The first garbage-to-energy plant of its kind is in the works for Ottawa, but residents say they’re skeptical the innovation will translate to results.
Officials from Plasco held a public meeting Monday night to answer questions about their groundbreaking plans to superheat garbage and turn it into energy.
“This plant is a world first,” said Chris Terajewicz, executive VP of operations with Plasco.
“In fact, what we're demonstrating right now is the use of synthetic gas and engines - nobody else in the world has been able to do that.”
The company is currently running a pilot project plant on Trail Road, across from the City of Ottawa’s landfill.
“We can burn that waste in engines, so we can use it as an engine fuel in reciprocating engines which makes electricity,” Terajewicz said.
Residents said they’re skeptical the future plant can run 24 hours a day (the pilot plant doesn’t) and handle up to 300 tonnes of waste per day.
“Nobody's shown that this works yet, I don't think the pilot project frankly shows this is a technically workable system for municipal solid waste,” said Duncan Bury.
“It seems very frivolous to me to put a lot of money behind a process which is very much in the development stage,” said Fred Spriggs.
Others said they were concerned about noise.
“I enjoy my Saturday and Sunday mornings when the pit operations aren't running (at the pilot location),” said John Hill.
“(On the weekdays) you could hear this high-pitched noise sort of thing.”
The City of Ottawa agreed to partner with Plasco in December, costing taxpayers about $9 million a year.
Their contract isn’t finalized but Plasco says it plans to start construction on a new plant in June 2013.
With a report from CTV Ottawa’s Claudia Cautillo
