WtERT 2008 Annual Conference – Columbia University, New York

Overview

On October 16-17, the Waste-to-Energy Research and Technology Council (WtERT) hosted its 2008 Bi-Annual Meeting at Columbia University in the City of New York. There were over 120 participants from 14 countries, 19 presentations, and 16 posters in the meeting. The WtERT 2008 Industry Award was presented to Covanta Energy for their development of the LN® and VLN® NOx reduction processes. The WtERT 2008 Outstanding Contribution Award was presented to Mr. Artie Cole of Wheelabrator Technologies for his many technical contributions to the WTE technology over three decades.

WtERT greatly appreciates all the speakers and participants for their contribution to the 2008 Bi-Annual Meeting.

• • Conference Agenda
  • Participants
  • WtERT Awards – Nominations

Speakers & Presentations

Keynote & Opening

• Prof. Klaus Lackner, Chair, Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering and Director of Lenfest Center for Sustainable Energy, Columbia University.
• Prof. Nickolas J. Themelis, Director of Earth Engineering Center, Columbia University and WTERT Chair.

International Session 1 | Chair: Mr. Frank Ferraro, Wheelabrator Technologies and Chair of IWSA Board

• The AEB Amsterdam Waste Fired Power Plant (WFPP): Ms. Hanneke van Rhee, AEB Amsterdam
• The Isseane plant in Paris – Integrating a waste-to-energy facility into a major city: Mr. Peter Chromec,Von Roll Umwelttechnik AG, Switzerland

International Session2 | Chair: Mr. Ted Michaels, President, Integrated Waste Services Association (IWSA).

• WTE Growth in China: President Tang Yi Ke and Prof. Zhou Xiong, Chongqing University of Science and Technology
• Problems and Opportunities in implementing WTE in the smaller E.U. nations: a) Prof. Avraam Karagiannidis, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and b)Dr. Efstratios Kalogirou, INTRAKAT Co., Greece
• Implementation of the Plasco Conversion System (PCS) in Ottawa, Canada: Mr. Andreas Tsangaris, Plasco Energy Group

Research and Technology Session 1 | Chair: Prof. Marco Castaldi, Earth and Environmental Engineering, Columbia University.

• Status of Energy from Biomass/Waste and Alternatives to Grate Incineration in E.U.: Dr. Juergen Vehlow, Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe Institute for Technical Chemistry, Thermal Waste Treatment Division
• Corrosion of various metals under simulated WTE conditions; and Sequestration of HCl in WTE Combustion Chambers: Mr. Shang-Hsiu Lee, Earth and Environmental Engineering, Columbia University
• A Superior Coating Method for Protecting WTE Boiler Tubes: Mr. Y. Matsubara, Dai-Ichi High Frequency Co. Ltd., Kawasaki, Japan

Research and Technology Session 2 | Chair: Dr. Juergen Vehlow, Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe Institute.

• Development of a new metric for comparing LCA effects of different waste management routes – The Resource Conservation Efficiency (RCE):Dr. Scott Kaufman, Lenfest Center for Sustainable Energy, Columbia University
• The European experience for NOx removal from WTE process gas: Selective Non-Catalytic Reduction (SNCR) or Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR): Ms. Bettina Kamuk, Ramboll Denmark
• The Covanta LNTM and VLNTM processes for reducing NOx in WTE stack gas: Mr. Steve Goff, Covanta Energy, U.S.A.
• Gasification of Biomass:Prof. Marco Castaldi, Earth and Environmental Engineering, Columbia University

Sessions at the Davis Auditorium

• Prof. Nickolas Themelis, Earth Engineering Center, Columbia University – Projected generation of global MSW, Current GHG emissions and potential for mitigation
• Mr. Ferdinand Kleppmann, President, Confederation of European Waste-to-Energy Plants (CEWEP) and Dr. Ella Stengler, Managing Director, CEWEP – 2006-2008 progress made in Waste-to-Energy in Europe
• Mr. William Brandes, USEPA, Office of Solid Wastes – USEPA efforts to reduce GHG emissions of solid waste management
• Dr. Eileen Brettler Berenyi, Governmental Advisory Associates – Recycling and Waste-to-Energy: Are they compatible?
• Mr. John P. Foden – Objectives and current status of Canadian Energy-From-Waste coalition (CEFWC)
• Mr. John Waffenschmidt, Covanta Energy – Energy and green-house gas issues in the updated New York State Waste Management Plan of NYS-DEC
• Mr. John Williams, HDR Engineering – Is this the time for the U.S. to be Wasting Energy?

Poster Session

The WtERT 2008 meeting included a poster session showcasing emerging research, early-stage technologies, and academic contributions in waste-to-energy and sustainable waste management.

• Investigation of most viable technology for anaerobic digestion of source separated organics : Ljupka Arsova
• Catalytic reactors for fuel processing: Federico Barrai
• Reasons for very low recycling rates of plastics in U.S.  and means for increasing material or energy recovery from plastics: Jawad Bhatti
• Experimental analysis of steam and CO₂ gasification of biomass fuels: Heidi Butterman
• Effect of urea and urea decomposition byproducts on zeolite activity for selective catalytic reduction: Maik Eichelbaum, McKenzie Primerano
• Pre-shredding of MSW in grate combustion WTE applications for cleaner and more efficient energy production: Garrett Fitzgerald
• Identification of the best available technology for aerobic composting of green wastes for U.S. application: Rob van Haaren
• Scrap tires in waste-to-energy plants: treatment and emission control: Eilhann Kwon
• Catalytic enhancement of the combustion of landfill and anaerobic digestion biogas in a gas engine: Jechan Lee
• Catalytic shock tube: Nora McLaughlin
• Autothermal reforming of landfill gases: McKenzie Primerano
• Means for increasing the specific capacity of WTE combustion units: Saman Reshadi
• A kinetic and process study for ethanol reforming using a Pt/rh washcoated monolith catalyst: Amanda Simson
• Landfill gas to energy (LFGTE) technology comparison: Kelly Westby
• Nanoparticles emissions from WTE facilities in comparison to other high temperature sources: Lital Yinon
• Experimental Investigation into Gas Production via Methane Hydrates: Yue Zhou

WtERT 2008 Education & Industry Awards

Awards Dinner & Sponsorship

The WtERT 2008 Awards Dinner was generously sponsored by the Solid Waste Processing Division of ASME International.
WtERT gratefully acknowledges this support, which made possible the recognition of outstanding contributions to the advancement of sustainable waste management worldwide.

WtERT 2008 Industry Award | Presentation of award by Prof. Marco Castaldi

To Covanta Energy for their development of the LN® and VLN® NOx reduction processes

The WtERT 2008 Industry Award recognized a very significant and firstly-implemented advance to the grate combustion (“mass burn”) WTE process. Nominations included advanced combustion control systems, oxygen enrichment and significant improvements in boiler-turbine thermal efficiency, novel NOx reduction systems, and an advanced system for injecting wastewater sludge into a WTE. Mr. Steve Goff, V.P. of Technology Development, Covanta Energy received the award on behalf of his company.

WtERT 2008 Outstanding Contribution Award | Presentation of award by Prof. N.J. Themelis

To Mr. Artie Cole of Wheelabrator Technologies for his many technical contributions to the WTE technology over three decades.

The WtERT 2008 Outstanding Contribution Award sought nominations of individuals who as researchers, inventors, policy makers, or industrialists have made an outstanding contribution to advancing the recovery of energy from municipal solid wastes in a nation or region.