CLARINGTON — Clarington’s brand new energy-from-waste facility will probably be postponed a second time since the boilers aren’t functioning properly and the continuing startup period could cost Durham Region an extra $1 million.
“I would rather see it postponed and done right than rushed,” said Clarington Mayor Adrian Foster.
The Durham York Energy Centre centre, situated in Courtice, has been scheduled to be completely operational on Dec. 14, 2014. Now the Durham York Energy Centre is not expected to be in complete working order before the last quarter of 2015.
The significant systems of the EFW facility have been tested. The boiler temperature is high enough to the combustion process but the steam temperature isn’t high enough, and officials aren’t sure what the problem is, states Durham’s works commissioner, Cliff Curtis.
The steam temperature has to be high enough to push the turbine-generator. If the steam is too cool it can damage the turbine.
“It’s like running a car with oil,” said Mr. Curtis.
Covanta, the business building and operating the centre for Durham and York regions, has taken down the boilers for alterations, according to Mr. Curtis. It’s likely to take three weeks to the repairs and alterations. Then there’ll be a four-week demonstration period, followed by a 30-day approval test.
“We are not getting the temperature we expected out of this boiler. “It’s Covanta’s problem to deliver us the item that performs the way that they said, so they are going to select the time that they require.”
The delay means added consultant costs for construction management, legal advice and baseline ambient air monitoring. A Durham Region works report said Durham’s share of the extra costs is $1 million, which can be offered from a temporary draw on the solid waste management book fund.
“What is the last price going to look like?” “There are clearly issues with getting out it ”
Since Jan. 16, Durham has been charging Covanta a 10,000-a-day late fee for each and every day that the EFW facility is not fully operational. The invoice was delivered to Covanta, but it has not been paid yet, according to Mr. Curtis.
In mid-February, the incinerator started burning its first haul of curbside garbage. It had been a part of a testing stage before the centre opens completely.
Durham cancelled landfill contracts and started sending garbage to the Courtice centre. Some garbage was burned at the EFW plant throughout the evaluation phase, without producing power to the grid.
Until the EFW facility is up and running, the Region simply pays Covanta half price of this agreed upon per-tonne charge. But, Durham isn’t making any money before the plant is fully operational and selling electricity back on the grid.
“We are still on budget.
The plant construction is coming in slightly under budget, according to the works commissioner.
There are a number of loose ends that might end up costing Durham Region more money. There is still disagreement with former home owners on the value of this land expropriated for the facility, and a ruling is not expected until fall of next year. The final price for the utility construction and connection costs is expected in coming months. The baseline ambient air monitoring runs till the EFW facility is operational, so the delay in opening signifies an ongoing monitoring price.
“There is some minor cost over-runs on a few of the smaller items but generally we’re fiscally on track to make this in on budget and we look forward to getting it online by the end of the calendar year,” said Mr. Curtis. A key part of the economic situation for your energy-from-waste facility is dependent upon it creating electric power revenue.
The Durham York Energy Centre is designed to process up to 140,000 tonnes of waste each year, and generate 17.5 gross megawatts of renewable energy — enough to power between 10,000 and 12,000 homes. A key part of the economic case for the energy-from-waste facility depends on it generating electrical power revenue.
from: http://www.durhamregion.com/news-story/5682601-new-courtice-incinerator-hits-further-delays/
