Halifax council considers call for private sector compost proposals

Halifax's manager of solid waste says the best way to upgrade the city's composting system is to put out acall for proposals from the private sector.

"What we want to do is make sure we look at all the options that are out there," said Matt Keliher.

• Halifax report calls for major overhaul of composting system

A report on the state of Halifax's two existing processing plants describes a system that is at maximum capacity, has aging infrastructure and does not meet new provincial guidelines.

"A new system would improve the quality of the compost," said Keliher.

At the moment the compost is used by sod farms because Halifax does not have the time and space to let the material sit and cure longer.

The current system costs about $170 a tonne.A consultant's report outlined eightoptions that included upgrades to the existing plants, the replacement of one facility and the use of different technology.

The costs range from $148 a tonne to $209 a tonne.

Plasma-gasification?

One company is already interested in submitting a proposal.

Officials with Fourth State Energy say both Halifax's garbage andcompost could be turned into a synthetic fuel for half the price.

"Put it all into a plasma-gasification facility that could create a clean, renewable, energy," said Fourth State'sGord Helm, who is also Halifax's former head of waste management.

Plasma-gasification heats the material at extremely high temperatures in order to break down the molecules and create a gas that can be cleaned and stored.The system Fourth State wants to set up here is currently used by a company in France.

Halifax regional council has to decide if there should be a callfor proposals.But the city is supposed to comply with the province's new composting regulations by 2019.

• Read the council report