solid waste infrastructure

landfills and waste-to-energy plants

Even as modern environmental policies and regulations related to solid waste disposal has served to decrease the volumes of residual solid waste materials that are not otherwise re-cycled, re-used, re-purposed or processed, there are still significant volumes of such residual waste that needs to be either landfilled or incinerated as a final process in the solid waste cycle.  It has been recognized by many municipalities that much of this residual solid waste material may possess sufficient energy content to produce worthwhile and commercially viable heat and electricity energy.  "Waste-to-Energy" projects tend to exhibit a number of direct benefits and positive externalities.  These benefits include reduction of volumes entering landfills, recovery of "waste heat" that would otherwise be wasted during incineration, and lower-carbon heat and electricity generation in comparison to fossil fuels (including gas, coal, lignite, oil and diesel).  Developing such "waste-to-energy" plants can exhibit a directly positive cost-benefit relationship.  In other cases, the projects are determined feasible only when the positive externalities are considered.

If the opportunity is available, "waste-to-energy" plants can gain efficiencies when combined with other biomass (such as sewage sludge, wood and agricultural biomass feedstocks) or co-/multi-fuel generators.  Co-fired biomass and fossil fuels plants can deliver more efficient combustion of waste and other biomass feedstocks, reduce consumption of the fossil fuel feedstocks, improve net plant efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.  Solid waste and other biomass feedstocks tend to have lower unit carbon emissions than all fossil fuels, and may also have lower particulate emissions in comparison to certain fossil fuels such as coal, lignite, oil and diesel.

In many parts of the world, the development and construction of new solid waste landfills has also evolved into a much more complex undertaking.  Typically, in these cases, the environmental and social plans and the permitting regimes require impervious barriers to prevent any groundwater leeching or rainwater runoff, biological digesters, methane capture systems and land restoration plans.  In the case that a portion of the solid waste will be combusted in a "waste-to-energy" facility or otherwise incinerated, the landfill may also need to accommodate the fly ash byproducts as well.

In many client cases, there may also be a significant nexus between "waste-to-energy", energy, and wastewater infrastructure assets (and potentially other infrastructure sectors that we cover).  For example, there may be opportunities for generation power through a biomassco-generation plant which consumes sewer sludge by-products, solid waste and other organic materials (biomass such as wood and agricultural based waste products).  We take a client-focused, multi-sectoral approach to our advisory services, where combining our expertise in solid waste, energy and wastewater (and other complementary sectors) will result in added-value and innovative results for our clients.

DCS experts can assist both public and private sector clients in evaluating, planning, financing, developing, constructing, operating and managing solid waste landfills and "waste-to-energy" plants and facilities within the a municipal/regional solid waste utility.  We can add significant value through application of innovative technologies and processes, and public-private partnerships in the solid waste collection segment.  Our advisory services help our clients align the benefits of private sector capital, innovation, "know-how", efficiencies and management capabilities with the public sector objectives of most efficiently providing and ensuring safe, efficient and environmentally responsible solid waste services to citizens at affordable prices (solid waste tariffs and fees).  We can also assist our clients in identifying and procuring suitable vendors, technology and service providers in the solid waste landfill and "waste-to-energy" sector.   Our experts also have significant experience and competence in delivering solid waste collection assets within the various market model contexts, including under a regulated or deregulated utility regime, and public-private partnership contractual models such as regulated user-fee, availability or hybrid concession agreements.  

Please click on the below links to learn more about the specific services related to the solid waste landfills and "waste-to-energy" segment that DCS experts can offer:​

• ​Transaction Advisory
• Project/Program Management
• Strategic Planning
• Feasibility Studies
• Debt and Equity Capital Raising
• Contract Drafting & Negotiation
• Financial Modeling, Review and Audit
• Business and Asset Valuation​
• Tender Management: RFEI/RFQ/RFP
• Mergers & Acquisitions Advisory
• Workouts and Restructuring​
• Corporate Governance
• Training and Capacity Building

DCS focuses on providing the above services in the solid waste recycling and processing segment to the following categories of clients:

• Developers/Sponsors/Concessionaires
• Investors
• Corporations
• Governments/Governmental Entities
• Contractors/Vendors
• Utilities
• Lenders
• Regulators​
• Investment Banks
• International Agencies
• International Finance Institutions

WHAT WE DO

SECTORS covered