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Veolia North America (“VNA”) issued a November 7th news release announcing the installation of a solar energy system at its Gum Springs, Arkansas, hazardous waste treatment facility.
The solar energy panel array is described as a five megawatt single-axis tracking system.
Over 250 million kilowatt hours of electricity are expected to be produced by the solar array over the next 25 years.
The news release further notes that this solar array makes:
. . . the Gum Springs plant the only one of its kind in the U.S. to capture and generate as much power as it uses on an annual basis.
The operational date is projected to be the fourth quarter of 2024.
From a decarbonization standpoint, the solar array is projected to offset carbon emissions at the Gum Springs facility by an estimated 105,000 tons over the next 25 years.
An additional offset is provided by a project to reforest nearly 1,500 acres that surround the facility. Benefits are noted to include:
- Sequestering carbon emissions
- Protection for local habitat
- Erosion prevention
VNA is working with both Today’s Power, Inc., and South Central Electric Cooperative in developing the project.
The VNA Gum Springs facility currently employs 136 people. However, it expects to employ over 200 people by 2025.
The parent company, Veolia Group, operates on five continents with nearly 213,000 employees. Activities include the management of water, waste, and energy.
A copy of the news release can be downloaded here.
