[GreenYes] RDF burner promoted to "save" paper recycling plant (Minneapolis)

[Alan Muller <amuller@no.address>]

http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_5564434?nclick_check=1#recent_comm

St. Paul / Options to save plant narrow
Best energy source for Rock-Tenn could prove controversial
BY JASON HOPPIN
Pioneer Press
Article Last Updated: 03/31/2007 09:23:26 PM CDT

It turns out that saving jobs, saving the city 
and saving the world isn't that easy after all.

A report outlining environmentally friendly 
options to fuel a new power plant near University 
Avenue in St. Paul offers no simple alternatives 
to "refuse-derived fuel," which is processed from 
garbage and which many neighbors oppose.

The plant would provide heat and possibly power 
to the Rock-Tenn paper recycling facility, which 
processes half of all the recycled paper in the state.

Since 1983, Rock-Tenn has met its huge appetite 
for heat by getting steam through a 5-mile 
pipeline connected to the High Bridge power plant 
near downtown St. Paul. When Xcel Energy shuts 
down the coal-fired plant this summer, the steam 
production will cease, forcing Rock-Tenn to look elsewhere for heat.

A study by Minneapolis' Green Institute outlines 
several biomass options for fueling a plant at 
Rock-Tenn, including burning yard waste, 
demolition materials or farmed native grasses. 
The report concludes that those options appear to 
be too expensive, in need of further study or otherwise problematic.

Local officials are deeply concerned about the 
fate of Rock-Tenn and the 500 high-paying jobs 
there. Having weathered the departures of 
industrial giants such as Whirlpool, 3M and now 
Ford Motor Co., many do not want to see another major business leave town.

The key to keeping the company in town is 
replacing its source of steam heat. But doing 
that is like solving a compli-cated

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puzzle.

Rock-Tenn, the St. Paul Port Authority and 
District Energy - the downtown energy utility 
that cools and heats much of the area by burning 
yard waste - have signed an agreement to explore 
building a power plant on Rock-Tenn's 43-acre 
campus using renewable technologies. The Port 
Authority would own it; District Energy would 
operate it; and Rock-Tenn would be the major customer.

But in the report, none of those technologies 
emerges as a clear-cut alternative to 
refuse-derived fuel (RDF), proving there is no magic bullet to save Rock-Tenn.

"To get an economically feasible plant working at 
Rock-Tenn, you have to have a certain amount of 
RDF," said Anders Rydaker, the head of District 
Energy, who has reviewed a draft of the report.

That likely will cause a fair amount of teeth 
gnashing in the neighborhoods that have grown up 
around Rock-Tenn since it was built in 1908. The 
Green Institute's report was paid for by Ramsey 
and Washington counties, Rock-Tenn, District 
Energy, the Port Authority, the city of St. Paul 
and Eureka Recycling and was intended to counter an earlier county study.

Many neighbors do not want refuse-derived fuel 
burned there, and two of the three City Council 
candidates running to represent the area have 
come out against it. While backers say it doesn't 
smell, there is a fear that is does, since it is 
processed from household garbage.

Xcel Energy operates two refuse-derived fuel 
facilities in the state, one in Red Wing, Minn., 
and one near Mankato, Minn. A spokeswoman for the 
company said no complaints have been received in 
connection with either of those facilities.

But that may not be enough to ease the fears of 
Rock-Tenn's residential neighbors.

For years, the plant has been a good neighbor, 
even striking a "good neighbor agreement" with 
surrounding community groups. But the loss of its 
steam heat because of Xcel Energy's High Bridge 
plant converting to a natural gas facility 
presents options that no one, not even Rock-Tenn, likes.

For one thing, until a new plant is built, 
Rock-Tenn will be allowed to burn fuel oil to 
fire its plant. It has always had the permit but 
rarely has it fired up its boilers. Rock-Tenn's 
permit allows it to pump almost 300 tons of 
particulate matter into the atmosphere.

That's why everyone's searching for a better 
option. But making it work is proving to be a challenge.

The Green Institute's report notes that wood 
waste, which District Energy uses to fire its 
downtown plant, is a limited source. Construction 
and demolition waste is in need of further study 
because the availability and the cost of 
separating materials contaminated with lead and 
arsenic from burnable materials is unknown.

Other options, such as burning farmed grasses, 
have not been tried and likely would prove more 
expensive than burning natural gas, which is itself becoming extremely pricey.

"I think there are some options out there," 
Rock-Tenn plant manager Jack Greenshields said. 
"Whether it's a cost-effective alternative to RDF is another question."

It's apparent that using refuse-derived fuel is, 
at the very least, going to take some convincing. 
While the state officially considers it a 
renewable resource, it's another matter at the street level.

"The neighbors don't seem to consider that a 
renewable source," said Justin Eibenholzl, an 
environmental coordinator for the Southeast Como 
Improvement Association, a Minneapolis 
neighborhood group. "If that's going to be 
considered, I think there's going to have to be a lot of selling."

Whatever the final solution is, it likely will be 
an outcome that represents a delicate balance of 
community concerns, technological possibilities 
and economics. But one thing everyone seems committed to is saving Rock-Tenn.

Not only does it provide high-paying jobs and, on 
a daily basis, recycle 1 percent of all the paper 
recycled in the United States, but the company 
also pumps $75 million into the state's economy 
in spending on goods and services, the Port Authority's Lorrie Louder said.

"We are not talking small potatoes. We are 
talking about a huge economic benefit to the state of Minnesota," Louder said.

Jason Hoppin can be reached at jhoppin@no.address or 651-292-1892.

Rock-Tenn

Built: 1908

Jobs: 500

What it does: Processes half of all recycled 
paper in Minnesota. Uses heat to turn paper and cardboard into pulp.

Losing steam: A source of cheap steam goes away 
this summer when Xcel Energy shuts down its riverfront coal-fired plant.

Looking for heat: The firm is considering 
building a heat plant fired by "refuse-derived fuel."

Refuse-Derived Fuel

What it is: Processed household garbage.

Where it's used: Xcel Energy plants in Red Wing 
and near Mankato and a Great River Energy plant in Elk River.

Odor: Some worry about the smell, but backers say it does not stink.

Pros: Takes what would ordinarily be headed for 
landfill and uses it to produce energy.

Cons: Some environmentalists say waste should be 
reduced, not counted on to produce energy.
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    * 
<http://pod01.prospero.com/dir-app/acx/ACDispatch.aspx?webtag=kr-twincitiestm&action=message&msg=1129.3>The 
community residents who don't want an RDF burner, a type of...
    * 
<http://pod01.prospero.com/dir-app/acx/ACDispatch.aspx?webtag=kr-twincitiestm&action=message&msg=1129.2>Yeah, 
converting their clean coal buring plant to natural gas, when...
    * 
<http://pod01.prospero.com/dir-app/acx/ACDispatch.aspx?webtag=kr-twincitiestm&action=message&msg=1129.1>I 
believe that this issue is "fall out" from the "win-win"...
<http://pod01.prospero.com/dir-app/acx/ACDispatch.aspx?webtag=kr-twincitiestm&action=message&msg=1129>»Read 
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