Questions for Covanta Regarding Trash to Energy
The background for this is that West Hartford is planning to increase the amount
diverted from the trash stream – which means less trash being incinerated.
However there is a point at which the cost of recycling defined is prohibitive. I
define Cost of Recycling as:
Collection cost + Sorting Cost + Reforming Cost – Benefit of Recycled Goods.
In order to understand the “breakeven” point I need to know the efficacy of the
trash to energy plant.
In that spirit what I would like to know:
1) Per ton of trash which energy is produced - you may express as KWh or BTU
2) Is there material, which if removed from your input stream would hurt or
help your yield? So for example I believe that food waste is a negative to you
because of the high water percentage while plastic, paper, and cardboard are
positives.
3) What emissions are produced? If you could modify the waste stream, as you
like would that help reduce emissions.
4) How is your power priced? (Long-term contracts, market pricing, etc.).
5) Will removal of recyclables impact you favorably or unfavorably – or is it a
neutral. So – a favorable might be if you were over capacity now. A negative
might be that you need the recycled material to break even.
6) Do you have other thoughts on the tradeoff of recycling and incinerating.