Waste = Fuel
The average person produces almost five pounds of trash per day. Everything from food waste, to packaging, to the plastic water bottles and empty soft drink cans we use. The Metro New Orleans area produces approximately 4,000 tons of garbage daily. Instead of landfilling...
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TECHNOLOGY
What is Plasma Arc technology and how does it work?
Plasma Arc technology is an electrically generated, high heat source which, through cellular disassociation, gasifies waste at the molecular level. Plasma is currently in use around the world as an integrated waste management technology. Its use was enhanced by NASA in the 1960’s to test spacecraft heat shields.
How does Plasma Arc technology generate electricity?
The waste destruction process generates steam and a synthetic gas, which are used to produce electricity.
Are there any other sites in the U.S. that do this?
There are a number of facilities currently in operation that use plasma technology to destroy waste. The facility being developed in New Orleans is scaled up to allow the synthetic gas created to be used to generate electricity. There are several other commercial scale facilities being developed in North America, using this same technology.
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS
What emissions can be expected from this waste-to-energy facility?
The gasification component of this facility is a closed loop, combustion free process which produces no emissions. The facility will produce low emissions from its power plant component, but those emissions are well below established EPA standards for power plants. In fact, these emissions are comparable to those seen in natural gas fired generators. Sun Energy also plans to utilize an air monitoring process to measure any emissions.
What type of waste does the Sun facility use?
Sun Energy will derive its feedstock from locally generated MSW (Municipal Solid Waste). The technology used by Sun Energy can accept other forms of waste, such as industrial and hazardous waste.
Will the development of this renewable energy facility eliminate the need
for curbside recycling?
No. Sun Energy advocates recycling, and as part of its sorting process, will cull some recyclables from its waste stream. This culling process allows Sun to significantly increase the number of homes participating in recycling efforts. By bringing household trash (MSW) into its facility, Sun Energy can help New Orleans become one of the nation’s highest percentage recycling cities.
What are the by-products of the plasma gasification process?
The primary by-products of plasma gasification are steam, synthetic gas and a solid recyclable product. The synthetic gas is used to generate electricity. The solid can be used in a variety of commercial products, mostly for construction purposes and insulation. The solid is non-toxic and harnesses any pollutants that might have been contained within the former waste, keeping them from being released into the environment.
Will the renewable energy facility emit detectable odors?
This facility includes an enclosed processing island where the waste streams are managed with atmospheric controls. This allows Sun Energy to ensure that odors are not emitted into the surrounding environment. Additionally, the facility will process deposited waste quickly, so there will be no significant storage of waste.
POWER GENERATION
How much electricity will be generated by this facility?
The facility will generate a gross output of over 100 Megawatts. The net remaining will be available for distribution to the power grid. This is enough to supply power to thousands of homes daily.
Why renewable energy using Plasma technology as a method of waste destruction and power production?
Waste is a vastly abundant resource. Plasma Arc technology recovers the resource value of waste and eliminates the community’s dependence on landfilling. Landfills are unsustainable and impose negative consequences on the environmental health of the community. The electricity generated by the Sun facility is renewable energy and mitigates the effects of greenhouse gas emissions from power generation. Additionally, the energy generated by Sun is competitively priced in the marketplace, unlike most renewable energy.
LOGISTICS/TIMELINE
When is the New Orleans facility scheduled to operate?
The first Sun facility will be located in the New Orleans East area and is scheduled to begin operations in mid-2011.
Is the City financially supporting this facility?
No.