Facilities Design, Build, Operate Solutions

Designs offer a high level of environmental security for the most challenging organic wastes, anchored by a fast and reliable process. Combined with its operations protocols, McGill composting facilities deliver consistent, premium product quality batch after batch.

Plants are pre-engineered to reduce development time and save on costs. Our deep expertise and broad capabilities mean we can support your development efforts or develop the project for you turnkey.

• Facility design and technology licensing
• Public-Private Partnerships (P3)
• Composting systems with superior environmental protection as inherent design elements
• One process, one facility, all biodegradables, including biodegradable plastics
• Premium compost products with real market value
• An additional high-value revenue stream for AD/bioenergy facilities
• Optional McGill facility management, intake and/or compost marketing and sales

Our advanced composting systems can also enhance efficiencies and reduce operational costs for sludge drying, thermal Waste-to-Energy (WTE), and anaerobic digestion, either as a retrofit to an existing operation or integrated into the design of a new facility or system.

Co-location at water and wastewater treatment plants, landfills, transfer stations and incinerators are ideal for both McGill and our customers.

Our experts can even take over a yard waste or biosolids composting site and use less space than an outdoor windrow operation processing the same volume of materials. One McGill facility can process all biodegradables, such as biosolids and sludge, yard waste, food waste, cooking grease, compostable plastics and the biodegradable fraction of construction and demolition debris. Unpainted/untreated gypsum products can be processed, as well.

Key facility features include:

• Modular design for the flexibility required to meet your current and future needs
• Rapid throughput via accelerated thermophilic treatment to cut materials handling/labor costs and reduce residence time, requiring less space and resulting in lower capital costs
• Product-focused design and process management for high quality compost with real market value
• Emission security and treatment for mitigation of odors and other nuisance issues
• Real-time and historic compliance data for improved process control and record-keeping
• Optional green energy add-on for maximizing the value of your organic waste stream

Our initial preconstruction development process is comprised of evaluative stages:

• Preliminary assessment analyzing population and demand, pricing considerations, local and federal regulations and facilities, and more.
• Marketing survey refining economic estimates and utilizing geographic concentrations of specific feedstock generators to help focus the site search.
• Site search focusing on finding the ideal location and market/regulatory considerations.
• Zoning applications and related activities ensuring proper approvals are obtained.
• Stormwater and regulatory permitting and plan development enabling the project to clear final hurdles and move toward construction.

Once all required permits have been issued, McGill and the landowner execute the sale or lease documents and construction begins in earnest. Final specifications are prepared by the McGill team, the project is bid and a general contractor is hired.

“Greenfield” construction takes 18-24 months. If the site is located within a landfill or other property where some required infrastructure is already in place, time to start-up can be reduced by up to six months.

Approximately 30 days prior to start-up, one or more members of the McGill development team will be at the site full time to oversee equipment installation. During this period, the operations and office staff is also hired and trained. Intake contracts are finalized and transportation scheduled. Websites are updated and a press release is issued. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned.

Once the facility begins to accept material, the “development” phase is complete and “start-up” commences. During start-up, training is completed, equipment is tweaked and operating procedures/protocols are reinforced until the facility reaches full capacity or passes its first 90 days of operations (whichever comes first). At this point, operations are officially handed over to the owner’s management team if McGill is not contracted to operate the facility.

To maximize the potential of your McGill facility, we provide operations support and related services specific to compost manufacturing. These include:

• Start-up and staff training
• Operations management, strategic planning and facility planning
• Systems/construction design and engineering
• Intake and compost products marketing
• Waste/compost markets analyses and waste audits
• Applied research and demonstration
• Site surveys, assessments and troubleshooting
• Assistance with regulatory issues and permitting
• Compost sales strategies customized for your locale

We have proven experience balancing available feedstocks with local product demand to craft a product mix that’s right for your region. Grow market presence with customized sales strategies designed for your community including McGill-managed programs based on revenue-sharing with McGill Compost Sales and Marketing Services.