Waste to Energy Plant Processes Shipyard Waste to Power NASA Research

Virginia based ship builder, Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) has partnered with the City of Hampton on a waste to energy project that will convert shipyard waste into steam power. According to the company, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE: HII) which builds and maintains ships for the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard, the project is part of its new single stream recycling program. As part of the program the shipyard's solid waste is incinerated at the City of Hampton's award-winning plant which recovers heat energy from waste in the form of steam. The energy recovered at the plant is then used to power NASA Langley Research Center (NASA LaRC) facilities. In 2012 the Hampton/NASA Steam Plant exported more than 317 million pounds (144,000 tonnes) of steam to power NASA's facilities. Steam powered research The 33 year old steam plant has partnerships with the cities of Hampton and Poquoson, all local federal agencies, as well as with commercial groups like NNS. It processes up to 240 tons (218 tonnes) of waste per day. "Back in the 1970s NASA needed a more efficient and practical way to get power for its buildings and wind tunnels, and during this time 'waste-to-burn' energy was coming into its own," explained Hampton/NASA Steam Plant manager, John MacDonald. "So NASA LaRC, as a forerunner in science, got involved and has been doing it ever since. The energy produced by steam helps with heating and air conditioning of NASA buildings and cooking in NASA's commissary. The biggest use of the energy is for the air ejectors in NASA's wind tunnels to continue the agency's research," he continued. According to NNS the chemically inert residue from the process amounts to about 30 tons (27.2 tonnes) of waste per day - greatly extending the life of the landfill and ensuring there are no harmful side effects. Landfill diversion "Just last year NNS sent more than 10,000 tons (9100 tonnes) of non-recyclable waste to the local landfill," said Frank ‘Hogie’ Thorn, NNS' environmental engineering manager. "This program will significantly decrease the amount of waste we send to the landfill and will also make recycling for employees more convenient," he added. The partnership between the city of Hampton, NASA LaRC and NNS is just one project led by GreeNN, NNS' program dedicated to pursing environmental improvements throughout the shipyard, but is the latest in the group's Go Green Challenge. Dru Branche, NNS' environmental, health and safety director explained: "The challenge was a steppingstone to a more aggressive and leaner recycling process.” “NNS will continue to support employees who still want to collect these types of materials on their own for their favourite charity or non-profit organisation,” concluded Branche. Read More Recycled Space Waste to Shield Astronauts from Radiation Small tiles made of recycled space waste could be used to shield astronauts from radiation on future deeps space missions, according to NASA. VIDEO: Poor Waste Disposal Causes 15 Tonne ‘Fatberg’ in London Sewer Fifteen tonnes of waste fat, grease and sanitary products, which had formed the largest ‘fatberg’ ever found in the UK, has been removed from a London sewer. INEOS Bio Begins Commercial Production of Biofuel from Wastes in Florida INEOS Bio and New Planet Energy are to begin commercial scale shipments of bioethanol produced at its Indian River Bioenergy Center which processes municipal waste at Vero Beach in Florida.