The world's largest waste-to-energy downdraft gasification plant being constructed here has taken on the look of an operational facility, and individual components are being brought on line in preparation for full startup early next month. PHG Energy of Nashville is providing design, installation and construction services to the city, deploying the company's patented technology as the core of the system.
Mayor Philip Craighead hosted his legislative counterparts from nearby municipal and county governments recently for a preview tour of the site. "This facility is going to be a model for public/private partnerships to cleanly dispose of waste and produce green energy," Craighead told the group. "The next stage will be utilizing this technology to solve our ongoing municipal garbage situation, and give us all a much more sustainable and cleaner option than dumping waste into landfills."
Touring the construction and getting a detailed briefing about the clean tech process were: Gallatin Mayor Paige Brown; Wilson County Mayor Ron Hutto; and Sumner County Executive Andy Holt. The City of Lebanon is hosting an official open house and site visits on October 13 to mark the completion of the plant.
Mayor Craighead highlighted benefits of the new system as:
- Combines scrap tires, commercial wood waste and biosolids from the wastewater treatment plant as feedstock with a 64 tons/day throughput capacity.
- Produces sufficient electricity to power about 350 homes annually. Power will be used at the treatment plant to offset costs.
- Keeps 2,500 tons of carbon emissions out of the air each year.
- Fuel gas for power production and a high carbon biochar are the only outputs of the system. The biochar will be sold for agricultural purposes.
- Awarded a direct $250,000 grant from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, and benefited from $3.5 million in financing assistance through a Federal energy program.
PHG Energy provides design and construction for innovative clean technology gasification and waste-to-energy systems
