Pitch
Recycle as much as you can, and convert the rest to power via biodigestion with biogas production followed by a Combined Heat and Power unit
Description
Summary
Recycling (paper, glass, plastic) is the most energy-friendly way to recover waste, but there is a significant amount of waste that cannot be recycled mainly organic ones.
In this manner, create an optimized infrastructure for small and decentralized units for biodigestion that can handle medium amounts of organic waste from population and from commercial businesses, e.g. restaurants, supermarkets.
This could generate good amount of biogas that could power a genset to produce electricity and hot water, for example, to be supplied to a hospital or hotel.
This project could address three main source of GHG: (i) waste management, (ii) power generation, (iii) energy consumption.
The technology is already in place, there is a work to model and optimize the most suitable location for these several small units of biodigestion.
Taking as example a grocery store, with 35 employee, it is produced 1 ton of waste every single week (http://www.recyclingworksma.com/food-waste-estimation-guide/#Jump07) if we treat it in a biodigestor, it could generate 140 m³/week of biogas and if we take as an average 55% content of methane, it would take us to 77 m3/week of methane.
This amount of biogas can generate, through a genset, circa 300 kWh.
if we extrapolate to the entire population of Summerville (circa 70.000 people), we could produce 600 MWh/week, a demand circa 3,5 MW.
if these gensets could be located close to hospital or hotel or even schools, it could also recover the heat from the flue gas, generating additional 600 MWh of hot water.
The footprint of these sites is not an issue, they can be quite compact and can be accommodated on available spaces. there are several examples of this, you can find more on the AMERESCO websitewww.ameresco.comin USA or SCHMACK-CARBOTECH (www.carbotech.info) in Germany.
What actions do you propose?
1. Identify and assess the amount and quality of waste generated by population.
2. Identify the main consumers of hot water in the city.
3. Develop a tool to optimize the quantity and the localization of future biodigestion units in the city.
4. Identify and/or develop laws, roles and procedures for a future auction for companies to invest as concessionaries;
Who will take these actions?
Energy consultants;
Government.
What are the key challenges?
This project could address three main source of GHG: (i) waste management, (ii) power generation, (iii) energy consumption.
What are the key benefits?
1. New employees;
2. Develop tool to optimize the biodigestion units that could be applied in other cities;
3. Avoid landfill;
4. Eliminating methane emissions from landfills
What are the proposal’s costs?
70.000 people, indicative cost of $ 30 million as Capex(to be further explored before confirmation).
Time line
To develop this project, the following timeline would apply:
- 4 months to select the team;
- 6 months to assess the information in Sommerville related to: waste generation, waste collect, hot water consumption in hotels/hospitals/schools, connection to power grid, spaces availability, potential legal constrains;
- 6 months to model, simulate and optimize the localization of the small-scale units to be installed;
- 10 months to negotiate and contract with municipality;
- 8 months for the FEED and detail engineering, including HAZID, HAZOP;
- 12 months for engineering, procurement and constructions;
- 3 months for commissioning and assisted operation.
Related proposals
Value not set.References
www.carbotech.info
http://e360.yale.edu/feature/on_front_lines_of_recycling_turning_food_waste_into_biogas/2779/
(http://www.recyclingworksma.com/food-waste-estimation-guide/#Jump07)
(http://www.electrigaz.com/faq_en.htm)
http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/civil-and-environmental-engineering/1-34-waste-containment-and-remediation-technology-spring-2004/lecture-notes/lecture23.pdf
http://csanr.wsu.edu/anaerobic-digestion/small-scale-biogas-technology/
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925857411002187
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306261910001790
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