Cities, towns pursue waste-to-energy projects

Massachusetts municipalities possess some large untapped renewable energy sources, particularly municipal solid waste and wastewater residuals.

Communities are seeking state and federal financial incentives to help them use new technologies to convert this waste into energy. These communities expect to be among the leaders in recycling, composting and municipal waste combustion, using technologies such as anaerobic digestion, gasification, and pyrolysis.

The city of Fall River is exploring options to convert wastewater residuals, or sludge, into energy using either biological or thermal conversion technologies at its wastewater treatment facility.

At an MMA Legislative Breakfast on Oct. 8, Taunton Mayor Charles Crowley discussed his city’s progress on a $600 million waste-to-energy facility that would produce ethanol using gasification technology, which would not violate the state’s moratorium on incineration.

Crowly said Taunton has issued a request for proposals for companies to develop the plant. He said the project will be cost-effective, and some of the solid waste will be recycled, rather than processed at the plant, creating a revenue stream for the city.

After three years of testing its waste-to-energy technology, Ze-gen Inc. is developing a $15 million gasification facility in Attleboro that would supply energy to businesses in an industrial park and potentially save 44,000 tons of waste from reaching landfills every year.

The company has used its plant in New Bedford to test the conversion of waste materials into synthesis gas, a hydrogen and carbon monoxide mixture. The process uses six materials — wooden pallets, railroad ties, utility poles, non-recyclable source-separated plastics, carpet fibers, and recycled coolant (anti-freeze) residuals – that would otherwise go to landfills or incinerators. The synthesis gas is fed into a boiler to make steam and electricity, which is sold to businesses at the industrial park.

Ze-gen is in discussions with the Department of Environmental Protection about renewing its annual research and development permits to allow it to operate in the city for another year. Permitting and construction is under way for the plant in Attleboro.

The MMA’s Policy Committee on Energy and Environment recently heard presentations about waste-to-energy projects, the many conversion technologies available, the procurement processes involved and the public subsidies and incentives available.

The MMA will be presenting a workshop on the development of waste-to-energy facilities at the Annual Meeting & Trade Show in January.