Feasibility Study for the County of Dufferin's Proposed Energy from Waste Facility

The County of Dufferin will study the feasibility of using an energy-from-waste (EfW) facility instead of a landfill to deal with county garbage. The facility would treat waste with plasma gasification to produce a sustainable source of electricity. The study will identify expected air emissions from the site and the degree to which the facility would remove contaminants such as sulfur oxides, mercury and chlorine. It will also identify any residual contaminants expected from the syngas cooling system. In addition, researchers will also look at options for water treatment systems. The county will first identify the factors that affect facility design, including waste volume and characteristics, tipping fees, expected power costs, taxes, utilities and electrical interconnections. Researchers will explore two options for the facility: one for 25,000 tonnes of waste per year and one for 70,000 tonnes. The research team will look at preliminary engineering information and layout drawings, identify major equipment requirements and estimate capital costs. They will do simulations to test the system and estimate emissions. Economic models will be created for both options to show the impact of tipping fees, feed-in tariff amounts, and waste volume and composition. The county will decide whether to move forward with the project based on the projected return on investment. If the project proceeds, it will eliminate the need for landfilling between 75 and 200 tonnes per day of municipal solid waste. Gasification of municipal solid waste is new to North America. This study will result in knowledge that will help other municipalities in Canada to determine if this type of technology would be feasible for their community.

(Project description from original funding application)