Covanta's Innovation Through the Years

Covanta's Innovations Through the Years

1983

Ogden Corporation (now Covanta Energy Corporation) forms Ogden Martin Systems Inc. as its energy-from-waste division through its acquisition of the North American licensing rights to the Martin GmbH system of waste combustion, the most widely used technology.

1986

The Marion County facility (Covanta Marion – Brooks, OR) becomes the first Energy-from-Waste (EfW) facility in the U.S. to combine semi-dry flue gas scrubbers and fabric filter baghouse technologies to control acid gases and particulates.

1988

Babylon becomes Covanta’s first zero wastewater discharge EfW facility in the U.S. – treating and recycling all water used in the combustion process. Covanta is also the first to remediate landfill leachate for reuse in the combustion process.

1988

Covanta is the first in the industry to hold a Partner Community Conference (now referred to as the “Partners Conference”), bringing together client communities to discuss facility operations and technological advancements.

1989

Covanta provides scientific testimony to the U.S. EPA leading to the passage of legislation in Michigan, designating EfW facility ash as non-hazardous and directing that it be disposed of in specially lined monofills. This is the first time a legislative body established ash policy based on scientific testimony.

1989

Through its Stanislaus County Resource Recovery Facility (Covanta Stanislaus – Crows Landing, CA), Covanta emerges as the only company in its field to have commercially demonstrated the chemical reduction of nitrogen oxides (NOx) at guaranteed levels. (Stanislaus is the first privately held and operated large-scale EfW facility in the U.S. to remove NOx from flue gas and the first to use ammonia injection for the reduction of NOx.)

Covanta's Innovations Through the Years

1990

Covanta introduces its proprietary Continuous Emission Monitoring (CEM) system customized to the needs of operating EfW facilities. The CEM system, the first to be used in the EfW industry, can improve the air quality by being able to automatically detect fluctuations in air emissions, making rapid adjustments to the pollution abatement system and alerting operators to any change in the plant’s emission status.

1991

Covanta becomes the first to test powder-activated carbon with the U.S. EPA to validate mercury control with dry scrubber and baghouse technologies at the Stanislaus facility.

1991

Covanta is the first in the U.S. EfW industry to perform and develop in-house safety management services without third parties. The program includes an industrial hygiene database and program, and safety statistics. Covanta is also a pioneer with its extensive regionalized safety program.

1993

The Lee County EfW facility (Covanta Lee – Fort Myers, FL), first of its kind, is constructed with mercury abatement technology installed. Notably, this cutting-edge technology is implemented ahead of impending Florida mercury emissions guidelines for EfW facilities.

1993

Covanta becomes the first EfW company in the U.S. to work in conjunction with a printer manufacturer to implement secure destruction mail-back program for printer cartridges. Consumers are prompted to mail cartridges to the Stanislaus EfW facility for secure destruction.

1993

The Lancaster Resource Recovery Facility (Covanta Lancaster – Bainbridge, PA) becomes the first EfW facility to install a furnace dry-lime system for the control of sulfur dioxide and hydrogen chloride in tandem with a conventional semi-dry system.

1995

Covanta becomes the first in the industry to assist manufacturers in meeting landfill reduction and sustainability goals by offering EfW services at select facilities on a contract basis.

Covanta's Innovations Through the Years

2002

Covanta Honolulu (HI), in cooperation with the City and County of Honolulu, joins the Nets to Energy program, a multi-partner marine debris program spearheaded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Marine Debris Program which recycles marine debris into usable electricity. The initiative is the first of its kind.

2004

Covanta becomes the first EfW company in the U.S. to test fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). FTIR is a cutting-edge instrument used to measure emissions more effectively to meet current and future requirements to measure emissions from the EfW process. Tests are conducted at Covanta Huntington (East Northport, NY) and Covanta Honolulu.

2007

Covanta innovates with two effective technologies – Low NOx (LN) and Very Low Nox (VLN). The LN technology is designed for facility upgrades. When used in conjunction with the control systems already employed, nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions are cut to approximately half of current regulatory limits. The VLN technology sets the standard for new EfW facilities or expansion projects with similarly dramatic NOx reductions while increasing energy efficiency, providing an additional competitive advantage. VLN technology allows facilities to achieve NOx emission levels 50 percent below permit levels.

2007

Covanta leads the EfW industry by launching a Clean World Initiative to publicly affirm its commitment to both sustainability and continuous improvement.

2008

Covanta Lee becomes the first EfW facility in the U.S. to have a permitted installation of FTIR.

2008

Covanta creates its Boiler Reliability Program to improve boiler availability and productivity at all facilities, leading the company to the highest reliability in the electric power production industry.

2008

Covanta joins the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Marine Debris Program, and Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc. to form the Fishing for Energy (FfE) Partnership to move the Honolulu-based Nets to Energy program nationwide. FFE is established to reduce the financial burden imposed on commercial fishermen when disposing of derelict fishing gear as well as the amount of gear that inadvertently ends up in U.S. coastal waters.

2009

Covanta launches its safety awareness program “STEP-UP” (Safety Today and Every day is Paramount) to advance its culture of safety.

2009

Covanta launches its Rx4Safety (Prescription for Safety) program to provide free disposal of consumer pharmaceuticals collected by law enforcement from consumers. Covanta is the first company in the U.S. to offer the service free to law enforcement.

Covanta's Innovations Through the Years

2010

Covanta Field Services North earns OSHA Voluntary Protection Program recognition, the first EfW industry mobile workforce in the U.S. to obtain this certification.

2010

Covanta becomes the first EfW company in the U.S. to engage employees in monthly near-miss reporting as part its safety program.

2010

Another first in the U.S., Covanta Haverhill serves as a beta test site for the installation and demonstration of a new continuous monitoring system for mercury, dioxin and particulate matter. Fluctuations in emissions can be observed as they occur in response to furnace and air pollution control process changes. Although the dioxin monitor still requires laboratory analysis, it allows long-term monitoring of emissions without a team of specialists. Data gathered explains the relationship between operations and emissions so facilities can consistently drive emissions toward zero.

2012

Covanta is the first in the EfW industry to successfully complete commercial demonstration testing on a first-of-its-kind gasification technology.