Veolia North America, a provider of environmental solutions in the U.S. and Canada, has partnered with Today’s Power, Inc. to install a five megawatt (MW) single-axis tracking solar energy system at its hazardous waste treatment facility in Gum Springs, Arkansas. The solar array is expected to produce over 250 million kilowatt hours over the next quarter century, making 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 solar facility will be operational by the fourth quarter of 2024. The electricity from the solar panels will be used to meet the facility’s daily demands, with any excess going to feed the region’s main grid, leading to net zero output.
The project will make significant contributions to decarbonization, offsetting carbon emissions at the plant by an estimated 105,000 tons over the next quarter century – the equivalent of providing electricity for nearly 25,000 residential homes. Along with the solar installation, Veolia is taking several other initiatives to reduce its impact on the environment at Gum Springs, including a plan to reforest nearly 1,500 acres surrounding the property to sequester carbon emissions, provide protection for local habitat and prevent erosion.
To make room for the new solar panels, Veolia recently cleared a 30 acre lot across the street from the facility. The cleared timber, amounting to over 4,300 tons of mixed hardwood and pine timber, was harvested for building materials which sequester carbon.