Wheelabrator Technologies Inc. | A Waste Management Company

Located in Saugus, Massachusetts, the Wheelabrator Saugus waste-to-energy facility provides dependable, environmentally safe disposal of municipal solid waste, while generating clean electricity for sale to the local utility. Operating since 1975, this landmark facility is the United States' first commercially successful waste-to-energy facility. The Saugus facility processes up to 1500 tons per day of municipal solid waste from communities on the North Shore of Massachusetts. The financing of the Saugus facility was unique in that nearly twenty-five percent of the total project cost was private equity. This successful financing process, used in several subsequent Wheelabrator facilities, models the company's long-term commitment to the waste-to-energy industry. At full capacity, the plant, which sells electricity to New England Power Company, can generate 38,000 kilowatt-hours of electrical energy per hour. This is the equivalent of supplying all of the electrical needs of 47,000 Massachusetts homes.

GENERAL
Area Served: 14 Boston North Shore Communities/ 750,000 People
Type of Contract: Full service/own and operate
Financing: Revenue Bonds/Private Equity
Start-up: October 1975

REFUSE COMBUSTION
Type of System: Waterwall boilers
Operation: 24 hours per day, 7 days per week
Number of Process Lines: 2 @ 750 tons per day each
Feed System: 2 overhead refuse cranes and ram feeders
Grate Design: Von Roll reciprocating grates
Combustion Temperature: 2500°F+
Waste Volume Reduction: 95%
Ash Handling System: Water quench, drag conveyor ferrous, aggregate
Materials Recovery: Ferrous

AIR QUALITY CONTROL
Type of Equipment: Selective non-catalytic reduction, dry scrubbers, fabric filters, carbon injection

ENERGY PRODUCTION
Type of Energy: Electric power steam
Flow to Turbine: 370,000 pounds per hour @ 650 psig/850*F
Electric Generating Capacity: 38 megawatts
Cooling System: Once-through cooling
Customer: New England Power Company