Sep 10 2010
Covanta Pittsfield LLC, a subsidiary of Covanta Holding Corporation (NYSE: CVA), an internationally recognized owner and operator of large-scale Energy-from-Waste and renewable energy projects, today formally announced its plans to work with Crane & Co. to convert the currency company's stored paper-making waste fibers into clean, renewable energy.
Covanta Pittsfield operates the Pittsfield Resource Recovery Facility, an Energy-from-Waste facility located adjacent to Crane & Co., which uses steam provided by Covanta to power Crane's manufacturing processes and to heat the paper company's facilities. Covanta Pittsfield has been given approval by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) to move forward on a demonstration project to begin processing the fibers, a non-hazardous byproduct of the paper-making process, from three beds on the Crane & Co. property. Use of the beds was discontinued in the 1980s.
"Crane & Co. has enjoyed a long partnership with Covanta's Pittsfield facility where steam has been supplied to four of our paper mills and corporate offices since 1981. Because of this partnership with Covanta, we worked together to develop an innovative solution for the disposition of accumulated paper fibers in beds no longer used by Crane & Co.," said Arthur Sanders, U.S. Government Products Production Manager, Crane Currency. "We take pride in our environmental stewardship and we look forward to working with Covanta on this project as well as others where mutual opportunities exist."
If the pilot project is successful, Covanta would process approximately 10 gallons of diluted waste fibers into energy every minute, representing about five million gallons annually. It is expected to take between 10 and 13 years to finish the remediation effort.
"We are excited that MassDEP has approved the project and we can begin work with Crane & Co. on this important environmental initiative," said Stephen Diaz, Covanta Energy Vice President and Regional Business Manager. "Working together, in partnership with Crane, we will be utilizing a wasted resource and converting it into much needed renewable energy."
The project is expected to begin operations during the fourth quarter of this year.
The Pittsfield Resource Recovery Facility is an integral part of the Pittsfield community, processing 240 tons per day of solid waste generated from residential and commercial operations throughout Berkshire County. Annually, the plant produces over 400 million pounds of steam as well as 3.5 million kW hours of electricity used in-house for facility operations. On a daily basis, the steam generated by the Energy-from-Waste facility and delivered to Crane & Co. enables Crane to avoid utilizing 16,000 gallons of oil per day.
Source: http://www.covantaholding.com/