Prince William Energy Park (PWEP) – Technical and Economic Feasibility Study and Project Plan

GBB was selected to explore the renewable energy technologies available for use on the County landfill.  For technologies found to be applicable for the site, GBB investigated their technical requirements and limitations, order-of-magnitude costs, revenue potential, market maturity and acceptability.  GBB also analyzed and presented implementation options for the Prince William Energy Park (PWEP), including ownership options, financing and cash flow implications, risk allocations, management roles and requirements, procurement implications, and present the options to the County.

Based on the results of the analysis and the procurement process selected by the County, GBB prepared a preliminary development plan outlining the potential uses of the site, the roles and responsibilities of the development team members, the scheduling of the development process, and preliminary financial projections for the County.

As part of the feasibility analysis, GBB considered the impact of the redevelopment of the site on the regulatory requirements for post-closure care, on-site and off-site land use and environmental considerations, permitting requirements, electrical interconnection requirements and costs, energy markets, funding sources, development costs of the County, procurement issues and other related matters.

Procurement of Organic Waste Processing Facility

The County officially started construction of a brand-new facility to process yard waste, food scraps, and wood waste in December 2018. Phased construction of the new facility was anticipated to take approximately two years and it was completed in September 2020. On September 16, 2020Prince William County hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for the opening of the advanced organics management facility.

As per the innovative 20-year public-private partnership (PPP) agreement with the facility’s owner and operator, Freestate Farms, which includes extension options, the facility will recycle more than 80,000 tons of organic waste a year into high-value compost, soil products, and non-synthetic fertilizers. The types of organic material accepted at this new facility are yard waste, pre-consumer and post-consumer food waste. The acceptance of post-consumer food waste expands the types of organic waste previously able to be received by the County and will greatly expand the region’s ability to compost food waste overall.

GBB has been working closely with the County on the technical and economic feasibility study, planning and implementation of the Prince William Renewable Energy Park and on the procurement process for this new state-of-the-art organics management facility. Among the expected benefits of the PPP are the creation of 20-25 jobs, increased organics processing capacity, increased recycling rate, extended landfill life, and setting a solid foundation on which to build a comprehensive County-wide organic waste management program.

Thomas Smith, Freestate Farms, and other members of the Project Team cutting the ribbon together signaling the opening of the facility and an expansion of the types of food waste acceptable by the County, on September 16, 2020.

See this 2-minute Prince William County video of the ribbon cutting ceremony, highlighting the new facility:

Solar/Wind Project Procurement

As part of the Prince William Renewable Energy Park (PWREP), GBB was selected by Prince William County to assist with the development of solar and/or wind energy project(s) at its landfill. The project included the procurement of a full-service design-build-own-operate developer or developers of such project(s).

In coordination with the County, GBB developed and issued an RFP for the project(s) and assisted the County in evaluating responses, recommending the most advantageous project or combination of projects and negotiating a development agreement with the selected developer(s).  The RFP will describe the opportunity for potential developers, who could then submit their qualifications and complete technical and financial proposals. The County planned to involve both the PWREP Development Advisory Team and the PWREP Citizens’ Advisory Committee in this process. GBB provided technical assistance to the County, as well as support  and coordination of the activities of those two special groups.

Waste Conversion Project Procurement

GBB assisted with the development of a demonstration plant (≤100 ton/day) of an emerging MSW WTE conversion technology (e.g., pyrolysis, gasification, anaerobic digestion, plasma torch, etc.) at the landfill. The demonstration plant will be part of the PWREP. The first step of the procurement process identified and described the opportunity for possible developers and  the second step involved asking a short list of qualified potential proposers for a complete technical and financial proposal. The County planned to involve both the PWREP Development Advisory Team and the PWREP Citizens’ Advisory Committee in the process. GBB provided technical assistance to the County, as well as support to and coordination of the activities of those two special groups.