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Released February 28, 2024 | SUGAR LAND
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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Waste-to-energy (WTE) power generation remains a "small but steady source" of electric power in the U.S., according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), although the agency reports that capacity has been on the decline. The EIA defines WTE plants as those that burn municipal solid waste (MSW), otherwise known as garbage, but Industrial Info also tracks WTE projects that utilize other feedstocks. Industrial Info is tracking $1.6 billion worth of related projects in the U.S.--including a plant expansion, aimed at adding capacity, that recently reached a new milestone.
In WTE generation, waste is burned in boilers to produce steam. The steam is then routed to a turbine generator to produce electricity. The EIA considers fuel for WTE plants to be "primarily composed of residential solid waste, but also includes some non-hazardous wastes from commercial, institutional and industrial sources."
In March 2023, the EIA reported WTE plants in the U.S. have generated less than 1% of domestic electricity in the last decade, but added the facilities are a consistent source of baseload power. "Baseload power is electricity that is generated at a steady rate all the time to meet electricity demand," according to the agency.
The agency says 60 WTE power plants were operating in the U.S. at the beginning of 2022--with a total generating capacity of 2,051 megawatts (MW)--and the majority are in urban areas along the East Coast. WTE plants have an average generating capacity of 34 MW, according to the EIA, and no single plant in operation has a capacity greater than 100 MW.
The EIA also notes that from 2018 to 2022, 188 MW of WTE generating capacity was retired. The agency expects another 36 MW to be retired by 2027, explaining "low electricity prices, local opposition and continued policy concerns about emissions have pressured WTE plant owners to close in recent years." In addition, the related upfront capital-spending costs for constructing a new combustion plant "generally requires at least $100 million to finance construction."
But Industrial Info is tracking a major waste-to-energy-generation project that is moving forward, as it recently signed a turbine-supply agreement. Czech-based Doosan Skoda Power has signed a contract to supply a steam turbine for Covanta Energy Corporation's (Morristown, New Jersey) $525 million WTE plant expansion in Pasco County, Florida.
Covanta is partnering with the end-customer, Pasco County, to expand the capacity of the plant located at Pasco County Solid Waste Department's Pasco County Resource Recovery Facility. The project entails installing an additional municipal waste combustor, along with a new 15-MW steam turbine generator, to increase waste processing by 475 tons per day. Construction is expected to kick off by the end of the year, with completion in late 2025. Subscribers can click here for the project report, and click here for a plant profile.
In January, Florida State Senator Vic Torres (D) and Congressman Daryl Campbell (D) introduced two companion pieces of legislation--SB 1606 and HB 1631--that "change the state agency responsible for administering the Municipal Solid Waste-to-Energy Program from the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to the Department of Environmental Protection," according to a bill summary by the Florida League of Cities. "The bills revise the eligibility requirements for financial assistance under the program and provide that an applicant that does not meet minimum federal air quality standards is ineligible for grant funding. The bills also require an environmental justice evaluation by the agency of the facility's impact on low-income and historically marginalized groups." However, it is plausible a Republican majority in either the House or the Senate would refuse to consider the measures.
Subscribers to the GMI Project Database can click here for a full list of detailed project reports related to U.S. waste-to-energy power generation.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).
In WTE generation, waste is burned in boilers to produce steam. The steam is then routed to a turbine generator to produce electricity. The EIA considers fuel for WTE plants to be "primarily composed of residential solid waste, but also includes some non-hazardous wastes from commercial, institutional and industrial sources."
In March 2023, the EIA reported WTE plants in the U.S. have generated less than 1% of domestic electricity in the last decade, but added the facilities are a consistent source of baseload power. "Baseload power is electricity that is generated at a steady rate all the time to meet electricity demand," according to the agency.
The agency says 60 WTE power plants were operating in the U.S. at the beginning of 2022--with a total generating capacity of 2,051 megawatts (MW)--and the majority are in urban areas along the East Coast. WTE plants have an average generating capacity of 34 MW, according to the EIA, and no single plant in operation has a capacity greater than 100 MW.
The EIA also notes that from 2018 to 2022, 188 MW of WTE generating capacity was retired. The agency expects another 36 MW to be retired by 2027, explaining "low electricity prices, local opposition and continued policy concerns about emissions have pressured WTE plant owners to close in recent years." In addition, the related upfront capital-spending costs for constructing a new combustion plant "generally requires at least $100 million to finance construction."
But Industrial Info is tracking a major waste-to-energy-generation project that is moving forward, as it recently signed a turbine-supply agreement. Czech-based Doosan Skoda Power has signed a contract to supply a steam turbine for Covanta Energy Corporation's (Morristown, New Jersey) $525 million WTE plant expansion in Pasco County, Florida.
Covanta is partnering with the end-customer, Pasco County, to expand the capacity of the plant located at Pasco County Solid Waste Department's Pasco County Resource Recovery Facility. The project entails installing an additional municipal waste combustor, along with a new 15-MW steam turbine generator, to increase waste processing by 475 tons per day. Construction is expected to kick off by the end of the year, with completion in late 2025. Subscribers can click here for the project report, and click here for a plant profile.
In January, Florida State Senator Vic Torres (D) and Congressman Daryl Campbell (D) introduced two companion pieces of legislation--SB 1606 and HB 1631--that "change the state agency responsible for administering the Municipal Solid Waste-to-Energy Program from the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to the Department of Environmental Protection," according to a bill summary by the Florida League of Cities. "The bills revise the eligibility requirements for financial assistance under the program and provide that an applicant that does not meet minimum federal air quality standards is ineligible for grant funding. The bills also require an environmental justice evaluation by the agency of the facility's impact on low-income and historically marginalized groups." However, it is plausible a Republican majority in either the House or the Senate would refuse to consider the measures.
Subscribers to the GMI Project Database can click here for a full list of detailed project reports related to U.S. waste-to-energy power generation.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).
