The city of Spokanes Public Works Committee is recommending a $2.4 million turbine upgrade at the waste-to-energy plant.


The facilitys turbine needs to be replaced or rebuilt about every 10 years, says Roger Flint, the committees director. The turbine is 11 years old, he says.


Wheelabrator Spokane Inc. manages the operation of the city-owned 25-megawatt facility and is contractually obligated to rebuild the turbine. That Hampton, N.H.-based company is paid by the city to incinerate waste, but currently doesnt receive proceeds from the sale of energy produced there.


Wheelabrator has given two turbine-improvement proposals to the Public Works Committee.


The first proposal, which fulfills Wheelabrators contractual obligation, would cost between $450,000 and $750,000, and calls for a basic rebuilding of the turbine. The rebuilt turbine would be about 2 percent more efficient in power production than the old turbine, which means it would generate about 500 more kilowatts, or enough to power 250 homes. That would result in increased revenue from power sales of nearly $250,000 a year, all of which would go to the citys solid waste program, Flint says.


The second proposal goes beyond whats required by contract and includes a $2.4 million upgrade of the turbine to make it more efficient. That would boost energy production about 7 percent, or by about 1.75 megawatts, enough to power 875 homes. That proposal would increase revenue by $866,000, but the city wouldnt get all of that money. Because Wheelabrator would be spending substantially more on the turbine enhancements than is required by its contract, it would receive 75 percent of the revenue increase for the first five yearsor almost $650,000 a yearto help it recoup the cost of the upgrade. The remaining 25 percent, roughly $216,000 a year, would go to the city, he says. Starting in the sixth year of use of the upgraded turbine, Wheelabrator and the city would split the proceeds evenly, each receiving about $433,000 annually.


Thus, over a 10-year period the city would receive projected revenue of about $3.2 million, compared with just $2.5 million under the less expensive proposal.


After reviewing the two proposals, the Public Works Committee decided to recommend the second proposal to the Regional Solid Waste Liaison Board, which will review the proposals and make a recommendation on them to the City Council, and if necessary, to the Spokane County Commission.


The city of Spokane owns the waste-to-energy plant and is contracted to handle solid waste disposal for Spokane County and for other cities inside the county. The Liaison Board is made up of representatives from the governing bodies of those municipalities. Solid waste proposals involving expenditures of $1 million or more need approval from both the Spokane City Council and the county commissioners, while those that are for less than $1 million need to be approved only by the City Council. All proceeds the city receives from the facility stay within the solid waste system.


Last year, a $1.25 million upgrade of the facilitys constant-speed motors improved its electrical generating capacity by about 1 megawatt. The sale of that power is expected to bring in an additional $757,000 annually.