosperity of the city of Tampa,” Mayor Jane Castor says. “The facility’s daily conversion of household and commercial waste into renewable electrical energy underscores its crucial role in sustainable waste management, making this investment more critical than ever to ensure this operation reaches its full potential, especially as our city grows.”

The city of Tampa assumed direct operation of the McKay Bay Waste to Energy facility June 1, 2020, becoming the second city in the nation to do so. This transition has led to the hiring of more than 55 employees.