CASE STUDY – High-Efficiency Odor & Emissions Control Delivering Over $560,000 in Energy Savings for Sustainable Food Waste Processing
May 6, 2026 2:26 pmFood waste to animal feed / Connecticut / Odor and emissions control
Ship & Shore Environmental supplied a custom regenerative thermal oxidizer for a Connecticut facility converting discarded food into animal-feed ingredients. SSE’s published project account reports annual energy savings exceeding $560,000, with a system designed for expansion up to 50,000 SCFM.
- More than $560,000 per year
- Annual energy savings reported in SSE’s project account.
- Expandable to 50,000 SCFM
- Future expansion capability, not the disclosed initial operating capacity.
- Up to 98% destruction efficiency
- Published design capability, subject to application and operating conditions.
Reported energy savings are specific to this project. They are separate from utility incentives and do not establish a guaranteed savings or payback for another plant.
The challenge: control odors while recovering food value
The Connecticut processor transforms surplus and discarded food into nutrient-rich animal-feed ingredients, supporting alternatives to conventional feedstocks such as soy and corn. Receiving, handling, and thermal processing generated strong odors and associated organic emissions.
Although VOCs were present, odor management was the primary challenge. The facility needed a flexible system that could address variable conditions, support environmental requirements, reduce community impact, and accommodate future growth.
The solution: thermal oxidation with energy recovery
SSE designed and supplied a custom regenerative thermal oxidizer for the facility’s initial needs, with expandability up to 50,000 SCFM. The original account does not state the initial airflow capacity.
- Application-specific treatment: the RTO was configured for process odors and associated organic emissions.
- Regenerative heat recovery: recovered heat reduced natural-gas demand.
- Optimized airflow and controls: the design addressed variable operating conditions.
- Growth planning: expandable capacity supported the facility’s longer-term production requirements.
- Incentive support: SSE identified and secured available energy incentives; the published account does not disclose the award amount.
Explore the application context in RTOs for animal-feed manufacturing and SSE’s odor-control abatement services.
Reported results and what the numbers mean
The project account reports annual energy savings exceeding $560,000 through improved thermal efficiency and reduced fuel consumption. It also reports that the installation supported Connecticut air-quality compliance and improved community acceptance.
The RTO was designed for up to 98% destruction efficiency. A VOC destruction-efficiency percentage should not be treated as an identical percentage reduction in every odor, or as a universal odor-control guarantee.
The published summary does not include the baseline utility period, measurement methodology, stack-test documentation, capital cost, or payback calculation. The annual savings figure is SSE’s reported project outcome, not an independently audited calculation presented on this page.
The practical takeaway
For odor-intensive processes, evaluate emissions control and fuel consumption together. Expansion capability also matters: the system should be assessed against both today’s exhaust profile and the production changes the plant expects to make.
Technical context for operators and project teams
SSE’s RTO Rule of Thumb Calculations illustrates how airflow, heat recovery, and VOC heat contribution affect supplemental fuel demand. It is an illustrative calculation, not a savings estimate for this Connecticut facility.
The AM Mondays article When Machines Whisper, Maintenance Should Listen recommends reviewing instrument readings, mechanical condition, airflow, combustion, and historical trends. Those checks help an operating plant distinguish a correctable maintenance issue from a changing process requirement.
The Technical Corner also offers an odor-abatement presentation covering food, animal production, and related applications.
Project video
Plan odor control around your process
Share the emission sources, operating schedule, exhaust information, odor concerns, and future capacity plans. For an existing oxidizer, start with an RTO repair-versus-replacement evaluation rather than assuming a new system is the only answer.
Related project: VOC control and more than $350,000 in utility incentives. For operating equipment, explore aftermarket inspection and support.
Categorised in: Case Study & White Papers, News, News, VOC Abatement