Other Renewables

Wood Biomass Facilities

Covanta’s waste wood electrical generating plants include Pacific Oroville Power (18.7 MW), Mount Lassen Power (11.4 MW), Burney Mountain Power (11.4 MW) and approximately 49% ownership in Pacific Ultra-Power Chinese Station (25.6 MW). The electric power from these plants in combination provides enough power to supply approximately 67,000 homes. These plants are equipped with modern air pollution control equipment such as, electrostatic precipitators for particulate control and are monitored continuously to ensure that they meet stringent Federal and State air emissions permit limits. The electrical power from these facilities is sold to Pacific Gas and Electric Co. under a long term contract.

This renewable power is generated by utilizing wood fuel from a variety of sources including logging debris, logs from forest thinning, wood waste from lumber mills, highway right of way clearing, agricultural waste such as nut shells and fruit pits, and greenwaste collected from the communities we operate in. Fuel that is gathered in this way also contributes to a removal of accumulated fuel available on the forest floor and a reduction in wildfire potential. The use of this fuel and the greenwaste fuel also reduces the amount of open burning conducted in our communities which significantly reduces carbon monoxide smoke and particulates released by open burning. At Mount Lassen and Pacific Oroville Power each of these facilities receives approximately 5000 tons per year of greenwaste. Each of these facilities also receives wood waste which is diverted from landfill so that this fuel contributes to electrical generation while reducing the amount of material disposed of in landfills.

These renewable electric generating facilities produce numerous benefits for the communities they operate in, they diversify energy generation, reduce pollutants otherwise emitted into the air we breath, reduce fossil fuel based electric generation, and also contribute to a significant reduction in the emission of greenhouse gases.  

Burney Mountain Power - Burney, California
Electrical Generation Capacity	11.4 MW
Steam flow rating	105,000 lb/hr
Fuel Flow rating	15 tons/hr (green tons)
Heat Input rating	190 MMB.t.u./hr
Stack Flow	40,000 dscfm
Site Size:	40 ac. approx.
# of Employees	19

 

Mount Lassen Power – Westwood, California
Electrical Generation Capacity	11.4 MW
Steam flow rating	105,000 lb/hr
Fuel Flow rating	15 tons/hr (green tons)
Heat Input rating	190 MMB.t.u./hr
Stack Flow	46,000 dscfm
Site Size:	60 ac. approx.
# of Employees	19

Pacific Oroville Power Inc. – Oroville, California
Electrical Generation Capacity	18.7 MW
Steam flow rating	95,000 lb/hr each X(2)
Boilers	(2) Zurn fixed grate
Fuel Flow rating	28 tons/hr (green tons)
Heat Input rating	350 MMB.t.u./hr
Stack Flow	65,000 dscfm
Site Size:	30 ac. approx.
# of Employees	22

 

Pacific Ultra-Power Chinese Station – Jamestown, California
Electrical Generation Capacity	25.6 MW
Steam flow rating	220,000 lb/hr
Boilers	1 EPI Bubbling Fluidized Bed
Fuel Flow rating	42 tons/hr (green tons)
Heat Input rating	370 MMB.t.u./hr
Stack Flow	102,000 dscfm
Site Size:	30 ac. approx.
# of Employees:	22

 
Biogas Products

Subsidiaries of Covanta Holding Corporation own and operate four biogas projects in California. The projects are located on landfills owned by 3rd parties. Each project generates electric power using methane gas recovered from landfills. The projects are comprised of a “collection system” (a series of gas wells interconnected by a pipeline system) that is connected to a “conversion system” consisting of compressors and internal combustion engines that drive electric generators. The electricity generated by these projects is sold to various California utilities.

Otay Project
Located in San Diego County, CA
Gross generation: 7.4 MW

Oxnard Project
Located in Ventura County, CA
Gross generation: 5.6 MW

Salinas Project
Located in Salinas, CA
Gross generation: 1.5 MW

Stockton Project
Located in Stockton, CA
Gross generation: 0.8 MW