Buncombe County is issuing this Request for Expressions of Interest (REOI) to determine the level of interest and feasibility of a landfill gas-to-energy (LFGE)...

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST Landfill Gas Beneficial Use Evaluation for the Buncombe County Landfill Alexander, North Carolina Date of Issue: Tuesday, May 9, 2023 Proposal Due Date: Thursday, June 29, 2023, 3:00 PM ET Issued for: Buncombe County Solid Waste Department 81 Panther Branch Road Alexander, North Carolina 28701 (828) 250-5460 Issued by: Buncombe County Procurement Office 200 College Street, Suite 420 Asheville, North Carolina 28801 (828) 250-4154 REOI: LFG Beneficial Use Evaluation – Buncombe County Landfill i Table of Contents Section Page ADVERTISEMENT FOR REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST ......................................................... 2 Section 1 – Introduction .................................................................................................................... 3 Background ............................................................................................................................... 3 Overview of Procurement and

Implementation Process ........................................................ 3 Expression of Interest (EOI) Submission ................................................................................. 3 Rights of the County ................................................................................................................. 4 Cost Incurred by Respondents ................................................................................................ 4 Section 2 – Facility Information ........................................................................................................ 5 Facility Description ................................................................................................................... 5 Waste Stream ........................................................................................................................... 5 Landfill Gas ............................................................................................................................... 6 Section 3 – Expressions of Interest .................................................................................................. 9 Organization of Expressions of Interest .................................................................................. 9 Letter of Transmittal ........................................................................................................... 9 Section 1 - Respondent Contact Person and Company/Team Information .................... 9 Section 2 – Relevant Experience and Qualifications .................................................... 10 Section 3 – Description of Proposed LFGE Options ...................................................... 10 Section 4 – Implementation Approach and Schedule .................................................. 10 Section 4 – Evaluation Criteria ....................................................................................................... 11 Tables Table 1. Tons of Waste Received ....................................................................................................... 6 Table 2. Landfill Gas Composition ...................................................................................................... 7 Table 3. Modeled Compared to Actual Flow Rates ........................................................................... 7 Table 4. Estimated Flow Rates ........................................................................................................... 7 Table 5. EOI Organization .................................................................................................................... 9 REOI: LFG Beneficial Use Evaluation – Buncombe County Landfill 2 ADVERTISEMENT FOR REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST Buncombe County Solid Waste Department Landfill Gas Beneficial Use Evaluation for the Buncombe County Landfill Alexander, North Carolina Issue Date: Tuesday, May 9, 2023 Title: Landfill Gas Beneficial Use Evaluation for the Buncombe County Landfill Issuing Agency & Address: Buncombe County Procurement Office 200 College Street, Suite 420 Asheville, North Carolina 28801 (828) 250-4154 Location of Work: Buncombe County Solid Waste Management Facility 85 Panther Branch Road, Alexander, North Carolina 28701 Proposed Term of Contract: To be determined Contact Person: Ron Venturella, Procurement Manager email: ron.venturella@buncombecounty.org Submittal packages must be labeled: EOI for Landfill Gas Beneficial Use Evaluation for the Buncombe County Landfill Pre-submittal Meeting: A mandatory pre-submittal meeting will be conducted on Wednesday, May 24, 2023 from 9:00 to 10:00 AM ET at the Buncombe County Landfill Administration Office Building located at 85 Panther Branch Road, Alexander, North Carolina 28701. Submittals are due before Thursday, June 29, 2023 at 3:00 PM ET to the Buncombe County Procurement Office. Submittals will be date stamped and recorded as they are received. Submittals received after this date and time will not be considered. The County requests one (1) electronic copy of the Submittal from each Company via email. mailto:ron.venturella@buncombecounty.org REOI: LFG Beneficial Use Evaluation – Buncombe County Landfill 3 SECTION 1 – INTRODUCTION Buncombe County (County) has issued this Request for Expressions of Interest (REOI) to determine the level of interest and feasibility of a landfill gas-to-energy (LFGE) project at the County’s active Subtitle D landfill. The County currently has an electrical generation landfill gas project using a Jenbacher engine and the EOI would present the next generation beneficial end use. The County is interested in reviewing any and all ideas and concepts from experienced and qualified firms. Once the outside level of interest and options are determined from the REOI process, a Request for Proposals (RFP) may be developed and issued. BACKGROUND The Buncombe County Solid Waste Management Facility is located on NC 251 in Alexander, North Carolina approximately 9 miles northwest of Asheville, North Carolina (see Figure 1). The French Broad River borders the site to the south and west. This site covers approximately 654 acres, west of US Highway 25/70. The facility serves only the residents of Buncombe County. The 2021 population of Buncombe County was estimated to be 271,534. Buncombe County, approximately 659 square miles in area, includes the incorporated municipalities of Asheville, Biltmore Forest, Black Mountain, Montreat, Weaverville, and Woodfin. The facility has been accepting waste for disposal at the Subtitle D landfill since 1997. Information regarding the amount of waste in place, waste projections, expansion plans, and landfill gas composition and generation rates are included in Section 2. OVERVIEW OF PROCUREMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS The initial steps that the County plans to follow in procuring and developing a LFGE project are outlined below. At the culmination of the REOI process, the County will determine the feasibility of initiating a project during 2024 and whether to proceed with an RFP. If an LFGE project is pursued, the RFP will specify a schedule that will allow for installation and/or improvement of a system. 1. Issue Request for Expressions of Interest (REOI) May 9, 2023 2. Pre-submittal Mandatory Meeting Wednesday, May 24, 2023, 9:00am 3. Receive REOI Submittals Thursday, June 29, 2023, 3;00pm EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (EOI) SUBMISSION EOIs will be accepted until Thursday, June 29, 2023 at 3:00 PM ET. One (1) electronic copy of the EOI should be submitted via email to: Ron.Venturella@buncombecounty.org The EOIs should be marked “Expression of Interest - Landfill Gas Beneficial Use Evaluation for the Buncombe County Landfill” The requirements for EOI submittals are set forth in Section 3 of this REOI. Any addenda to this REOI, should they be necessary, will be issued to all REOI holders of record. No facsimile submissions will be accepted. mailto:Ron.Venturella@buncombecounty.org REOI: LFG Beneficial Use Evaluation – Buncombe County Landfill 4 RIGHTS OF THE COUNTY All responses, inquiries, or correspondence relating to this REOI will become the property of Buncombe County when received and will become subject to all appropriate public disclosure laws of the State of North Carolina. The County reserves the right to accept or reject any and/or all EOIs, to waive irregularities and technicalities, and to request resubmission. To the extent permitted by applicable statutes and rules, the County will maintain as confidential trade secrets in its proposal that a respondent does not wish disclosed. As a condition to confidential treatment, each page containing trade secret information shall be identified in boldface at the top and bottom as “CONFIDENTIAL” by the respondent, with specific trade secret information enclosed in boxes, marked in a distinctive color or by similar indication. Cost information shall not be deemed confidential under any circumstances. Regardless of what a respondent may label as a trade secret, the determination whether it is or is not entitled to protection will be determined in accordance with G.S. 132-1.2. Any material labeled as confidential constitutes a representation by the respondent that it has made a reasonable effort in good faith to determine that such material is, in fact, a trade secret under G.S. 132-1.2. respondents are urged and cautioned to limit the marking of information as a trade secret or as confidential so far as is possible. If a legal action is brought to require the disclosure of any material so marked as confidential, the County will notify respondent of such action and allow respondent to defend the confidential status of its information COST INCURRED BY RESPONDENTS Any cost incurred by respondents in preparing or submitting an EOI in response to this request shall be the respondent’s sole responsibility. REOI: LFG Beneficial Use Evaluation – Buncombe County Landfill 5 SECTION 2 – FACILITY INFORMATION FACILITY DESCRIPTION The Buncombe County Solid Waste Management Facility is located on a 654-acre site and includes: • 95-acre Subtitle D landfill • Construction and demolition debris (C&D) waste landfill • Landfill gas collection and control system • LFGTE facility with flare and electrical generator • Onsite electric vehicle charging station and electric vehicle • Wood waste mulching area • Convenience center for residential waste disposal, household hazardous waste and recycling • Drop-off area for white goods and tires The layout of the facility is shown in Figure 2. Seven of the planned ten Subtitle D landfill cells are constructed and Cells 1 through 6 have received waste. Cell 7 construction was completed in early 2023 and disposal operations have commenced. The landfill gas (LFG) collection and control system (GCCS) serves to collect the LFG generated by waste degradation in the Landfill, and it was installed on a non-regulatory basis (not currently subject to federal landfill air regulation). The system (see Figure 3) consists of: • Twenty-three (23) vertical LFG extraction wells constructed in 2010 • Two (2) LFG migration collectors at the landfill base of the north slope (near the flare) • One (1) leachate sump slope riser collector in Cell 5 • One (1) protective cover horizontal collectors in Cell 6 The landfill is also an US EPA bioreactor landfill and is allowed to recirculate leachate. Recirculation infrastructure is noted as HITs or horizontal injection trenches on Figure 3. The leachate recirculation system covers Cells 1 through 6 and ceased recirculating in Fall 2017 due to landfill operations. The County intends to re-initiate the recirculation program in Spring 2023 with the yearly potential of 400,000 gallons. The LFGTE facility and flare consists of a 500-standard cubic feet per minute (scfm) blower, a 3,000 scfm open flare, a 1.4-megawatt Jenbacher Model JGS420 LFG-fired engine preceded by a treatment system including dewatering, filtering, and compression. WASTE STREAM The annual quantity of solid waste received at the facility from Fiscal Years 1997-98 through December 2022 are shown in Table 1. The amount of waste in place is approximately 3,329,964 tons. It is estimated that approximately 90 percent of the waste disposed in the Subtitle D landfill is municipal solid waste (MSW) and the remainder consisting of C&D waste. The County anticipates an annual tonnage increase of 3 percent based on expected growth in the County. The landfill has a design capacity of approximately 9,700,000 tons. REOI: LFG Beneficial Use Evaluation – Buncombe County Landfill 6 Table 1. Tons of Waste Received Fiscal Year Tonnage Cumulative Tonnage Active Disposal Area 1997-98 86,622 86,622 Cells 1-3 1998-99 109,734 196,356 Cells 1-3 1999-00 120,143 316,499 Cells 1-3 2000-01 122,333 438,832 Cells 1-3 2001-02 146,690 585,522 Cells 4-5 2002-03 160,863 746,385 Cells 4-5 2003-04 170,170 916,555 Cells 4-5 2004-05 173,774 1,090,329 Cells 4-5 2005-06 122,034 1,212,363 Cells 4-5 2006-07 117,215 1,329,578 Cells 4-5 2008-09 143,994 1,473,572 Cell 6 2009-10 129,551 1,603,123 Cell 6 2010-11 113,497 1,716,620 Cell 6 2011-12 116,876 1,833,496 Cell 6 2012-13 109,317 1,942,813 Cell 6 2013-14 107,469 2,050,282 Cell 6 2014-15 113,026 2,163,308 Cell 6 2015-16 108,388 2,271,696 Cell 6 2016-17 112,883 2,384,579 Cell 6 2017-18 107,523 2,492,102 Cell 6 2018-19 115,068 2,607,170 Over Cells 1-6 2019-20 154,454 2,761,624 Over Cells 1-6 2020-21 184,320 2,945,944 Over Cells 1-6 2021-22 184,977 3,130,921 Over Cells 1-6 2022-23 135,665 3,266,586 Over Cells 1-6 07/01/22-12/31/22 63,378 3,329,964 Over Cells 1-6 LANDFILL GAS LFG composition was measured in April 2020 and August 2021. A summary of analytical results are presented in Table 2 and provided as Attachment A. REOI: LFG Beneficial Use Evaluation – Buncombe County Landfill 7 Table 2. Landfill Gas Composition Sample ID NMOC as Hexane (ppmv) Oxygen (%) Nitrogen (%) Methane (%) Carbon Dioxide (%) Siloxane (ppmv) April 2020 BC-PRE 560 1.2 7.2 53.6 36.9 0.28 BC-POST 724 1.2 7.2 53.4 36.7 0.38 August 2021 BUC - 1 674 2.5 14.5 48.4 34.4 -- BUC - 2 773 2.2 14.1 48.6 34.9 -- BUC - 3 791 2.1 14.2 48.6 34.9 -- During 2022, LFG flow rates averaged 350 scfm. The GCCS is a voluntary system, however, the County does have a Title V operating permit. SCS Engineers completed an LFG generation estimate in 2021 using a proprietary model. Table 3 presents the modeled theoretical maximum potential and the actual flow rates. Table 3. Modeled Compared to Actual Flow Rates Year Gas Flow Rates (scfm) Modeled Average Monthly Actual 2020 421 327 2021 391 394 2022 424 351 Based on the model flow rates compared to the actual flow rates, an average of a 13% decrease was realized more than likely based on the aging GCCS. This percent decrease was assessed to the modeled LFG flow rate estimates. It is assumed a GCCS improvement project is complete in 2023 and expansions in 2027and 2031. Table 4. Estimated Flow Rates Year Gas Flow Rates (scfm) 2022 351 2023 658 2024 591 2025 544 2026 485 2027 844 2028 765 REOI: LFG Beneficial Use Evaluation – Buncombe County Landfill 8 2029 692 2030 615 2031 951 2032 856 2033 765 2034 684 REOI: LFG Beneficial Use Evaluation – Buncombe County Landfill 9 SECTION 3 – EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST ORGANIZATION OF EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST The EOI shall conform to the format set forth in Table 5 below. Succinct submittals are encouraged. The County requests that submittals be limited to 20 pages or less. Table 5. EOI Organization Section Title Letter of Transmittal Table of Contents Section 1 – Respondent Contact Person and Company/Team Information Section 2 – Relevant Experience and Qualifications Section 3 – Description of Proposed LFGE Options Section 4 – Implementation Approach and Schedule Appendix A – Other Documents (if needed) Letter of Transmittal The Letter of Transmittal shall be prepared on the letterhead of the firm that would execute the agreement with the County. The Letter of Transmittal is intended to introduce the respondent and it should contain at least the following information: a) A summary of the firm’s interest and commitment to implementing a LFGE project at the Buncombe County Subtitle D landfill; and b) A statement that the respondent is prepared to meet the County’s procurement implementation schedule provided in Section 1 of this REOI. Section 1 - Respondent Contact Person and Company/Team Information This section shall designate the contact person (supplying name, address, telephone number, fax number and e-mail address) to which the County and consultant will send and receive all communication. This section shall also include at least the following: a) A short business history of the respondent; and b) Detailed information on the respondent, including organization, parent companies, affiliates and subsidiaries which would assist in performing the scopes of services. REOI: LFG Beneficial Use Evaluation – Buncombe County Landfill 10 Section 2 – Relevant Experience and Qualifications This section shall include a list of all LFG utilization projects for which the respondent has been the principal firm (U.S.A. projects only). A short description of at least three (3) of the most relevant projects should be provided and include: • Project name and location; • Landfill owner and operator name(s), point(s) of contact, and contact information; • Type of LFG utilization project and equipment used; • Type of contractual relationship/agreement between the firm and the owner (i.e. turnkey provider, gas user only, equity partner, etc.); and • Financing used to implement and operate the LFG utilization project. Section 3 – Description of Proposed LFGE Options This section should include a description of the LFGE project option(s) proposed by the respondent. The County is interested in entertaining any and all ideas from experienced and qualified firms regarding beneficial use of LFG. At a minimum, the respondent must include a discussion of the following as part of this section: • A description of the proposed energy project and available options; • The scope of services that is being offered (e.g., developer, owner, operator); • Pricing and escalation (e.g., royalties/payments to landfill owner, electricity price, energy prices) including buyout price and terms; • Plan for obtaining energy revenues; • Technology description and performance data; • Gas collection system construction responsibility; • Well field operations responsibility; and • Environmental compliance and permitting responsibility. Section 4 – Implementation Approach and Schedule This section should describe a proposed approach and schedule for planning, permitting, constructing, and beginning operation of a LFGE project. The discussion of approach should list only the major milestones and dates. REOI: LFG Beneficial Use Evaluation – Buncombe County Landfill 11 SECTION 4 – EVALUATION CRITERIA The County will review each EOI with regard to the respondents’ qualifications, experience, project approach, and project schedule. A pre-submittal meeting will be held for project discussions. Following receipt and preliminary review of the EOIs, the County may request interviews. These interviews will more than likely be virtual non-Powerpoint discussions. At the culmination of this process, the County will determine whether to proceed with an RFP.