Waste-to-Energy: A Possibility for Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico annually produces 1,420 pounds of garbage per person. This garbage amounts to 40,000 tons of waste, filling 32 open landfills, of which only five are in compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency standards. Waste-to-Energy (WTE) is the combustion of trash to generate electricity. It reduces the volume of waste by 90%. Potential revenue streams from WTE include renewable electricity sold to the grid, ferrous and non-ferrous metals and residual ash. WTE comes with environmental and public health risks, economic and financing considerations, and compatibility with recycling issues. The team looked at potentially harmful emissions such as dioxins, nitrous oxides and mercury, as well as identifying pollution control devices that can manage such emissions. They investigated the cost effectiveness of a WTE compared to landfills. Landfills cost less to operate than WTE, but the cost does not include environmental effects. The annual revenue of a WTE plant is projected to be $71 million, while the annual operations and maintenance costs are projected to be $30 million, resulting in an annual net gain of $41 million. These funds could be used to pay the price of construction of the plant. The team proposed getting the public involved by establishing dialogue early, involving stakeholders and offering incentives. After much consideration, they believed that WTE provides a viable alternative for Puerto Rico's waste.