Any feedback on Taylor Biomass Energy?

[Dolores]

From DR1 Daily News, 14 July 2006:

Garbage-fueled power plants
Taylor Biomass Energy is interested in entering the Dominican energy market. As reported in El Caribe, they have identified 10 points nationwide where garbage-fueled plants could be installed with an estimated US$300 million annual savings in fuel imports for the country. They propose that the plans could generate 20% of the present installed capacity. In the DR, their representative is Angel Lockward, a former minister of Industry and Commerce. James Taylor, president of the company, told El Caribe that each plant would have the capacity to supply 100,000 households.
The plants could be installed initially in Santo Domingo municipalities, Boca Chica, Haina, San Cristobal, La Romana, Santiago, Bonao and La Vega.
http://www.taylorbiomassenergy.com/company/?id=2

[DCtoSDQ]

I had this idea several years ago after my first few trips to Santo Domingo. However I was thinking more of how to start and sustain a recycling program in a 3rd World Country. I like this idea of creating renewable energy from 'garbage' and SD/DR produce a great deal of recyclable garbage! However, I don't think it will solve the 2 biggest problems in the Energy Sector (1) Poor distribution/inefficeint network and (2) none payment (stealing) of electric energy at every level of Dominican Society (rich to poor). Both have caused the DR to have one of the highest energy cost/per KWH in the the world!

By the way, is their DR Rep (Angel Lockwood) the ex-Minister under the Mejia Administration that has been recently indicted for the Propane Gas Coupons Scandal? (http://www.dominicantoday.com/app/article.aspx?id=14549)

[Hillbilly]

There are incredible drawbacks on this deal. The first is that DR garbage is not energy efficient and diesel will be needed to obtain added BTUs.
As far as i can find, none of the refuse-fired generation plants has really lived up to their expectations.
PLUS....

There is the added problem of local governments standing there with their hands out for "approval money" (No, I am not kidding, I've lived through this!!!), in order to gain access to the locak garbage dump and the requisite permits!!

The next problem is with CDEEE and the hookups to the national Power grid!...

Then you have the basic inefficiencies of the equipment which have yet--and I repeat, in the cases i have either seen or read reports on--to produce the power they are supposed to.

A town like La Romana or San Pedro does not produce sufficient garbage of sufficient thermal potency -BTUs- to drive a major generation facility. And Bonao, La Vega, Haina and San Cristobal are laughable!! You can't produce KwH from platano peels!!

Even Santiago is marginal, and the Santiago project was going to burn daily garbage that was recycled plus the stuff in Rafey, eventually cleaning up the entire land fill!!

My bet is that this will never fly unless some big PLD official has a hand in it and there is a major LOAN involved.....SORRY


HB

[aerobaticman]

Here in Switzerland everything is burned via these energy producing plants. Or some actually are used to produce hot water for heating systems of towns.

But the plants can have reverse effects. The Swiss are so efficient with their recycling of trash, that at times we must IMPORT foreign garbage to have enough "fuel to burn" in the garbage plants.

At first I looked at disgust when I saw the train cars with trash from Italy. Now I can only smile and laugh ;-)

[gringito]

I had several meetings with the President of this company a couple of years ago when they were trying to pull this off before in the DR. There are several problems including the fact that at the time, they only had a small test facility up and working part time. Banks won't finance new technolgy when there isn't a working unit successfully operating somewhere they can kick the tires on. The other problem is plants that use garbage for fuel rely on tipping charges from the municipalities to pay for taking the garbage. They cannot make the numbers work just by selling the electricity. I seriously doubt if cities and towns in the DR are going to start paying tipping fees to get rid of their garbage.

Regards

[heldengebroed]

Originally Posted by DCtoSDQ

. However I was thinking more of how to start and sustain a recycling program in a 3rd World Country.

I've seen a programme on Brazil or Mexico (can't remember) where they had the most effective recicling program with even new technology to recycling "brik" milkcartons which are verry difficult to recycle due to the fact that they are a tight combination off cartboard, plastic and aluminimum.

So it is possible

Greetings


Johan

[Keith R]

Originally Posted by heldengebroed

I've seen a programme on Brazil or Mexico (can't remember) where they had the most effective recicling program with even new technology to recycling "brik" milkcartons which are verry difficult to recycle due to the fact that they are a tight combination off cartboard, plastic and aluminimum.

So it is possible

Greetings


Johan

You're speaking of Tetrabrik asceptic packaging, and the recycling program in question must be in Brazil.