COURTNEY McCLURE The Standard
NORTH DURHAM: Have you heard of the Durham-York Energy Centre (DYEC)? Did you know the DYEC regularly turns household waste into energy? Currently, the DYEC processes enough electricity to power about 10-thousand homes.
Respective operations at the DYEC began in 2016, according to the director of waste management services for Durham Region, Andrew Evans.
On an average day, approximately 24 trucks visit the DYEC. However, these trucks may not carry what you expect; some bring supplies to the facility, and others are responsible for garbage delivery.
The DYEC facility processes residential waste from, primarily, around Durham Region. However, some waste is also collected from York Region.
Collected materials include everything residents set out at the curbside for garbage pick-up. Materials from waste management facilities such as the Scugog Waste Management Facility in Port Perry is also included.
At the DYEC, material is placed into a combustion chamber, which is set above 1000 degrees Celsius. At the same time, the chamber is also heating up water. According to Mr. Evans, the water is “super-heated” and turned into high-pressure-steam. The steam is fed through a turbine, which produces electricity.
Residue leftover from the process (“bottom ash”) is sent through the facility for metal recovery before it is disposed. The materials (“flyash”) collected through the DYEC air pollution control system is treated at the facility and sent for disposal.
“We [recover] about 35-hundred tonnes of ferrous and non-ferrous metal per year,” said Mr. Evans.
Currently, the electricity produced at the DYEC is used to power residential homes and businesses. However, staff at the DYEC are working on processing thermal energy to heat homes across the region.
Mr. Evans said both kinds of ash are used at landfills as “daily cover”, which prevents animals from rummaging through such landfills.
Further benefits of the DYEC include reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the generation of steam energy, which can later be used for heating purposes and this method of waste management can create future job and business opportunities for many people.
“From a waste management perspective, [the DYEC has a] reliable disposal capacity,” explained Mr. Evans. “We don’t have to look at constructing or expanding a landfill.” Mr. Evans said he feels Durham Region has a reputation of being a leader when it comes to waste management.
Durham Regions holds the Guinness World Record for the most batteries collected in one day—this was awarded to the region over a decade ago in 2013. Over 5-thousand kilograms of batteries were collected by the region in a single day.
In relation to the DYEC and greenhouse gas, Mr. Evans described the DYEC as a “better than” alternative to traditional land filling. “And we do get the benefits of offsetting other electricity production within the province,” said Mr. Evans.
For more information, or to book a tour, please visit the DYEC website at durhamyorkwaste.ca.
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