Covanta and the Lancaster County (Pa.) Solid Waste Management Authority (LCSWMA) have reached a new agreement for the operation and maintenance of LCSWMA’s two waste-to-energy facilities: the Lancaster Waste-to-Energy (WTE) Facility, located in Bainbridge and the Susquehanna Resource Management Complex (SRMC), located in Harrisburg.

Combined, these two facilities process around 700,000 tons of waste annually. The new agreement, which was finalized at the end of 2017, extends the collaboration between LCSWMA and Covanta through 2032.

Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

“LCSWMA is proud to continue working with such an experienced and industry-leading company like Covanta,” LCSWMA CEO Jim Warner said in a statement. “Waste-to-energy has been a critical component of LCSWMA’s integrated system that minimizes landfill consumption and generates renewable energy for our community. Covanta has been a vital partner in helping us achieve that goal with great success. This enhanced partnership will help LCSWMA continue offering cost-effective, sustainable waste management services to the residents and businesses we serve.”

LCSWMA retained Covanta to design, build and operate the Lancaster WTE Facility more than 20 years ago. The facility, which Covanta has operated since 1991, serves the sustainable waste management needs of Lancaster County, processing 1,200 tons of municipal solid waste per day to produce enough renewable energy to power 30,000 homes continuously. 

The SRMC, serves Dauphin County and the City of Harrisburg by processing up to 800 tons of municipal solid waste per day and generating approximately 23 megawatts of renewable energy that powers state capitol buildings in Harrisburg.

Covanta has operated the SRMC since 2007 and was critical in the turnaround of the facility, completing upgrades that allowed the facility to operate in a reliable and environmentally-sound manner. LCSWMA purchased the SRMC in 2013 from the City of Harrisburg and made significant investments and capital improvements to further enhance facility performance, along with improving customer service and aesthetics of the site.

“We are very pleased to continue our mutually-beneficial partnership with LCSWMA,” Joey Neuhoff, vice president and general manager of Covanta’s mid-Atlantic region, said in a statement. “LCSWMA has created a world-class integrated waste management system and we are proud of our contributions to that success. We look forward to our continued collaboration over the next 15 years.”

The new agreement stipulates investments and upgrades to the systems at both Energy-from-Waste facilities to ensure continued safe and reliable waste processing and energy production for many years to come.