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Comprehensive Review of S olid W aste Collection and Disposal Options v2.1 176 10/22/12 12.6.3 Summary of Readiness for Commercial Operations Some, but not all of the alternative WC technologies are ready for commercial operation. Exhibit 12-15 summarizes the technologies discussed herein and whether, in SCS’s opinion, they are ready for pilot plant or commercial operation on a scale necessary to serve the Town or Region. Exhibit 12 -15. Summary of Main Processes Process Pre-Processing By-Product Primary Product Pilot Plant Readiness Commercial Readiness Pyrolysis High Ash Syngas/Oil Yes No Gasification Medium Ash/Slag Syngas/Char Yes No Autoclave Low None/Recyclables Pulp Yes Yes Anaerobic Digestion Medium/High Filtrate Water Biogas/Compost Yes Yes Hydrolysis High Waste Water/Ash Ethanol Yes No Aerobic Digestion Medium/High None Compost Yes Yes Plasma Gasification Claims Low/High Slag Syngas Yes No As depicted, each of the seven technologies have demonstrated pilot plant readiness either nationally or internationally; however, only three of the technologies appear ready for commercial scale operations. These three technologies are the biological processes and the Autoclave process. With the exception of the autoclave, each of these technologies requires pre- processing requirements to remove potential contaminants from the incoming waste stream. 12.6.4 Capital and Operatin g Costs As described, due to the relatively recent development of the alternative WC technologies, there are few, if any, full-scale operational plants in the U.S. Thus, there are not reliable figures readily available for capital and operating costs. Two large, relatively recent studies were conducted as part of a detailed review of alternative waste conversion technologies in the U.S. The on-going studies were sponsored by Los Angeles County California, as continuation of that region’s program initiated in 2003 to further address the regions acute problems with energy pricing and availability, air quality, traffic congestion and reliance on landfills that had limited useful life. The original study screened 27 technologies in the initial phase (2005) and reduced the list to 5 “finalists” technologies in the subsequent 2007 report. The finalists are planning to build small-scale demonstration plants to prove their respective technologies. Although there have been other large alternative technology screening/evaluation studies conducted (i.e., New York City, 2004), the L.A. County studies seem to have the most detailed information on projected U.S.-based plant costs and economics. Exhibit 12-16 summarizes the project economics for five finalist biological and thermal alternative WC technologies that were developed as part of the L.A. County study in 2007.