Potential for Waste to Energy Explored in Southern Alberta

08 March 2011 A recent report has concluded that there are sufficient volumes of suitable feedstock in southern Alberta to support future waste to energy facilities. The board of Southern Alberta Energy-from-Waste Alliance (SAEWA) has accepted a report conducted by two independent engineering firms, HDR and AECOM, to identify additional opportunities to recover energy and additional recyclable material from residual waste in the region. According to SAEWA, the data collected to date indicates that there are large quantities of feedstock with adequate heating value, which are suitable for, and available to, a future Southern Alberta waste to energy facility. "I'm pleased to see that the numbers have come back looking like we can move forward with the next step," said Rod Ruark, past chair of SAEWA, a current board member and a Vulcan County councillor. The next step in the process to explore the potential for an energy from waste facility in southern Alberta is to do a much more detailed study on available technologies, Ellis said. The board voted unanimously to move forward with Task 2 of the project, where it will explore the type technologies best suited for the waste streams, quantities and compositions, and further examine combustion technologies. This includes a look at initial sizing and future expansion potential. SAEWA is a coalition of waste management jurisdictions committed to researching and recommending for implementation, technological applications for recovering energy from non-recyclable waste materials, and reducing reliance on landfills. According to SAEWA, the purpose of the Energy from Waste Project is to explore the potential to develop a long-term, local, and sustainable waste management solution that will see residual waste generated in the region utilized as a resource rather than simply a waste to be disposed. A consultant team is investigating the range of waste materials that remain after recycling and composting to identify opportunities to recover additional recyclable materials and energy through the use of new state-of-the-art waste processing technologies. The study is researching how and where these technologies could be developed in Southern Alberta. "The completion of the feedstock analysis is a major milestone for our group but there are many more steps to be taken in our journey to reduce Southern Alberta's reliance upon landfills," said Chair Kim Craig, The project is funded by the Rural Alberta Development Fund and the members of the SAEWA."