MaxWest Environmental opens gasification facility

An innovative MaxWest gasification system, first approved by the City of Sanford, Florida in 2008, began operating on May 21 at Sanford’s South Water Resource Center. The occasion also marks the official dedication by the City of its new Water Resource Center.

The MaxWest system will gasify Sanford’s treated wastewater sludge to provide renewable “green” thermal energy to replace energy from natural gas for the City’s sludge dryer. The energy in sludge is converted to heat safely and economically.

Because it is scalable, the gasification facility has sufficient capacity to meet Sanford’s expected growth over coming decades and also to serve as a disposal site for other nearby cities and private waste haulers.

This technology will provide Sanford with a long-term, green solution for sludge disposal while saving millions of dollars in natural gas fuel costs. Sanford’s 20-year contract with MaxWest also provides long-term energy price stability. And, as the system grows, the opportunity to produce renewable green electricity is available.

The City of Sanford has grown considerably over the last 25 years as the Central Florida region has expanded. Sanford has decided to seek environmentally friendly solutions for its waste streams.