Waste disposal is a worldwide environmental problem with political and environmental movements demanding safer methods of handling waste. LINK has been engaged to operate and maintain the first in a series of facilities that convert municipal solid waste into fuel grade ethanol. Each facility processes incoming waste with methods comparable to Municipal Refuse Facilities (MRFs).
The cellulose-based component is directed through a series of proprietary processes that ultimately yields ethanol of high purity. The facilities will be designed to accept municipal biosolids from water treatment facilities; these biosolids are processed and used as fuel in a gasifier that produces steam for the facility processes. The overall biosolids/MSW/ethanol process is highly efficient, and can reduce or eliminate tomorrow's environmental liabilities and future landfilling and hauling/collection costs.
This project ideally takes advantage of LINK's experience and capabilities, as well as our culture and disposition. Complex technologies, labor intensive processes, the full spectrum of issues to address (including finance, operations, maintenance, IT, personnel, infrastructure, environmental, regulatory, communications, and public relations. Link will also play an integral role during the engineer/ procure/ construct/ commission process where we will have operability and maintainability design input, commissioning management, performance test execution, and will manage the transition into commercial operations. Link will design and develop the entire process and administrative infrastructure for the facilities, and will develop the Enterprise Management system for the fleet of facilities.