Energy-from-Waste Facility

Covanta Essex Company
Newark, New Jersey

Essex County Resource Recovery Facility, owned and operated by Covanta Energy, is New Jersey's largest waste-to-energy facility. Operating as Covanta Essex Company, the facility serves the refuse disposal needs of 22 municipalities in Essex County and the surrounding region.

Covanta Essex opened in 1990, boasting one of the smoothest plant start-ups in industry history. Today, the facility combusts 2,800 tons per day of municipal solid waste and generates approximately 65 megawatts of electricity for sale.

Essex County, New Jersey, sponsored the facility, and the project's design and construction employed the largest minority business enterprise plan in New Jersey history. The reduction of the county's landfill requirements and the recovery of energy from the Essex County solid waste stream in an environmentally sound manner are among the benefits the facility brings to the community.

In 1995, Covanta Essex was designated as a U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) Star Facility, a program designed for exemplary worksites with comprehensive, successful safety and health management systems. Covanta has over 40 national VPP Star locations.

Technical Data

Facility Address:

183 Raymond Boulevard
Newark, NJ 07105
(973) 344-0900

Primary Service Area:

Essex County

Contract Term:

25 years with provisions for extensions

Financing Method: 

Tax-exempt Revenue Bonds plus private equity

Waste Supply: 

County municipalities guarantee to deliver a combined minimum of 680,000 tons per year.

Energy Market: 

Electricity generation for plant use and export to the PJM grid.

Capacity: 

2,800 tons per day

Number of Process Lines: 

Three @ 933 tons per day

Type of Stoker Grate:

Duesseldorf Roller Grate System

Steam Conditions at Boiler Outlet:

211,000 lbs/hr @ 650 psia/7500F

Turbine-Generators:

Two 35 nominal megawatt units

Air Quality Control:

Three DBA electrostatic precipitators and three spray dry scrubber systems

Stack Height:

279 feet

Bunker Capacity: 

14,000 tons

Secondary Materials Recovery: 

Recovery of ferrous (steel) materials from post-incinerated ash