New high-powered incinerator for the Port

The Barbados Port Inc’s new multi-million-dollar waste-to-energy incinerator is in no way similar to the failed Cahill project.

That assurance has come from the port’s Divisional Manager, Corporate Development and Strategy, Captain Karl Branch, who has maintained that the proposed US$20 million initiative being funded by the Port is nothing like the $700 million plasma gasification project which never got off the ground.

Speaking during a townhall meeting today entitled, Turning Up the Heat on Waste, Branch pointed out that there were major differences between the two waste-to-energy projects.

“There are several differences but the main two differences would be the technology and the scale. The Cahill project was a plasma gasification type project so it’s a completely different technology from incineration. Incineration is more basic, more robust. You superheat the entry into the incinerator and ensure its complete destruction while plasma gasification requires more intricate technology and handling…” Branch explained.

“Secondly, the Cahill project was on a completely different scale from that of our incinerator project. The Cahill project was a 35-megawatt project which was supposed to provide electricity for 25 per cent of Barbados at a cost of $700 million. Our project is the replacement of an incinerator to satisfy the Port’s need.

“The port requires between 2.5, maybe 3 megawatts of electricity…but this incinerator produces electricity for the Port. The cost of it is a far cry from $700 million.”

While the project has not yet reached the procurement stage, the current incinerator will take between 20 to 30 days to decommission and the construction of the new one is expected to be completed in six months.

In outlining the need for a new incinerator, Branch said the time had come for the Port’s waste management system to be modernized.

Additionally, he explained that the port currently disposes of between 1200 to 1500 metric tonnes of pallets and operational waste along with at least 200 garbage skips monthly.

Branch said the new incinerator would significantly reduce the amount of waste transported to the landfill.

He said the heat generated from the combustion of incinerated garbage would be used to power turbines that generate electricity.

“I don’t think it is a question of whether or not we have to replace our incinerator as the current incinerator has fully much come to the end of its useful life,” Branch said.

He further disclosed that Barbados also had to adhere to “very strict guidelines” imposed by Maripol International Regulations, which governs the use of ports as a homeport facility and ensures adherence to waste reception policies.

Divisional Manager, Operations at the port, Ian Stewart, made it clear that there would be no negative environmental impacts associated with the new incinerator.

He said the port had implemented an Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) to mitigate the environmental and social impacts of the project.

Robert Griesbach, the Director of Energy Consulting at Hatch, a multinational energy consulting firm,  explained that three options; incineration, pyrolysis and gasification were initially considered.

However, he said incineration was deemed to be the best method. (randybennett@barbadostoday.bb)