5. Ability to Recover Recyclables Upfront
Sustainability, environmental, economic and a
philosophy of zero-waste-to-landfill drive
consideration
Municipalities have goals to meet
State mandates
Environmental groups fear WtE will reduce recycling
Increases BTU value of remaining feedstock
Recovers inert material that does not add to energy
6. Beneficial Use of Waste and
Marketability of Products
All WtE systems create residues
Incinerator ash is mostly landfilled
Digesters have sludge and wastewater
Sludge can be composted and nutrients recovered from
wastewater
Gasifiers create either a powder-like ash can be used as soil
or cement additive or vitrified ash (high temperature
Plasma) can be used as construction materials
All WtE projects must take in to account all residuals
requiring disposal and the potential marketability of
residuals that may be recycled
7. Non-recyclable waste diversion rate
Important to clients that have Corporate mandate for
“Zero” waste to landfills
State mandates and EPA waste management hierarchy
has landfill ranked last
Environmentalists favor highest diversion rates from
landfill
The cost savings associated with diversion (equivalent
to savings from avoiding tip fees) oftentimes drives the
initial economics of waste-to-energy implementations
8. Experience and Financial
Resources of Company
Management team important especially if the only
offer on the table is a turnkey installations
Management team needs to have technical resources
for on-going support of WtE that are sold
WtE company needs to have financial resources to
have guarantees and post performance bonds, etc.
WtE company financials need to show they will
continue to exist in order to support the technology
9. Facility Size (acres and height) and
Design Flexibility, including Design
Soundness, Monitoring and Controls,
Safety and Hygiene
Based on feedstock (i.e., waste) tons(gallons)/day capacity,
with fuel flexibility important in influencing economics
Ability to fit seamlessly for on-site WtE operations
Easy to operate automatically and monitor remotely
Needs to be safe and have safety approvals- like UL, CE, etc
for local codes/regulations
10. Feasibility of obtaining all construction
and operating permits
Political and environmentalist climate
Public/community relations
State and Federal Agency experience with permitting
similar technologies
Local regulatory support
Attainment vs. non-attainment considerations for air
permit
More environmental permitting challenges are usually
experienced in terms of length of approval process and
technology review if hazardous wastes are utilized
11. Ownership Preference
If client wants to own a new technology, starting with a
lease may be preferable so can gain on-site experience
and confidence in eventually buying the technology
Most technologies need to have trained operators
Material handling experience is required
Some vendors will only provide turnkey systems for
concerns of inappropriate operations could cause
system failures
12. Pre-processing of Fuel Mix
Determine if material handling/pre-processing is
included in price/lease of equipment
Varies by technology- some take in waste “as-is”
Some require shredding/sizing
Some require RDF or pelletizing to certain size and
dryness (e.g., 15% moisture)
Some require additional small amounts of fossil
fuel/catalysts, etc.
13. Readiness and Reliability, Including
Data/Information on Existing Plants and
Client References
Is technology been proven with 3rd party engineering
studies?
Has the technology been commercially proven and
meeting performance efficiencies, environmental and
compliance permit requirements?
Are plant tours available?
Can delivery schedules be met or are there back-log
issues?
14. Risk Allocation
Technology insurable?
Performance bond rating.
Shared risk?
Experience with solving problems at operating plants
(e.g., retrofits, redesigns, etc)
15. Rough Estimate of Capital, Operating,
Financing, and Tip Fees - Use of Waste
and Marketability of Products
Proforma for 15-20 year operating life including labor,
consumable materials, parasitic load factors, feedstock
contracts, recycling contracts for residuals, ROI,
Comparisons of existing options for waste disposal
Energy incentives, government grants, low interest lending
programs for renewable energy projects can play an
important role in initiating a waste-to-energy project
16. Standard Contractual Terms
and Conditions
Evaluation of supplier contracts for turnkey, sale or
lease options
Legal review
Non-performance criteria
17. Thermal and Energy Efficiency
Compare energy output per volume/ton of waste
among suppliers reviewed
Some have capx higher for the same waste capacity but
have higher energy production
18. Utility Needs
Sewer, water, electrical, fossil fuel needs
New construction required or existing on-site
