May 8 2013
Abengoa, the company that applies innovative technology solutions for sustainable development in the energy and environment sectors, has been selected by VIESTE Energy LLC, a Chicago, Illinois-based base load renewable energy development entity, to build a plant that will produce electricity from the gasification of municipal solid waste in the city of Glendale, Arizona.
The project includes both the construction of the plant and its operation and maintenance for 30 years. The total investment will reach USD $110 million.
Under contract to VIESTE Energy, Abengoa will undertake the design and construction of the plant, and its subsequent operation and maintenance, for a period of 30 years. Abengoa will not maintain an interest in the assets it constructs. The construction period will last for about 20 months, during which about 50 jobs will be created directly and indirectly.
The project includes the receipt, sorting and recycling of up to 180,000 tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) per year. A gasification based process will be utilized that will allow the maximum use of MSW fractions. Up to 350 tons of gas will be produced each day, which will be used to generate 15 megawatts (MW) of electricity. The material processing portion of the project has commenced with the balance of the project following shortly behind.
Abengoa has worked for years on developing a solution that simultaneously solves the efficient management of MSW, is environmentally friendly, is sustainable, and produces energy in a sustainable way. Abengoa's solution is not limited to the organic fraction of municipal solid waste treatment, but also allows the use of other components, both recyclable and non-recyclable waste plastics, by using different technologies to obtain biodiesel and energetic valuation for the steam and electricity generation.
Recently, the company has started operating its first demonstration plant with 'waste to biofuels' (W2B) technology in Salamanca, Spain. This plant has a capacity to process 25,000 tons of MSW to produce up to 1.5 ML of bioethanol suitable as fuel.
With this new project, Abengoa consolidates its leadership in the development of technological solutions that increase the recovery rate of recyclable material from MSW, utilize a resource that otherwise would be disposed of, and minimize the environmental footprint, thereby creating huge benefits for society.
Through this, Abengoa consolidates its growth model based on knowledge and the sustainability of its processes, offering technologically innovative solutions tailored to the needs of its customers and suppliers.