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 Waste to Energy
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Waste-to-Energy
Turning Garbage into Gold - Entrepreneurs are creating companies that exploit the creative opportunities in other people's junk, sparing the environment in the process. The article looks at green entrepreneurship in general and profiles some specific companies, whose products range from recycled printer cartridges to rubber sidewalks. (Business Week; August 17, 2006) (See Slashdot discussion)
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- IBM Pioneers Process to Turn Waste into Solar Energy - IBM has developed a new semiconductor wafer reclamation process that uses a specialized pattern removal technique to repurpose scrap semiconductor wafers to a form used to manufacture silicon-based solar panels. (PhysOrg; Oct. 30, 2007)
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- Top 100:
MagneGas Plasma Arc Flow Reactors - MagneGas Technology has been developed to process liquid wastes into a clean burning fuel known as magnegas, plus heat and other usable byproducts, said processing occurring without noise, liquid, gaseous or other pollutions. New discoveries of science involved. (PESWiki; May 30, 2006)
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- Top 100:
Geoplasma LLC to turn dumps in electricity and roads - Company's technology converts landfills into electricity and roads, by vaporizing garbage at temperatures hotter than parts of the sun. Lightning-like plasma arcs turn trash into gas and rock-like material. (PESWiki; Sept. 11, 2006)
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- FirmGreen™ Energy, Inc. - FirmGreen’s landfill gas-to-energy program involves a multi-faceted approach to energy development, producing ethanol, methanol and biodiesel, in addition to the conventional electric and pipeline gas commodities.
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 Changing World Technologies -Specializes in waste-to-energy, with two plants in operation. Energy and environmental service company that provides funding and managementexpertise; aimed at providing energy independence. Mission is to identify, introduce and commercialize environment-friendly energy technologies to the international marketplace.
- Waste Management Taps Clean Power From Garbage - Waste Management Inc. said it will speed up its tapping of gas from rotting garbage to generate clean power from 60 landfills over five years. Waste Management will bring turbines to the landfills to generate more than 700 megawatts of power a year, or enough power for about 700,000 homes. (Reuters; June 28, 2007)
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- Sweden is gathering methane from its landfills - 70 landfills around the country run turbines on methane; engough to power 50,000 households, refuse trucks, 60 government cars. Also, the steam from the turbines heats homes and three greenhouses. (DiscoveryChannel.ca; April 29, 2005)
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- Energy Products of Idaho (EPI) - World leader in atmospheric fluidized bed combustion technology with more than 81 installations world wide, and over 5 million hours of operating experience.
EPI has completed energy systems operating on a wider variety of fuels than any any other fluid bed supplier in the world.
Waste input: agriculture, wood, paper, livestock, fossil fuels, RDF (refuse), industrial, sewage.
Output: electricity, steam/hot water, thermal fluids, hot gas for dryer. |
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- $300,000,000 plant in Mexico signed - Each of Naanovo Energy's 12 modules being installed can handle 180 tons of municipal waste/day, reducing volume below 10% and weight to 20%, and dispatching 146,000 gallons of water per day. Total generative capacity: 6 MW minimum. (BusinessWire; May 23, 2005)
- Barlow Projects, Inc. - Waste-to-Energy plant systems convert trash or biomass into steam and/or electricity. 5 Years in operation.
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- I Never Used Dead Cats for Fuel - A German inventor said he has developed a method (KDV 500) to produce crude oil products from waste that he believes can be an answer to the soaring costs of fuel, but denied a German newspaper story implying he also used dead cats. (Reuters; Sept. 7, 2005)
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- GEM CANADA Waste to Energy - Uses thermal cracking technology without combustion, chimneys, dioxins, furans or fly ash. Accepts municipal solid waste, tires, plastic, motor oil, wood, sewer sludge, animal waste. 1.5 tons per hour; 24/7. Approx. 1 MW produced per ton.
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- StarTech: Plasma Technologies - 30,000°F (3x surface of sun temp) ionization causes waste material to revert to their elemental form. Molecular dissociation transforms any type of waste into hydrogen and other recyclable materials, with virtually no emissions. Bristol, Connecticut, USA firm has been demonstrating the technology since Jan. 2001. (ZPEnergy; Aug. 24, 2004)
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- Nathaniel Energy
Proprietary Patented Technology, the "Thermal Combustor", is used to convert waste streams - such as tires, municipal waste, plastics, agricultural crops and waste, wood wastes, and many other forms of waste that would otherwise end up in a landfill - into energy. Funded company is fulfilling orders for installations internationally.
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- Japan facility powers homes and melts snow with kitchen garbage - Garbage-processing center in Japan gets the electricity it needs from kitchen waste; can process 10 tons of refuse per day. The heat produced can also melt the snow on the city's streets during winter. (Japan Times, Sept. 10, 2004)
- Hot Trash-To-Fuel Technology Gathering Steam - Got garbage? Toxic trash? Zap it with a torch three times hotter than the sun and gather the resulting gas to fuel pollution-free cars and home power units. (Reuters; Feb. 27, 2004)
- The Planet Group - Planet Group waste technologies feature the advanced thermal treatment of waste, with energy recovery. BOS Gasification is modular, proven and efficient for MSW, industrial, clinical waste and much more.?
- ThermoEnergy - Patented ThermoEnergy Integrated Power System (TIPS) is designed to increase efficiency of fossil fuel plants, without air emissions. Company does retrofits as well as new installs.
- Landfill gas a great source of energy - Three California landfills together produce 5.5 MW of power. (Ventura County Star (subscription); Dec. 26, 2004)
 Turning rotten garbage into gold - Methane from Trans-Jordan, Utah landfill may pump out enough to run 3 megawatt turbine; prototype testing under way. 10-year return on investment hoped. (Salt Lake Tribune; April 27, 2005)
Smaller-Scale Companies in Operation
- EntropicEnergy.com - Canadian company (not to be confused with Detroit company by same name) has a patent pending technology that can economically convert waste heat into electricity on a small scale (50 kW to 2 MW).
- Waste Water Plus Bacteria Make Hydrogen Fuel - Bacteria that feed on vinegar and waste water zapped with a shot of electricity could produce a clean hydrogen fuel to power vehicles that now run on petroleum. These microbial fuel cells can turn almost any biodegradable organic material into zero-emission hydrogen gas fuel. (PESWiki; Nov. 12, 2007)
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- They're Recycling Their Brain Power - An extraordinary group of retired scientists and engineers in Asheville, N.C., is working to solve the area’s environmental problems. (Parade; Oct. 31, 2004)
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- BioMaxx Systems Inc - Converting cellulosic biomass that is currently being abandoned or land filled into ethanol and other valuable co-products. Holds the worldwide license to a new fermentation process.
- New 'Digester' Converts Garbage to Energy - University of California Davis prototype anaerobic digester to produce electricity, soil amendments for landscaping, and fiberboard for construction. (YubaNet; Oct. 7, 2004)
- Fuel Cell Converts Raw Sewage into Power - Penn State University "microbial fuel cell" treats the water at the same time it generates electricity. (PhysOrg; Oct. 27, 2004)
- Creative Energy Systems - Sewage and Landfill Clean-up with Energy Production; isolation of elements for recycling. Super-clean tire burner prototype operated 1 year. Full municipal waste and sewage to energy system has not yet to be assembled. Includes plasma technology.
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Tire vaporizer
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- Wastewater Could Treat Itself, Power City - The energy stored in Toronto's municipal wastewater could be harnessed to run water treatment facilities and contribute power to the city grid. Studies under way. (Solar Access; Sept. 24, 2004)
- Plastic to Energy in Japan - "A consortium of public and private players is planning to build the nation's first power plant that burns waste plastic as fuel. Plastic waste from the Tokyo Metro area will make up half the feedstock and industrial waste wil make up the balance. Plastic will be pelletized before shipment to the plant in Iwaki City in northern Fukushima prefecture. The government likes to refer to this as 'thermal recycling' so it fits in with government plans to promote incinerators with energy generation capability. They also see it as a first step toward 90% plastic 'recycling' by the next century." (GMI Jan 95)
- Carpet Discards to Energy - Shaw Industries plant in Georgia, US will produce steam energy from waste product. (EnergyInfoSource.com, Oct 7, 2004)
- Sewage treatment plants to help generate electricity - California plants hope to generate enough to run their own operations and then some. (FuelCellWorks; Nov. 2, 2004)
- Cow manure to light up farming community - Canadian farming community receives government funds to become the country's first municipality to be electrically powered by cow manure. (Big News Network, Canada; Oct. 26, 2004)
 DOJ Files Civil Action Against MagCorp for PCB Violations - Leading U.S. polluter, US Magnesium Corporation of Salt Lake City, has been on the EPA's list as the largest toxic air polluter in the country. Though it has improved, it is still significantly lacking. Local inventor said he demonstrated the successful burning of some of their emissions for energy and clean-up, but they declined to integrate the technique. (PESN; May 12, 2005)
- Scientists develop portable generator that turns trash into electricity - A group of scientists have created a portable refinery that efficiently converts food, paper and plastic trash into electricity. The machine, designed for the U.S. military, would allow soldiers in the field to convert waste into power and could have widespread civilian applications in the future. (PESN; Feb. 4, 2007)
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- You Don't Need Oil to Make Fuel
Many things can be converted fuel, including crops, natural gas, waste, manure, and many other carbon-based substances. Coal can be turned to gas. Article by Governor Brian Schweitzer. (Truthout; Nov. 2005)
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Waste-to-Energy > TCP - Turning Waste into Oil
Two facilities are in operation which can take any material containing carbon (which is anything which has ever lived) and transmute it into a golden oil in just two hours.(American Energy Independence 2025; Nov. 2005) |
- Agripower - Power From Trash - A company called AgriPower will begin production next year of a movable power generator fueled by a wide range of waste products, from walnut shells to discarded tires. (CNET; June 22, 2007)
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Finally found: the treasure at the end of the rainbow.
(Thanks Nathan Allan)
- LA to turn sludge into electricity - A new plant in Los Angeles, said to be the first of its kind in the U.S., injects material left over from treated wastewater into depleted oil and gas reservoirs underground, where high temperatures and pressure creates methane gas to power fuel cells on the surface. Powering around 3,000 homes, the process will also dissolve carbon dioxide and reduce the amount of treated solid waste. (PhysOrg; Apr. 6, 2007)
- First Biodiesel from Sewage - Marlborough-based Aquaflow Bionomic has produced its first sample of bio-diesel fuel from algae in sewage ponds. The company expects to be producing at the rate of at least one million liters of fuel per year from Blenheim by April. (New Zealand Herald; May 12, 2006) (Scoop) (See Slashdot discussion)
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Wastewater: Energy of the future?
Professor Jurg Keller at Australia's University of Queensland said he and his colleagues have discovered how to turn wastewater into electricity. (PhysOrg; Nov. 2005) |
- Ray of light for water industry - University of Aberdeen scientists developing new technology that uses sunlight to treat dirty water and create electricity simultaneously. Three industrial partners develop novel technology for breaking up pollutants found in all types of water supplies. (PhysOrg; UK; April 28, 2005)
 Penn State > Microbial Fuel Cells Produce Power by Cleaning Domestic Wastewater - boosts output six times while reducing costs by two thirds. (WorldChanghing.com; June 23, 2004)- Microbial fuel cell: high yield hydrogen source and wastewater cleaner - Using a new electrically-assisted microbial fuel cell (MFC) that does not require oxygen, Penn State environmental engineers and a scientist at Ion Power Inc. have developed the first process that enables bacteria to coax four times as much hydrogen directly out of biomass than can be generated typically by fermentation alone. (PhysOrg; April 22, 2005)
- Pollution-Eating Bacteria Produce Electricity - "These bacteria can convert a large number of different food sources into electricity. The technology could be used to assist in the reclamation of wastewaters, thereby resulting in the removal of waste and generation of electricity." (PhysOrg; June 7, 2005)
- Zip Project - Zero Impact Platform project was created to handle waste cycle and water cycle management with clean, renewable technologies available, as well as to support research and development into the same. (PESWiki; Aug. 5, 2005)
Close to Home; July 25, 2005
With permission from John McPherson
- JF BioEnergy Inc - self-powered waste processing plant refines organic waste down to three marketable fuel products: charcoal, bio-oil, and bio-gas; while maintaining "carbon dioxide-neutral" emissions.
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 Agricultural Feedstock Contributes to Renewable Energy - Intrepid Technology and Resources reports benefits of waste processing. Manure to gas, to heating fuel; digested fiber to bedding and soil amendment commodities; processed water for irrigation and to bring influent manure to proper consistency; emission credits, organic compost, and processing other organic wastes (cheese whey, animal renderings) to produce supplemental gas; reduced waste handling operations, economical gas to power on-site operations, reductions in odor and nutrient loadings in effluent water and solids. (Renewable Energy Access; Sept. 29, 2005) |
- GHD Inc. Turns Manure Into Power - Agricultural waste is shoveled into underground anaerobic tank where the combination of heat and bacteria break it down into methane gas that is converted into electricity, solids that are used for bedding and soil enrichment and liquid nutrient that is used on crops.
- From Leftovers to Energy - UC Davis researchers are developing a strain of microbes that convert heavier waste such as food scraps or yard waste into biogas -- mostly methane and hydrogen -- that can be burned to generate electricity or compressed into liquid to power specialized vehicles. (MIT Technology Review; June 18, 2007)
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- Rivers of unwanted wine to turn into biofuel - European vehicles will be running on distilled French and Italian wine again this summer as the upcoming season's surplus production from European vineyards is turned into biofuel. (Edie News Center; June 8, 2006)
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- Researchers convert farm waste to bio-oil - Samy Sadaka reached into a garbage bag, picked up a mixture of cow manure and corn stalks, let it run through his fingers. That mix of manure and corn stalks had spent 27 days breaking down in a special drying process. The end result looked like brown yard mulch with lots of thin fibers. (PhysOrg; July 28, 2006)
- Biomax 15 - several residential prototypes being field tested. 30 lb. of wood can power a typical home for a day. (San Mateo County Times; April 8, 2004) See Google > Biomax 15
- Hansen Energy Harnesses the Power of Poop - Utah State University professor's prototype now ready for industry. Uses bacteria to break down waste; resulting methane gas is burned for electricity. 4,400 pigs put out 80 kW. See end of article about "biodiesel" process from hog waste.
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- Andgar Corporation: Commercial Dairy Anaerobic Digester - Three dairies in Washington State will generate enough electricity to serve 180 average homes.
- New Energy Solutions - has received grant to design and build a system to turn animal waste into hydrogen.
- Green Power from Chicken Litter - Gas Technology Institute has successfully demonstrated that chicken litter can be gasified to produce hydrogen and generate electricity using a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). Fertilizer also produced. (PhysOrg; July 15, 2005)
 Bananas could power Aussie homes - At present, much of Australia's annual banana crop goes to waste, because the fruit are too bruised or small. Bill Clarke, from the University of Queensland, predicts that an excess banana-fuelled power plant could power 500 homes. No prototype, early theoretical. (BBC, Australia; Aug. 27, 2004)- Dairy starts milking manure for energy - Manure-powered generator in California turns cow waste into methane gas in 20 days to fuel daily operations at the dairy while reducing air and ground pollution. (San Bernardino Sun; Nov. 17, 2004)
- Waste to Energy Gets Kudos from Pork Industry - Three major integrated manure management systems are paving the way for waste management in Western Canada by turning manure into usable by-products, such as methane, biogas and thermal energy. (Renewable Energy Access; Jan. 27, 2005)
- BSE Cows to Energy - SembCorp Utilities of UK has been given permission to process 100,000 tonnes of tallow per year for the generation of electricity. (BBC; Aug. 13, 2004) [Not an earth-friendly solution.]
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- Honda patents exhaust-heat-to-energy process - Honda has received a patent on an exhaust heat exchanger that harnesses the heat energy from the exhaust through a thermal exchange, which can then be converted into electrical energy through a thermal electric process or to drive a turbine/generator. (PESWiki; Aug. 21)
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 Beta Voltaics - Claim long duration power cells that convert radioactive materials to inert. Skeptic comments included.
- Cleaning Uranium Waste with Bacteria - U.S. researchers have discovered that some common bacteria (Shewanella) can convert deadly heavy metal into less threatening nano-spheres; and that these bacteria can convert soluble radioactive uranium into a non-toxic solid form called uraninite. (Pacific Northwest National Laboratories; Aug. 7, 2006) (See Slashdot discussion)
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- TirelessTech.com - Non-combustive process recycles tires back to raw commodities such as carbon black, hydrogen, methane and a very fine crude oil. No emissions. Can also recycle medical waste or anything that is carbon based. In process of securing final investments and licensing rights. (Tipped anonymously at ZPEnergy by nephew of inventor)
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- Waste Plastic Becomes Clean Burning Fuel - Penn. State University has developed PlastoFuel pellets from dirty waste Agri-plastics. GR Technologies of Korea has patented burner converting same to alternative energy. (Blogspot; June 6, 2005)
- 'Plastic oil' could improve fuel economy in cars, chemists say - Recycled plastic bottles could one day be used to lubricate your car's engine. These polyethylene-derived oils could help improve fuel economy and reduce the frequency of oil changes. (EurekAlert; June 12, 2005)
- The fuel of the future? Say 'cheese' - Wisconsin entrepreneur Joe Van Groll's company, Grand Meadow Energy LLC, produces both ethanol and bio-diesel from waste from surrounding cheese plants and raw canola oil from a nearby farm. (FDL Reporter; Nov. 4, 2007)
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- The 660 Gallon Brewery Fuel Cell - This fuel cell type is essentially a battery in which bacteria consume water-soluble brewing waste such as sugar, starch and alcohol, plus in this instance produces clean water. "Its primarily a waste water treatment that has the added benefit of creating electricity." (YahooNews; May 2, 2007) (Also Slashdot, PhysOrg, CBS News)
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- Energy That Cleans Up - A fuel cell fueled by microbes in wastewater also cleans the water. (MIT Technology Review; Mar. 22, 2004)
- Trash Talkers Tout 'Ray-Gun' to Zap Rubbish - NY Post article on Startech Environmental of Connecticut. Estimated time to market: 10 years. (Oct. 20, 2002)
- Waste to Energy Review - Overview of methanol extraction practices in use. Also gives biodeisel considerations. (Pollution Engineering; Michigan; Mar. 1, 2005)
- California to Argentina on Vegetable Oil - Family tanks up on waste grease collected from restaurants along the way through 11 country promotional tour. (The Star; July 27, 2004)
- Power Proposal Stinks - "Poo power" could soon be used to light up London's Science Museum as bosses consider recycling the contents of its loos. (Sky News; July 15, 2004)
- Japan facility powers homes and melts snow with kitchen garbage. - SUNAGAWA, Hokkaido (Kyodo) A garbage-processing center in Japan gets the electricity it needs to operate all year round from kitchen waste, and can process 10 tons of refuse per day. The heat produced at Clean Plaza Kurukuru can also melt the snow on the city's streets during winter. (Japan Times, Sept. 10, 2004)
- Free-lunch foragers - 'Freegans' are a growing subculture that has opted out of capitalism by cutting spending habits and living off consumer waste. (LA Times; Sept. 11, 2007)
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- Tornado in a Can - pulverizes down to micrometer powder; demonstrates an "overunity" phenomenon. (MSNBC April 26, 2004)
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- Avantis - "The chemical industry is experiencing rapidly increasing feedstock and energy costs, regulatory pressures, high volatility of raw material costs, employee downsizing and outsourcing, as well as concerns over foreign competition and geopolitical events. Fortunately, there’s Avantis -- today’s most effective enterprise asset management solution that can reduce the risk of implementation with pre-defined work processes and best practices. One specifically tailored to help chemical producers do more with less."
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- Advanced Technology Feasibility Group - Operational prototype converts refuse into building materials, including 2 x 4s studs, 2 x 6 etc, railroad ties, bricks, roofing shingles, culverts. Looking for investors.
- Diamond Z Manufacturing - recycling and refuse handling machinery such as garbage grinders (useful for waste-to-energy projects).
- Enviro-Bricks - "With the solid look of a brick home, and the environmentally responsible aspect of mass recycling, Enviro-Bricks provide the answer to a very critical worldwide need." R40 insulation.
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- Flame Resistant Polycarbonate from Fly Ash - NEC Corporation has developed a low energy consuming method of manufacturing a flame resistant polycarbonate using the by product of thermal power plants. (PhysOrg; Nov. 12, 2004)
- Canada joins EPA program - Canada has become the 16th nation to join the U.S. EPA's Methane to Markets Partnership, an international initiative designed to promote the recovery and use of methane, prevent greenhouse gas emissions, and provide sources of clean energy to communities, businesses and industry. (PhysOrg; July 14, 2005)
Incineration, the combustion of organic material such as waste, with energy recovery is the most common WTE implementation. Incineration may also be implemented without energy and materials recovery, but this is increasingly being banned in OECD countries. Furthermore, all new WTE plants in OECD countries must meet strict emission standards. Hence, modern incineration plants are vastly different from the old types, some of which neither recovered energy nor materials. Modern incinerators reduce the volume of the original waste by 95-96 %, depending upon composition and degree of recovery of materials such as metals from the ash for recycling.
WTE technologies other than incineration
There are a number of other new and emerging technologies that are able to produce energy from waste and other fuels without direct combustion. Many of these technologies have the potential to produce more electric power from the same amount of fuel than would be possible by direct combustion. This is mainly due to the separation of corrosive components (ash) from the converted fuel, thereby allowing a higher combustion temperatures in e.g. boilers, gas turbines, internal combustion engines, fuel cells. Some are able to efficiently convert the energy into liquid or gaseous fuels:
Thermal technologies:
* Gasification (produces combustible gas, hydrogen, synthetic fuels)
* Pyrolysis (produces combustible tar/biooil)
* Plasma arc waste disposal In infancy
Non-thermal technologies:
* Anaerobic digestion (Methane)
* Ethanol production
* Mechanical biological treatment
* MBT-Anaerobic digestion
* MBT-Refuse derived fuel
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