Covanta Niagara Energy-from-Waste Facility

Covanta Niagara Company
Niagara Falls, New York

The conversion of municipal solid waste to energy at the Niagara Resource Recovery Facility, a pioneer in the modern waste-to-energy industry, began in 1980. Today, operating as Covanta Niagara Company, the facility processes 2,250 tons of waste per day, selling the steam to adjacent chemical facilities and the electricity to the New York State power grid.

In 1993, the facility was retrofitted with air quality control equipment enabling it to meet stringent environmental standards and commitments. The mass burning Duesseldorf Roller Grate System also replaced the existing refuse-derived fuel technology. The continued availability of the facility allows the greater Niagara Falls region to serve as an example of integrated waste disposal in action.

In 1996, Covanta Niagara 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 Niagara recertified as a VPP facility again in 2010. Covanta has over 40 national VPP Star locations.

Technical Data

Facility Address:

100 Energy Blvd. at 56th Street
Niagara Falls, NY 14304
(716) 278-8500

Service Area:

Greater Niagara Falls/Buffalo region

Waste Supply:

Participating municipalities and private haulers to deliver up to 800,000 tons per year

Energy Market:

Steam is exported to adjacent chemical plants and electricity is exported to the New York State Power Grid. 

Capacity:

2,250 tons per day

Number of Process Lines:

Two @ 1,125 tons per day

Type of Stoker Grate:

Deutsche Babcock Anlagen Roller Grate

Steam Conditions at Boiler Outlet:

1,250 pounds per square inch gauge (psig)/750° F

Turbine-Generator:

Two Asea Brown Boveri 25-megawatt units

Air Quality Control:

Two acid gas scrubbers and fabric filter baghouses

Stack Height:

396 feet

Bunker Capacity:

7,500 tons municipal solid waste

Secondary Materials Recovery:

Recovery of ferrous (steel) and non-ferrous (aluminum) metals