Discover the methods, technologies, and economic expectations of converting waste into usable energy.
Renewable forms of energy are a hot topic in the US as they help reduce or eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from coal power and supply energy to the growing electric demand for such things as electric cars and data centers. Waste-to-Energy (WTE) plants became an option in 1980s and continued into the ‘90s in North America but with how expensive they were and some initial issues, they have not become a staple of handling waste like has occurred in Europe. The outlook for old mass-burn WTE in the US is bleak with most current facilities being over 30 years old and many are being shut down due to costs of upgrading and limited support. There is also vigorous opposition from many groups with most thermal conversions of waste or materials from waste are opposed by a lot of groups, including the EPA. Most Zero Waste programs also don’t recognize or limit WTE as an outlet for zero-waste.
This presentation will provide an overview of the evolution of WTE since the 1980s, discuss the facilities currently operating and some that recently closed. It will also discuss the composition of (mostly) residential Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), what can currently be recycled and some of the potential recycling possibilities in the near future. Technologies that are being advanced to possibly use other MSW materials in a circular manner or to create renewable fuels to be used in a variety of ways will also be presented.
Learning Objectives
- You will be able to define what constitutes waste-to-energy in the US.
- You will be able to describe some of the issues facing renewable energy from waste.
- You will be able to discuss the difficulties of recovering recyclables and achieving circularity from MSW.
- You will be able to identify promising technologies in creating renewable energy and fuels from portions of MSW.
Agenda
Waste-To-Energy - History
- North America
- The 1980S and 1990S
- Wte Types (Mass Burn, Rdf)
- Closed Plants
- Plants Currently Operating
- Status in Europe
Mass-Burn Waste-To-Energy Outlook
- Financial Aspect
- Opposition
- Zero Waste Movement Implications
- Crystal Ball: What’s Ahead
Municipal Solid Waste Composition
- Waste Characterization - Msw Composition
- Types of Materials in the Waste and What Is Recyclable
- Recycling Opportunities
Technology, Circularity, Recycling and Renewables
- Circularity and Current Off-Ramps
- Renewable Fuels
- Promising Technologies for Additional Recovery
- The Need for Outlets for Materials
Speakers
Bradley T. Kelley, BSME,
Gershman, Brickner & Bratton, Inc.- Senior Project Engineer at Gershman, Brickner & Bratton, Inc. (GBB), a national solid waste management consulting firm
- Over 25 years of engineering design experience both as a consultant and in the private sector
- GBB’s subject matter expert for both waste processing technologies and waste composition studies
- Has worked on the concept and design of a multitude of processing systems for Municipal Solid Waste, single stream, construction waste, demolition debris, biomass, and waste-to-energy projects
- Designed two facilities awarded for Gold Excellence by the Solid Waste Association of North America for outstanding practices in technology and operations
- Prior experience includes Sales Design Engineer, Senior Mechanical Engineer, and Mechanical Drafter and Project Engineer
- Has delivered numerous presentations and published articles on municipal solid waste (MSW) processing and conversion technologies, including presentations at the SWANA Region 6 Conference, the Bioenergy Sustainability Virtual Conference, and the BETO Advancing the Bioeconomy Workshop, as well as publications in Waste Today, and Renewable Energy from Waste magazine
- Mechanical Engineering Post-Graduate, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT; B.S. Degree, Mechanical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Who Should Attend
This live webinar is designed for engineers, project managers, architects, city officials, presidents, vice presidents, contractors, subcontractors, business owners and managers, planners, consultants, waste professionals, and public works directors.
