Energy-from-Waste Facility

Covanta Honolulu Resource Recovery Venture
Kapolei, Hawaii

Covanta Honolulu, also known locally as the HPOWER facility, began commercial operation in May 1990 and is owned by the City and County of Honolulu. HPOWER stands for Honolulu Program of Waste Energy Recovery. Covanta acquired the operating contract in 1993. Located on the island of Oahu, the facility serves the municipal waste disposal needs of more than 850,000 residents and more than six million visitors to the island each year. The facility processes up to 2,160 tons per day of municipal solid waste into refuse derived fuel (RDF), generating up to 57 megawatts of energy for Hawaiian Electric Company—enough to power 45,000 homes and meet 4.5 percent of Oahu's energy needs.

HPOWER also recovers 20,000 tons of ferrous (steel) and non-ferrous (aluminum alloy) metal for recycling each year, enough metal to manufacture 18,000 automobiles and 3.5 million aluminum cans.

The City and County of Honolulu and Covanta are currently building a 900 ton-per-day expansion of the existing facility. The expansion includes the addition of a third combustor unit, turbine/generator and associated air pollution control equipment.

In 2007, the facility was designated as a U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Star Facility. In 2008, HPOWER was awarded First Place-Excellence in Safety and Health by the American Society of Safety Engineers and Hawaii Occupational Safety and Health.

Technical Data

Address:

91-174 Hanua Street
Kapolei, HI 96707
(808) 682-2099

Site:

28 acres in Campbell Industrial Park, Kapolei, Hawaii

Commercial Operation:

May 1990
(Covanta acquired the operating contract in 1993 from Combustion Engineering/ABB)

Energy-from-Waste System:

Two 854 ton-per-day RDF waterwall furnace/boilers with CE traveling grates; waste processing–two RDF processing lines each rated at nominal 100 tons per hour

Boiler Design:

900 psig/830°F superheater outlet conditions

Air Pollution Control Equipment:

Semi-dry flue gas scrubbers injecting lime, reverse air fabric filter bag houses, and continuous emissions monitoring (CEM) system

Rated Refuse Capacity:

2,160 tons per day

Energy Generation @ Rated Capacity:

Up to 57 megawatts generation from one condensing steam turbine generator

Sold to:

Hawaiian Electric Company