Feasibility analysis on diverting regional waste to local business for waste to energy project

A commercial greenhouse fueled by community waste is a business model that could mitigate growing economic pressures on northern communities facing rising costs. A business initiative proposed by Woodmere Nursery (Woodmere) in Telkwa, BC, is to convert community waste into biomass for fuel to heat their greenhouses year round. Woodmere presented their proposal to the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako (RDBN), who is currently transporting their municipal solid waste (MSW) to two landfills within the region. The aim of this project is to do a feasibility analysis of the RDBN diverting MSW to Woodmere for their proposed waste to energy project, a thermal oxidization processing system. A few key sources were used to complete the analysis. An existing RDBN True Cost Accounting Study done on the RDBN waste management process in April 2006, the RDBN five year budget, and literature from EnEco Industries Ltd, which is the supplier of the waste conversion equipment were reviewed. The analysis showed a cost benefit to the RDBN and a significant benefit to extending the life of the Knockholt landfill. Although not the focus of this analysis, this study also suggests the Woodmere project has merit. There are possibly other benefits from this project, such as reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and possible revenue streams from the trading of carbon offsets, from the sale of MSW, and from the sale of excess energy. These are however, beyond the scope of this paper and are possible subjects for further research. --P. 2.