DOI awards $250K technical assistance grant to fund
waste composition study for ASPA
The American Samoa Power Authority has been awarded a technical assistance grant of $250,000 from the Department of Interior, to fund a waste composition study at its Futiga landfill, which is a vital component in ASPA’s plans to establish, among other things, an energy-from-waste (EfW) facility.
ASPA CEO Michael Keyser expressed his appreciation and thanks to DOI’s Director of the Office of Insular Affairs Nikolao Pula for his support. “The OIA, and in particular, Mr. Pula, have been ardent supporters of ASPA. I’m pleased to have such a rewarding and productive working relationship with him,” said Keyser, who also expressed his gratitude to Governor Togiola Tulafono and Lt. Governor Faoa Ipulasi Sunia for writing letters of support to DOI.
“The Governor and Lieutenant Governor understand the importance of this study as the foundation upon which we can significantly reduce our dependence on diesel fuel,” Keyser said.
The ASPA CEO said the waste composition study will be an invaluable resource in the semi-autonomous agency’s short and long term internal solid waste master plan – which includes landfill management, solid waste collection services and soon, the operation of an EfW.
He said the feasibility and implementation of an EfW facility has been identified by ASPA’s board of directors and management team “as an attainable renewable energy achievement, and is clearly a synergy between our electric and solid waste divisions.”
Keyser said ASPA wishes to pursue the opportunity vigorously. And to accomplish this task, a waste characterization analysis is paramount. This includes an approximation of the quantity of municipal solid waste collected by ASPA, which can be accomplished through use of data collected through on-site sorting and supplemented with waste generation rates and American Samoa Customs import/export data.
A waste characterization analysis also includes estimates of MSW composition.
In his July 28 letter of support to Pula, Governor Togiola said the waste composition study is critical not only to ASPA’s strategic planning on renewable energy, landfill management and solid waste collection, but also to the territory’s integrated approach to waste management.
He added that Hawaii shares the same challenges faced by American Samoa and ASPA, which is the over-dependent demand for imported oil and the rising cost of electricity.
Togiola said for many years, American Samoa has relied on the Futiga landfill for its solid waste disposal. “Although inexpensive to operate, it accumulates substantial long-term costs in terms of public health and environmental damages,” Togiola told Pula, adding that EfW is the most responsible means of solid waste disposal, as it reduces the volume of waste that must be disposed in an environmentally-friendly manner, generates valuable renewable energy, and results in a net reduction of greenhouse gas emissions when compared to conventional landfill practices, not to mention the reduction from mitigating the burning of fossil fuel in the generators.
ASPA’s Chief Operating Officer Reno Vivao said the waste composition study will establish EfW capacity and energy output estimates based on the identified waste quantities/qualities, and will make recommendations as to technologies that would apply, based on the quantity and composition of the MSW, to be operated in conjunction with the operation of a small sanitary landfill to receive the ash byproduct.
Vivao said the facility will reduce the quantity of waste destined for the landfill “by a whopping 90%, allowing us to extend the life of the landfill by a significant margin.”
Keyser said they are vigorously pursuing EfW because it is the lowest-hanging fruit that will have the most significant impact on the island. He explained that EfW has the potential to offset three million plus gallons of diesel per year, or $15 million plus in fuel costs.
While those are preliminary estimates, the ASPA CEO said they’re very promising. “There may also be the opportunity to oversize the facility and accept neighboring islands’ trash to produce energy,” he added. “That concept is really exciting.”
Earlier this year in July, ASPA issued a request for proposals (RFP) to evaluate, negotiate, and contract with a professional consulting firm to conduct the waste composition study at the Futiga landfill, and provide associated recommendations for the sizing and scoping of an EfW power generation facility.
Two companies submitted proposals prior to the Aug. 26 deadline and the ASPA board of directors will be making their selection in a couple of weeks. The study is expected to start shortly thereafter.
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