Zero Waste Ottawa

In 2008, the Ottawa City Council contracted with Plasco Energy Group to build, own, and operate an 85 tonne per-day waste conversion evaluation facility. Plasco’s technology uses plasma torches to gasify waste and use the gas to generate electricity.

Household waste collected by the City will be delivered to the plant, including up to 8% non-recyclable plastics otherwise destined for landfill. For every tonne of waste processed, enough energy is generated to power the facility and provide 1,150 kWh of electricity to Hydro Ottawa. That’s enough to power a household in Ottawa for 45 days. The site will in other words provide electricity to approximately 3600 Ottawa households. The system will also produce a small amount of inert residual solid that is useful as aggregate for concrete and asphalt.

Plasco Energy Group is assuming all associated risk in building the evaluation facility, guaranteeing environmental performance and removing the facility if the evaluation is not a success. The City of Ottawa will provide the site, the waste and a $40 per tonne tipping fee—about the same as it costs the City to dump waste at the City owned landfill.

The process of transforming mixed waste into clean synthetic gas produces zero impact on the environment:

• No harmful air emissions
• No leaching (contaminates to our land and water)

The products of the Plasco Conversion System are safe and usable:

• Synthesis gas (PlascoSyngas) is used in the generation of electricity that is green and clean
• The reusable solid (Slag) has a variety of uses, such as a concrete additive. The substance has been tested and is completely inert, leaching less than the glass that is used to make a common soda bottle.

The process for generating electricity is well-known:

• The same engines/turbines are used to convert natural gas into electricity
• The electricity produced is, on a lifecycle basis, cleaner than natural gas
• Electricity generation that substantially outperforms the most stringent air emission standards in the world

The City of Ottawa and Plasco Energy Group has created a website, Zerowasteottawa.com, to evaluate the project. At the website anyone can view the monthly performance of the trail site.

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