Sint maarten waste to energy wte solution san martin

Ing. Wolfgang Essig T.
Celular & Whatsapp: Venezuela +58 (416) 8195856 // Buzón de voz USA +1 (281) 898 6209
E-mail: wolf.essig@yahoo.com
Chalet’s “La Boyera”, Qta.: 11-2. Urb. La Boyera, Caracas, Venezuela.
PO Box: 68799, Caracas 1062-A, Venezuela
Document: Memorandum
SaMa-00010-A (English)
Date: January 16, 2019.
Project: Waste solutions in the Caribbean Islands (Case: Sint Maarten)
Subject: 1-. Introductory information to update and solve
the waste problem in Sint Maarten and Surrounding islands.
2-. Initial steps to start to harvest initial information.
3-. Energy shortage and energy cost.
4-. Macro view of the different technical possibilities
Requested by: In file.
INITIAL NOTES
Caribbean islands face same waste problems as other similar places. The amount of waste
is growing requesting bigger landfills to concentrate such toxic residuals. Methane
emissions, leachates, mosquitoes and other sources of dangerous diseases are very
dangerous in such island due the impossibility to separate cities from the waste.
Waste like glass bottles, plastic and similar products cannot be locally recycled. Maybe in
specific cases can be reused but the benefit to the island is irrelevant.
Such island will get visit of groups, “experts” or “advisers” that will promise solutions like
“miracles” offering definitive solutions that will solve 100% the situation in short time and
all based in pilot plants or based on information they found in Internet browsers like
Google.
Real solutions for the waste problem and the energy shortage and cost can only solved
starting with a complete study of the actual situation.
The “where we are” is the first step to start with.
The document will explain in a non technical language the different steps to do with the
intention to reach the optimal solutions for San Martin Island and surrounding islands.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AND RELATED TOPICS.
It is not part of the document to evaluate previous ideas or proposals offered to the
islands. To find solutions you need to start with updated information, updated statistical
data and futuristic view of the islands.
The main facts to take in mind are at least:
 Islands have a limited space and limited source of energy.
 The amount of people are growing which means growing amount of waste and
growing energy requirements.
 To be a touristic target means that the amount of waste and energy request varies
during the year.
 Small Island that rely on imported import food and duties produce a type of waste
which is very different from average big city municipal waste
 Type of waste can differ from island to island.
 Hurricane includes some special variables related to landfills, leachates, etc.
 Black-water/sewage is an environmental problem/issue that needs to be solved
together with the increasing salinity intrusions in the main land of the island.
 Studies done in the past are irrelevant to be a precise source of real and consistent
information to find a real solution.
 French and Dutch areas needs to agree to a common solution to optimize the
solution; this in case it is politically and financially feasible. Separated solutions can
be achieved but this needs to be handled, known or agreed from the beginning.
INITIAL NOTES TO UNDERSTAND DE “WASTE BIG PICTURE”
For the no expert in this matter, it is important to understand some technical relation
between items. This will give a common basic knowledge between all the parties who
need to take further decisions. Below some of the topics considered important to know.
Dutch and French sides; To work together or do not work together?
From the technical point of view; having one solution for the entire island will be the best
scenario. But you cannot design a Waste to Energy Plant and later reduce the amount of
waste assuming that in a near future the other part of the island will not sent the waste to
the common waste treatment plant.
But from de timing, decision, financial, cultural, political poin of view; seems better to
work one area separated from the other one. The advantage of the San Martin island; is
that population is very similar and just in case one side will later have a similar solution;
than the project can be copied with minor changes.

How much municipal waste will be produced in the next 20 years and ONLY in Saint
Maarten (Dutch area)
If we see an average population in the next 20 years of nearly 40.000 inhabitants and only
in Sint Maarten; than the amount of Waste will be produced in the next 20 years will be
379.000 MT (Metric Tons).based that mainly al the dueties, food and so are imported;
then we can estimate a 1,3 Kg of waste generated per person per day.
40000 x 1,3 x 365 days x 20 years = 379.600.000 Kg. (379.600 MT)
If we assume a waste density in the landfill of nearly 0,8 MT/M3
than the total waste
volume will be 474500 M3 after 20 years.
If we have a waste square block with an altitude of 2 mts than the size of the area covered
with a 2 mts waste is a waste block of 2 mts x 490 mts x 490 mts.
In 20 years the amount of waste produced ONLY in Sint Maarten
will be equivalent to a waste block of 2 mts x 490 mts x 490 mts
Pond Island
Waste Block of
2 x 490 x 490 mts

From other point of view:
If you put nearly 22 MT of Municipal waste in 20’ dry containers (long 6,1 mts) than we
will have in 20 years nearly 17.255 container with waste which is equivalent to 105,2 Kms
of containers.
Based that the Dutch area (Sint Maarten) is 13 Km Long, than in 20 years we will have
enough 20’ containers to cross 8 times the Dutch area.
NOTE:
The numbers here only includes what is known as Municipal Waste and not agricultural
waste, slurries from water treatment plant, waste or debris from Hurricane season, etc.
After 20 years, the amount of Municipal
Waste generated ONLY in Sint Maarten
will fill 17255 containers (size 20’)
enough to cross 8 times Sint Maarten

Seasonal change in the Waste production.
It is expected that the amount of waste and the waste type generated during the year in
the island change according to the hurricane season and according to the tourism season
that visit the place.
Only as a sample and assuming that nearly 75% of the 1 million per year tourist visit the
island in a 6 months season (no hurricane season) and stay only 3 days there and during 3
bottles per day of PET containing 33 cc of beverage; then we will have at least 198 Ton in
the tourism season of 6 months
(1000000 tourist x 0,75) x 3 bottles x 3 days x 0,028 Kg per bottle = 189000 Kg (198 Tons)
of empty PET bottles in only 6 months. An on the low season maybe only 63 Tons of PET.
Similar relation of 1:3 will happen with Glass from alcoholic beverages; food residuals, etc.
Waste coming from nearby islands to improve feedstock availability for the local Waste to
Energy (WTE) power plant.
It is a fact that very Small Island will have not enough waste to feed efficiently a WTE plant
or to produce relative low cost energy. This means such project will have not a financial
feasibility. Therefore, if they pay some fee that Sint Maarten get the waste and convert
into Energy; than the main solution will have better numbers and feasibility.
This means to have convenient waste transport system and in a way that the waste don’t
cause locally problems and not at the arrival place.
Increasing hurricane influence (wind, rain, etc) will increase the toxic consequences to
have landfills and leachate pools.
Due the climate change, on the island will rain more and more meters of rain per year.
Such big amount of rain will not only flood the landfill. It will flood the very dangerous
leachate lagoons causing that all the very toxic fluids will contaminate the soil and
beaches.
Therefore; the temporary storage and processing of waste in Sint Maarten needs to be a
different system than in other parts of the World to avoid such catastrophic consequences
for the island, the inhabitants, the visitors and the environment.

REUSE, RECYCLING OR TO DISAPPEAR THE WASTE...
(That’s the question…).
Reusing and recycling waste means very different actions or concepts. If you reuse a waste
or if you recycle the waste in the island basically you delay the moment when those
material will be sent to the landfill. To recycle or to reuse waste in the island can be done;
but it needs to be understood that the influence in the environment is negligible. The
amount of PET or glass bottles used by tourist plus the one used by locals cannot be
recycled in Sint Maarten.
Therefore the waste “needs to disappear”
Basically you disappear the waste by exporting it or using it in process like “Waste to
Energy” plants (WTE)
PET, Glass, aluminum cans, paper, cartoon, etc can be exported.
But the municipal waste can be processed in WTE plants as an option.
One initial approach is to avoid the use of existing landfills using wrapped waste that can
be stored properly in rain or under the Sun for certain time and later can be converted
into energy.

Due to the anaerobic chemistry inside the bale, which eliminates methanogenic activities
you will avoid spontaneous combustion as happened in the island making those material
safe for temporary storage and for transportation. Island to island transportation
included.
With a sealed environment inside the bale, no further decomposition takes place. This
significantly lessens the odor generated by the waste inside. Furthermore, the sealed
bales keeps the workers, equipment, vehicles and environment around the handling area
clean, making it possible to reuse equipment and space with little or no cleanup
afterwards.
If in the near future, the amount of rain is excessive such waste can be stored under roof
as seen on the picture.
Municipal Waste baled and under roof
From surroundings islands, the waste can be transported to Sint Maarten by ship like the
baled material you will see below.
The picture belongs to baled waste from one Hawaiian island waiting
to be transported to the waste processing plant.

A bulge type or barge type ship/vessel can harvest the baled waste from the surrounding
islands transporting the material to the Sint Maarten WTE plant.
Baled waste will be harvested/collected and transported over Sea
to Sint Maarten to further conversion to energy
IMPORTANT
It is important to mention; that during the high season of tourism the island will produce
most of the daily waste. Therefore, the wrapped waste can be stored in an environmental
friendly way and used later in the low season of tourism maintaining the average energy
production and maintaining the WTE plant in the most efficient working point.
This way the wrapped waste will be stored temporary on a buffer zone and will be used
according to the energy requirements.
In each surrounding island the temporary baled waste storage place will keep as much
wrapped waste until the amount of waste is big enough to collect them with a barge or
ship. In fact, the system is so safe that specific cargo truck can travel with duties to the
island and return with the wrapped waste reducing transport cost because truck will not
return empty after delivery of the materials to the different islands.
NOTE
It is to mention; that the presented waste handling scenarios are only initial approaches
and that the definitive solutions will be defined after a precise engineering study.

WATER PROBLEMS IN SINT MAARTEN
According to some documents; Sint Maarten suffers from an increment of the salt content
in the Soil. It is not know where they desalination plant throw the salt extracted from the
process. It is not clear the complete picture about the sewage recycling process and the
leachate processing procedures on the island.
It can be analyzed the possibility to use interesting technologies to produce grey water to
use it on the farms and combining this with CO2 extracted from biogas processing plants
that will be used to compensate de PH of the Soil for the agricultural area.
The possibility to analyze to use technologies that can produce potable water extracting
chlorine from salt instead importing liquid or gas chlorine to the island.
ELECTRICAL GRID AND ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
It is basically a cost-related factor to use alternative energy like solar, wind, biogas, etc.
Using methane gained from the landfill is a “non-sense” idea from the cost-benefit point
of view. The idea is to close the landfill and never have new ones.
Maybe the improvement in the value of the grid Power Factor needs to be done on the
island. The amount of DC current devices, variable speed equipments, motors, etc.,
reduces de Power factor which means by the end that more fuel needs to be burn to
supply the same useful energy.
USED CARS, USED MOTORS, USED HYDROCARBONS, USED TIRES, ETC.
One of the biggest problems in the Caribbean islands are the used cars, motors, tires, oils
and similar residuals.
To have an agreed service that after several months has the permit to collect or harvest
such materials is an option. But it needs to be understood that this is only feasible if a lot
of islands agreed in an irrevocable way that this can be done by one company hired to
collect such materials.
FLUORESCENT LAMPS (Mercury containing lamps)
It is a must that in Sint Maarten the Government buy a BALCAN lamp crusher. Data of such
equipment can be get by Mr. Wolfgang Essig who is representative the UK based company
in the Caribbean area

HOW TO REACH THE MUNICIPAL WASTE DEFINITIVE SOLUTION
Several steps need to be done in a precise sequence. Real and updated data needs to be
collected. It needs to be understood that not international public tender will be a solution
itself. Has no sense that Sint Maarten bought equipments or technologies itself. The
government has not the capacity, not the infrastructure, nor the knowledge to manage
industrial or municipal waste, electrical plants or similar installations. Al the requirements
need to be fulfilled by private enterprises that will get paid for the services.
The main steps to start the WASTE SOLVING PROJECT are presented herewith; it is to
understand that the steps shown here are not limited to the items mentioned below.
Step 1
To make a complete municipal waste quantification in Sint Maarten.
NOTE
It is a must that such quantification needs to be done in two (2) parts.
Part A In the season with the highest or pick foreign visitors (tourist)
Part B In the season with the lowest foreign visitors (tourist)
The municipal waste quantifications mean a complete study which will include at least:
 Selective daily waste collection in hotels, commercial areas, hospital and homes.
 Separate the waste in its different components (glass, organic, plastic, metal, etc.)
 Statistical analysis about the recollected materials
 Analyze the specific heat in “as found conditions” and as “dry conditions”.
 Others.
NOTE
In case that surrounding islands wants to engage in the project as waste suppliers, then
same data recollection needs to be done in each island.
Step 2
Complete scanning of the actual landfill conditions.
 Amount of municipal waste or similar waste delivered to the landfill
 Conditions of the leachate pool; treatment conditions; technical values
 Expected actual life
 Study of the waste to check if it can be used to produce energy in a WTE plant.
 Take preliminary data for the landfill closure
 Others.

Step 3
Study of the extra-urban waste from farms, greenhouse, chicken, cows, etc
In case a relevant amount of bio waste are generated, than such waste can be converted
in bio-fertilizers with the generation of bio-Gas producing locally energy.
Step 4
Study of the special waste like old cars, tires, oils, freezer, mercury containing lamps
 Statistical analysis of the amount of cars imported to Sint Maarten
 Statistical analysis of the car life and further discarded car actions
 Statistical analysis of the car related waste; tires, oils, etc.
 Statistical analysis of the semi industrial, industrial and other waste
 Preparing the purchase of BALCAN lamp crusher for fluorescent and CFL lamps
 Others
Step 5
Starting Engineering analysis and the preliminary selection of waste processing solutions
 Defining different WTE scenarios; export valuable waste, using waste for WTE, etc.
 Defining best waste wrapping equipment
 Defining best press for specific waste; PET, Paper, etc.
 Defining feasibility to take surrounding island waste (Pre-agreements)
 Studying different scenarios to evaluate financial-technical-etc.- feasibilities
 Coordinating energy production, distribution with existing grid owner
Step 6 and following steps
Starting the process selecting definitive solutions and Service Purchase agreements
At this stage; the information is ready to seek the proper service suppliers based on the
very specific working conditions existing in Sint Maarten. Based on the amount of waste
delivered from the surrounding island and irrevocable agreements the surrounding island
need to agree to pay some specific fees to have its waste collected for further processing
in Sint Maarten.
NOTE
As explained; the items listed here will give the “Big Picture” related to the process to find
the optimal solution specifically for the Sint Maarten waste problems. The final purpose is
to get a definitive solution that will solve the actual and future waste problem in Sint
Maarten.

HOW TO REACH THE SEWAGE AND OTHER WATER RELATED DEFINITIVE SOLUTIONS
Sint Maarten relay on fresh water gained from desalination plants but can start to use for
general purposes the called “Grey water” recovered from recycled water. For some
instances it is feasible to use new technologies to get “drinking quality” for the water.
Other issues are the inverse in salinity values of the Sint Maarten Soil.
Getting solutions for general and specific water related problems, request specialized
technical staff and not general advisers. We have a very short list of them to get a real
solution and not solution which are designed to benefit some equipment manufacturers.
ENERGY RELATED COMMENTS WHICH ARE IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND
It is to understand, that several power-plants needs to work near the design point. Usually
combined steam plants are very sensitive to such situations. Piston PowerGen usually
show better flexibility on the production rate based n the design or installed capacity.
Certain manufacturer can support limit the lowest power production due to technical
reasons.
They reason to write about this, is to teach from the beginning that substituting existing
traditional existing energy sources on a small place like an island, is not as simple as
initially it can be expected. A lot of variables need to be included into the solution.
For example; If in a short time too much traditional produced energy is substituted by
solar energy or another alternative energy sources; than the “Base Energy Supplier”
maybe cannot work or will work in a not save or efficient way. More than that; assuming
specific conditions change suddenly; clouds in front of the Sun or change in wind speed or
direction; than the Mw (power) supplied by the energy of the Sun or Wind disappear from
the grid and the “Base Energy Supplier” needs to produce immediately the amount of Mw
that in very short time left the electrical grid. By sure, most of the generation equipment
cannot react as fast as requested which means that the Frequency or the Volts will change
drastically causing potential “Blackouts”.
Other element like the proper “Power Factor” of the grid or proper maintenance of the
isolation devices you find on the electrical cables will reduce the energy losses and
therefore this will reduce the hydrocarbons used as fuel for the energy production;
therefore reducing the CO2 emissions.
All this can be solved or managed correctly if from the beginning all the related
technicians, parties and companies work together in an ethic and transparent way.

Best sample of “wrong way to start”
If we read the report which appears in the “Daily Herald” (pls click on the blue link:
https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/84571-assessment-of-health-risks-due-to-dump-
fires-starts-on-jan-21
We can see a picture of one of the Sint Maarten Dump-fires usually happens.
Picture of one of the dump-fires in Sint Maarten
In addition to the picture (which speaks by itself), we can find some strange information;
some of them will copied herewith….
A team from Dutch National Institute for Public Health and Environment RIVM will carry out a two-
week assessment of the potential health risks for the community in relation to dump fires starting
January 21. Government has requested the institute’s assistance with the assessment.
RIVM’s Environmental Incident Service has specialized equipment for taking measurements and
samples. RIVM intends to use these to advise whether substances released from the fires may be
harmful to community health in the long term.
If during this period any outbreaks of fire occur, additional measuring sites will be set up. The exact
locations of these sites will depend on factors such as the wind direction during the fire.
The samples will be transported to the Netherlands in refrigerated containers. There, the samples
will be analyzed by various specialized laboratories at RIKILT research institute in Wageningen,
Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) and RIVM. These analyses will
involve testing the samples for specific toxic substances that can be harmful to people’s health in the
long term. These include Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, dioxins, and heavy metals.
Based on the results of these analyses, RIVM will then draw up a risk assessment……..

In a very respectfully manner; I will ask following question or write some comments about
the report and the assessment that will be presented after May.
1-. Has really sense to invest money and plenty of time to check the potential harmfull
substances are in the air? And just a fire happen again when the technicians are there
they will check the emission too?
My Comment: At least 400 toxic substances are released with and without fires. In case on
the two weeks of the samples harvesting process no fire happens; than all the time and
money are irrelevant because the toxics released are millions time higher.
2-. The study will show what substances produced on the fire are harmful…
My Comment: All the materials produced by the fire are harmful.
3-. Based on the results, RIVM will draw a risk assessment….
My Comment: it is unclear for me what will be the added value of the Risk Assessment. If
the risk assessment show the obvious conclusion that harmful emissions and particulates
fly to the surrounding area and the density relay on the wind direction; than what will be
the solution? Moving the people from the land so the harmful substances will not reach
the people? The fire picture is enough to conclude that such place needs to be erased from
the landscape and the soil needs to be decontaminated.
4-. In first place; why such Dump are in activity? Why such place is near the water?
Why the place has not leachate processing place? Why on the side they have “old and
damaged incinerators as said in other report was the cause of one of the big fires?? And
this without commenting about the toxic emissions of those incinerators.. Why used tires
are on that place acting as an excellent place to grow mosquitoes that cause Zika, Dengue,
Chingunguya, Malaria, etc.
5-. How much cost to Sint Maarten all the diseases they have actually. But how much
will cost the consequences for the future? How much problems will give the future genetic
damaged caused by Mercury (fluorescent lamps, CFL lamps, dental amalgams,
thermometers, switches, etc); same with lead and other heavy metals or chemicals?
6-. How much will be the economical impact if in the future the tourist will not visit a
place where obvious high level of disease are common; or because they want not to visit a
dirty place that are not environmentally friendly?
7-. Other comments can be shown here, but the key reason of the present document is
to show the best way to start the definitive solution.

The decision is quite simple but requires complex, serious and precise analysis.
It needs to be understood that to reach the correct solution all the process needs to be
done correctly from the beginning having in mind that the benefit needs to be for Sint
Maarten and not for the “technology supplier” which basically will show in its engineering
studies that its solutions is the best.
Having a third party as “service suppliers” is the best way to guarantee best performances
and to avoid political problems in case Sint Maarten decides to buy a WTE plant.
The use of a BOT (Buy Operate Transfer) can be done but taking in mind that once the
transfer will happen the WTE plant and all the infrastructure installed in the previous
working time needs to work at its 100% capacity or better than that; that after maybe 30
years, and existing better technologies, the previous “service provider” take its old pkant
from Sint Maarten and so a new technology will substitute the old one.
It is expected that the present document give an interesting idea of the possibilities to
reach a definitive solutions that fist the Sint Maarten special conditions.
Being available for further assistance and with the wish that Sint Maarting decide to go
the next step in benefit of the environment, of the people and Sint Maarten.
Respectfully
Eng. Wolfgang Essig
Email: wolf.essig@yahoo.com
Mobile and Whatsapp: +58 (414) 907 48 25

Sint maarten waste to energy wte solution san martin

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

More from wolfessig

More from wolfessig (10)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Sint maarten waste to energy wte solution san martin