SAUGUS – WIN Waste Innovations will begin a scheduled maintenance project that will require the steam turbine generator at the waste-to-energy facility in Saugus to be taken offline, resulting in the venting of steam through the industrial silencer. The silencer, installed in 2021, has consistently performed as designed, muting the steam that would otherwise vent audibly through the roof while the turbine is offline. The facility’s emission controls, which are designed to protect public health and ensure safe air quality, will continue to operate normally throughout the outage, maintaining performance well within stringent state and federal permit limits.
This turbine project, scheduled to run from Sept. 15 to Nov. 16, takes place every 5-7 years to ensure the facility continues to be a reliable disposal site serving local communities. The Saugus facility converts up to 1,500 tons of residential and commercial waste into renewable energy daily. That energy is transferred to the grid and powers the local community, including 16,000 homes, and offsets 343,000 barrels of oil annually.
The WIN Waste facility serves as an economic engine for Saugus and the region, providing 60 full-time jobs and contributing approximately $28 million to the region, $8 million of which is directly spent in Saugus. This local spending generates $7 million of additional economic activity, 36 additional jobs and $4 million of new taxes and investments in the community.
While we fully expect the silencer to mitigate any noise that would occur from steam venting, there will be a visual plume from the facility, and we ask that any questions about the facility’s scheduled outage be directed toward Mary Urban ([email protected]).
What is happening?
An overhaul of the steam turbine – which takes place every 5-7 years, in addition to regular maintenance – is scheduled to run from approximately September 15 to November 16. With the turbine offline, the steam that is produced as part of the power-generation process is instead vented through the silencer and ultimately the roof. The steam will be visible but not audible as it leaves the silencer.
The turbine overhaul, which will be done by GE Steam Power, consists of repairing, cleaning and tuning parts. The turbine will be taken off-site for the work to be completed, with a portion of the work being done locally in Lynn.
Why is it necessary?
WIN Waste regularly repairs and maintains our facilities to ensure reliable regional waste disposal and compliance with strict regulatory environmental and safety permits. The turbine is a high-performing component of the facility’s energy system, and this project is designed to preserve its efficiency and reliability for years to come.
What can we expect to see?
A large visual steam plume will be routed through the silencer and exiting the roof of the facility for most of the scheduled outage. The steam is a byproduct of the waste-to-energy process, which is normally utilized to power the turbine and create renewable energy.
In addition to the turbine overhaul, WIN Waste will conduct scheduled outages of the two boilers over the last two weeks of September. Each boiler will be taken offline separately, though there will be a period of several days in which the facility will be in a cold-iron outage, with both burners offline. The facility will prioritize our local municipalities and continue to receive municipal solid waste from Saugus and the surrounding communities during this maintenance period.
The facility’s emission controls, which are designed to protect public health and ensure safe air quality, will continue to operate normally throughout the outage — maintaining performance well within stringent state and federal permit limits.
Where can I learn more about the Saugus waste-to-energy facility and how it operates?
