Jul. 20, 2012, Nashville, TN – PHG Energy, a Tennessee-based alternative energy company, announced an agreement with the city of Covington, Tenn., to convert waste to energy using PHG’s downdraft biomass gasification equipment and technology. The environmentally friendly system converts a wide range of waste materials or renewable biomass to a low-emission substitute for natural gas or other fossil fuels.
Covington Mayor David Gordon found opportunity with the PHG system to reduce the landfill and transportation fees for 360 total tons of previously landfill-bound waste material the West Tennessee city produces each month. PHG integrates established commercial technologies into one innovative system that simultaneously eliminates waste and produces heat that will be used for feedstock drying and electricity production.
“Covington may be a small city, but we’re constantly looking toward the future in our thinking and planning,” said Mayor Gordon. “We want to embrace technology that fits our situation, and this system lets us turn waste into an opportunity. Working with PHG is a win-win for Covington. It helps our environment and it helps our city financially. Simply put, we’re doing the right thing, in the right way, for the right reason.”
Covington has been awarded a $250,000 Clean Tennessee Energy Grant from Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Department of Environment and Conservation Commissioner Bob Martineau for the waste-to-energy system. Total cost of the project is $2.25 million, with $2 million of funding obtained through the Tennessee Municipal Bond fund in the form of a general obligation bond issue.
PHG’s biomass gasification waste-to-energy system will be built adjacent to the wastewater treatment plant on city-owned property, converting approximately 12 tons of waste per day, primarily composed of woody biomass, into energy. The use of biosolids from the treatment plant is also being investigated as a possible fuel for the gasifiers.
PHG’s technology combines a state-of-the-art downdraft gasification system with thermal oxidation equipment and a 125 kilowatt Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) power generator to produce electric power. Emissions from the system will be comparable to the use of natural gas.
The clean energy system designed for Covington will prevent release of 425 tons of carbon into the atmosphere each year by reducing energy usage related to waste water treatment, as well as fossil fuels used in waste disposal transportation. According to the EPA, that reduction is equivalent to greenhouse gas emissions expected annually from 75 automobiles, or the carbon dioxide emissions in more than 33 homes.
“Mayor Gordon and the city’s aldermen deserve credit for having the foresight to implement a solution that helps the environment and makes good financial sense,” said Tom Stanzione, President of PHG Energy. “This system will provide Covington a substantial net savings during its operational lifetime.”
Construction of the system is expected to begin in November.
About PHG Energy
PHG Energy, an energy conversion technology company, provides equipment for industrial grade gasification that gives large energy users the ability to cleanly convert waste material or renewable biomass to gaseous fuel. PHG Energy’s industrial-grade downdraft gasifiers deliver a cleaner process than incineration or fossil fuels, and allow users to lower their greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprint, while drastically reducing their energy costs.
