Orazietti and Butland talk trash

In February, 2005, EnQuest secured an approval from Sault Ste. Marie to use its landfill for a pilot project.

It's come a long way since then.

Today the company secured approval from the Ministry of Environment to test its process and make sure it isn't going to stink up the place.

EnQuest has been working on installing, testing and operating cutting edge technology that will convert landfill into bio-oil.

If this process bears out, it's proponents say the volume of trash going into our landfill could be cut almost in half.

Additionally, the chemical reaction used to reduce the trash could cleanly produce bio-oil - something that can be used to generate electricity.

The full text of David Orazietti's release follows.

************************ Orazietti announces innovative waste project approval for Sault Ste. Marie

EnQuest and provincial government cooperate to launch energy-from-waste project

Sault Ste. Marie - Garbage may soon become a useful commodity in Sault Ste. Marie if EnQuest Power's approved waste-from-energy pilot project at the Fifth Line Landfill proves successful, MPP David Orazietti announced today after the province's Ministry of Environment (MOE) awarded the company a certificate of approval.

"We need to find innovative solutions to deal with our garbage and through this pilot project we have the potential to improve waste management practices, while increasing energy supply in our community and across the province," said Orazietti.

"In working with EnQuest and Councillor Steve Butland for well over a year, we were able to achieve a Ministry of Environment certificate of approval that allows EnQuest to proceed with necessary testing, while ensuring that this new technology meets Ontario's air emissions standards," the MPP said.

EnQuest Power has worked closely with the MOE for more than a year to develop policies, procedures and operational systems that will assist in demonstrating the company's proprietary technology.

With today's award, EnQuest Power will be the second company in Ontario to have received a certificate of approval for thermally converting a broad spectrum of waste materials into a clean energy.

"This is an exciting project with the potential to play an important role in safely reducing our municipal waste and further extending the life of our landfill site," said Steve Butland, Councillor Ward 1.

"It has been a challenging process, but this is a new area of waste management and everyone involved worked cooperatively to ensure that this pilot project was able to move forward," he said.

The project would involve feeding various materials such as solid municipal waste, paper sludge, sewage sludge and wood chips into a rotary kiln and heating the material to approximately 1000 degrees Celsius.

The resulting gases, referred to as syngas, would be analyzed to determine the heating value and composition.

The pilot project would be the first phase in determining the economic feasibility of using syngas as a fuel.

"EnQuest Power is excited for the opportunity to test our clean air system for converting energy-from-waste, truly representing a welcome breakthrough in providing waste solutions that contribute positively to energy challenges," said Jayson Zwierschke, president.

"We appreciate the support we received from provincial and municipal officials who share our goal of contributing to clean air initiatives through developing modern methods of waste disposal," Zwierschke said.

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