Metro Vancouver is taking more heat over its strategy to construct a second garbage incinerator, using a new study commissioned by squander firm Belkorp Environmental Services indicating the move could cost around $1.3 billion more than originally estimated.
The analysis, conducted by ICF International on behalf of Belkorp, comes as Metro Vancouver attempts to take care of the state’s rejection of its proposed Bylaw 280, which was essential to its solid waste management program because it could have guaranteed crap created in Metro was kept in the area.
Belkorp, which conducts the Cache Creek ditch, has been engaged in a high-profile lobbying effort against Bylaw 280 as well as Metro Vancouver’s plans to burn off the region’s waste rather than landfill it. Metro is slated to close the Cache Creek ditch in 2016.
“We’re still battling for alternatives that are far better than the incinerator,” said Russ Black, Belkorp’s vice-president of business development. “Regardless of Bylaw 280, we still wanted to demonstrate the true costs of this incinerator.”
The analysis, by ICF’s lead author Seth Hulkower, indicates Metro Vancouver significantly outperforming the revenue it would earn by selling electricity in the new incinerator into BC Hydro within a period of 35 years.
Metro had suggested it would seek to negotiate a cost of $100 per kilowatt hour from BC Hydro, but Hulkower noted the waste-to-energy business plan does not take into account that BC Hydro may correct the cost it pays for electricity after Metro recovers it capital outlay on the undertaking.
Metro Vancouver chairman Greg Moore said he is not surprised with the research’s findings, stating it’s a point that has long been contended by Belkorp.
But he said the research is early considering that Metro has at least 10 proponents offering different forms of waste-to-energy, such as district heat and gasification, and there are many potential scenarios.
“They’re persistent in pursuit of the agenda to continue to possess garbage going to their landfill,” Moore stated. “Until that decision is made I do not believe they’ll stop.”
Belkorp has a Coquitlam site where it proposes to construct a facility to take a”last pass” at waste to remove recyclables such as organics, plastics, paper and alloys, a movement that would ultimately rob the area of enough material to fuel a different waste-to-energy facility.
Black acknowledged multi-material recovery centers directly compete with incinerators however state that they make sense. “When you examine the range of prices, there’s some serious questions that need to be addressed,” he said.
Belkorp already has a Coquitlam site where it proposes to build a facility to take a “last pass” at waste to remove recyclables such as organics, paper, plastics and metals, a move that would ultimately rob the region of enough material to fuel another waste-to-energy facility.
Black acknowledged multi-material recovery facilities directly compete with incinerators but say they make sense. “When you look at the range of costs, there’s some serious questions that have to be addressed,” he said.