Covanta Announces New NOx Emission Control Technologies

Both technologies, for which patents are pending, have been tested at existing Covanta facilities and are now ready for full-scale commercial application.

The Covanta LN technology will enable existing energy-from-waste facilities to cut NOx emissions well below their already low levels. According to the company, this new technology is capable of achieving NOx emissions below U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requirements; even without the use of Selective Non-Catalytic Reduction (SNCR) systems currently used at most energy-from-waste facilities in the U.S. Furthermore, when Covanta LN technology is coupled with SNCR systems, it drops NOx emissions to approximately half of current regulatory limits.

A similar but more advanced technology to be made available for new boiler units has been developed in collaboration with Covanta's long-time technology partner, Martin GmbH. It will be marketed in the U.S. under the name Covanta VLN. This technology is capable of reducing NOx emissions to levels below even those demonstrated by the LN technology, and at the same time lowering the capital cost for new units by improving overall boiler efficiency.

"We are excited about the new Covanta VLN technology because it gives us a competitive advantage when pursuing facility expansion or greenfield energy-from-waste opportunities," said Covanta's Chief Executive Officer Anthony Orlando. "In addition, we are pleased to be able to offer the Covanta LN technology to our existing client communities."