Last night (April 7, 2016), the Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County’s Renewable Energy Facility 2 (REF 2) was named Project of the Year by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Palm Beach Branch. The award honors a project that demonstrates civil engineering excellence in research, design, construction or management.
“We are very pleased with this recognition,” said Ramana Kari, the SWA’s Chief Engineer. “The SWA, our consulting engineer partner, ARCADIS, and our construction partners Babcock & Wilcox, KBR and CDM Smith have built a state-of-the-art waste-to-energy facility that will serve the waste disposal needs of the residents of Palm Beach County for decades to come.”
REF 2 is a $672 Million renewable energy facility that began commercial operations in June 2015. The most advanced and cleanest waste-to-energy power plant in North America, REF 2 can process 1 million tons of municipal solid waste a year. The waste is combusted to generate electricity and conserve landfill space.
“Our goal is to provide excellent waste management services to the people of Palm Beach County,” said Kari. “This award demonstrates the value that REF 2 brings to our community.”
The ASCE Palm Beach’s Project of the Year award is based on innovative application of technology, value to the engineering profession, social and economic considerations, and the complexity of the project, among other criteria. As a winner of this award, the REF 2 project will be submitted to the Florida Section of ASCE for the statewide awards competition.
The REF 2 project has also been honored with the 2015 Crown Communities Award for Sustainability by American City and County Magazine.
About the American Society of Civil Engineers<.strong> – The American Society of Civil Engineers represents more than 150,000 members of the civil engineering profession in 177 countries. The ASCE Palm Beach Branch is a part of the Florida Section, and includes members from Palm Beach County. With active committees, outreach opportunities, networking and social events, and professional education opportunities, the ASCE Palm Beach advances professional knowledge and improves the practice of civil engineering.
About the Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County – The Florida Legislature created the SWA, a governmental agency, through the Palm Beach County Solid Waste Act in 1975. Since then, SWA has dutifully served Palm Beach County’s residents by implementing an award-winning Integrated Solid Waste Management System that takes care of the processing and disposal of the county’s trash and recyclables.
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