Plasma arc waste disposal

Principle of Operation				currently conducting an RFP process to determine
Relatively high voltage, high current electricity is				a long-term solution for waste management.
passed between two electrodes, spaced apart,				Plasco is not proposing that Metro Vancouver
creating an electrical arc. Inert gas under pressure				discontinue the RFP process, but rather to
is passed through the arc into a sealed container				establish an interim solution that can quickly
of waste material, reaching temperatures as high				address the shortfall in landfill capacity, while also
as 25,000 F (13,900 C) in the arc column. The				providing a facility that will allow Metro Vancouver
temperature a few feet from the torch can be				to closely scrutinize and evaluate this new
as high as 5,0008,000 F (2,7604,427 C). At				technology as part of its long-term decision
these temperatures, most types of waste are				making process.
broken into basic elemental components in a				Port Hope, Ontario, Canada (Sunbay Energy
gaseous form, and complex molecules are				Corporation)
separated into individual atoms.				Utilizing technology licensed from Europlasma, the
The reactor operates at a slightly negative				plasma arc facility proposed for lands in the
pressure, meaning that the feed system is				vicinity of Wesleyville in Port Hope, Ontario
complemented by a gaseous removal system,				(approximately 45 minutes east of Toronto) will
and later a solid removal system. Depending on				handle 400 short tons (360 t) per day of
the input waste (plastics tend to be high in				Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) and Tire Derived Fuel
hydrogen and carbon), gas from the plasma				(TDF). Sunbay Energy is currently obtaining the
containment can be removed as syngas, and may				required approvals from Provincial authorities and
be refined into various fuels at a later stage.				intends to have the facility operational during the
The latest independent review of plasma				4th Quarter of 2009.
technology providers was undertaken by Juniper				Tallahassee, Florida (Green Power Systems)
Consulting in 2008, as well as a separate				The city of Tallahassee, Florida has signed the
independent review on Alter NRG /Westinghouse				largest plasma arc waste to energy contract
technology.				(35 MW) to date with Green Power Systems to
Existing facilities				process 1,000 short tons (910 t) daily from the
National Cheng Kung University - Tainan City,				city and several surrounding counties. Completion
Taiwan (PEAT International)				of the project is scheduled for October 2010.
PEAT International constructed a plasma arc				Hirwaun, Wales (EnviroParks Limited)
waste disposal facility at National Cheng Kung				EnviroParks Limited plan (31/9/07) a consortium
University (NCKU) in Tainan City, Taiwan, which				to build an Organic Park in Tower Colliery at
uses its proprietary Plasma Thermal Destruction				Hirwaun, South Wales. This includes a plasma
Recovery method. The facility is able to handle 35				gasification plant combined with advanced
metric tons (3.35.5 short tons) of waste per day				anaerobic digestion to divert municipal solid waste
from a variety of waste streams, including				from the landfill. Enviroparks are currently
incinerator fly ash, medical waste, organic industrial				collaborating with partner Europlasma of Bordeaux
process waste and inorganic sludges. It can also				to provide the plasma gasification unit to the park.
process waste consumer batteries and other				As much as 60 million is being put into the project
materials, including heavy metal sludges, and				by EnviroParks Ltd and its partners, to establish
refinery catalysts (waste streams that would				organic waste and mixed waste treatment
generate valuable metal alloys). The facility was				facilities next to the Tower Colliery at Hirwaun.
constructed as part of a comprehensive resource				The Hirwaun site itself is large enough for the
recovery facility funded by the Taiwanese				processing of over 250,000 metric tons (280,000
government, marking the first time the				short tons) of non-hazardous waste a year.
Government of Taiwan committed financial and				Initially, though, an anaerobic digestion plant will be
technical resources to the utilization of plasma				designed to handle 50,000 metric tons (55,000
technology. It was commissioned in November				short tons) of organic wastes a year.
2004 and received its operating permit in January,				Jackson, Georgia (PR Power Company)
2005. PEAT has been an active participant in the				PR Power Co. plans to open a plant south of
operations and maintenance of the facility on				Atlanta, near Jackson, Georgia, that will use a
behalf of NCKU for its research purposes.				"plasma torch" to vaporize tires down to their
Yoshii, Utashinai, and Mihama-Mikata, Japan (Hitachi				natural elements mainly hydrocarbons and scrap
Metals Ltd.)				steel. The gases will be converted to electricity
Three similar small plants are in operation in Japan				for sale to electric utilities and the scrap steel will
a 166-short-ton (151,000 kg) per day "pilot" plant				be sold at an estimated $50 a ton.
in Yoshii, co-developed by Hitachi Metals Ltd. and				Red Deer, Alberta (Plasco Energy Group Inc.)
Westinghouse Plasma, which was certified after a				Plasco is preparing to start construction on a
demonstration period in 19992000; a 165-short-ton				commercial-scale facility in Red Deer, Alberta in
(150,000 kg) per day plant in Utashinai City,				the Summer of 2009. This facility, the company's
completed in 2002; and a 28-short-ton				first commercial plant, is expected to be
(25,000 kg) per day plant commissioned by the				completed by the end of 2010.
twin cities of Mihama and Mikata in 2002. Two				Maharastra Enviro Power Limited, SMSIL Pune,
similar facilities run by different companies in				Maharastra India
Australia and Germany closed after changes in				SMS Infrastructures Limited (SMSIL), Central India
senior management.				largest civil engineering and infrastructure
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (Plasco Energy Group				development company, constructed 68
Inc.)				tonne-per-day hazardous waste-to-energy plants,
A new and different type of plasma arc waste				located in Pune, India, that will use Westinghouse
conversion that uses plasma to refine gases				Plasma Corporation (WPC) plasma technology and
produced during waste conversion, rather than to				reactor vessel design. Each plant will provide
destroy waste by brute force as do other plasma				comprehensive disposal services for a wide
systems, has yet to show itself to be successful				variety of hazardous waste, and will produce up
on a full commercial scale. Plasco Energy Group				to 1.6 MW (net) of electricity
completed a plasma-arc waste demonstration				The facilities will be the largest plasma gasification
plant in Ottawa, Canada at the Trail Road Landfill,				WTE plants in the world processing hazardous
to process 85 metric tons (94 short tons) per				waste.
day of municipal solid waste. Unlike other plasma				Concerns
waste processing facilities, Plasco Energy Group's				Numerous municipal plasma arc gas plants (see
process does not use plasma to destroy waste,				above) are currently in development, including one
but rather to refine gases produced during waste				for the city of Los Angeles. Practical (limited use
conversion, in order to allow them to be used to				of land space for landfills), technological (large-scale
run an internal combustion gas engine. On 24				use of technology versus small-scale, e.g. plasma
October 2007, the Plasco Trail Road facility began				arc is currently favored as a means to destroy
delivering power to the grid.				medical and hazardous waste), logistical
The Plasco conversion system, which uses plasma				(transportation infrastructure requirements) and
to refine gases rather than expose them to				budgetary considerations can affect the viability
extremely high temperatures, and whose liner is				of individual projects. It is important to note that
composed of refractory brick rather than metal,				no municipal-scale waste disposal plasma arc
is not susceptible to premature attack of vessel				facilities have as yet been constructed, which
liners. Plasco's internal studies claim that its				could present a considerable technological and
emissions are also much lower than any other				budgetary challenge to even the largest
thermal waste processing system. By converting				municipalities.
waste to CO2 and water, rather than to				An issue regarding plasma systems that rely on
methane, the greenhouse gas emissions of the				high temperatures for processing is in the life of
process might be much less than competing				their liners. The liner is an important aspect of
technologies such as landfills. Plasco Energy is				separating the high interior temperatures of the
proposing a scaled up residual waste plasma				plasma system from the [metal] shell of the
gasification facility for Los Angeles, California.				plasma container. Liners are highly susceptible to
In an update to local area residents on 6				both chlorine attack and to local variabilities in
December 2008, Plasco president Rod Bryden				[high] temperatures, both of which would be
said delays at its facility were caused by				found with typical municipal waste systems, and
malfunctioning machinery, not problems with the				are not likely to last more than a year in service.
waste-to-energy technology.				This concern can be addressed by using the
Faringdon, Oxfordshire, England (Advanced Plasma				method demonstrated at the Trail Road Plant in
Power)				Ottawa, Canada, which requires lower
Advanced Plasma Power has built a Gasplasma				temperatures and a more robust material (brick)
modular test facility in Faringdon, Oxfordshire that				for a liner instead of the expensive and fragile
uses refuse-derived fuel feedstock to produce				metal.
hydrogen, syngas, energy and vitrified gravel. APP				See also
have also commissioned a commercial test facility				Electric arc
in Swindon, Wiltshire and have plans for a larger				Plasma (physics)
100,000-tonnes/yr-sized commercial or municipal				Staged reforming
gasplasma facility in the UK.				Waste management
Swindon, Wiltshire APP				References
The heart of this technology, the Gasplasma				^ a b "The Recovered Energy System: Discussion
process, forms the basis of APP Swindon Plant,				on Plasma Gassification". Retrieved 2008-10-20.
the first Gasplasma facility in the world.				^ "Plasma". Juniper Consultancy Services Limited.
Gasplasma is the sequential use of gasification,				^ Alter Nrg / Westinghouse Process Review.
plasma gas treatment, syngas polishing and gas				Juniper Consultancy Services Limited. November
engine power generation.				2008.
A full scale plant will treat 100,000 short tons				^ "National Cheng Kung University - Tainan,
(91,000 t) per annum of municipal waste and				Taiwan". PEAT International. Retrieved
produce:				2009-04-09.
Enough power for 10,000 homes				^ Williams, Jenkins & Nguyen (2003). "Solid
Enough heat for around 700 homesover 99%				Waste Conversion: A review and database of
landfill diversion of feedstock with minimal residues				current and emerging technologies" ([dead link]
and emissions				Scholar search). University of California Davis,
Increase recycling rates by over 20%				Department of Biological and Agricultural
High performance, high-value aggregate glass				Engineering, Special Report prepared for the
(trademark Plasmarok)				California Integrated Waste Management Board
Novel combination of three existing and proven				pursuant to Interagency Agreement IWM-C0172:
technologies (termed Gasplasma)				23.
Negative carbon footprint and lowest				^ a b Skoloff, Brian (2006-09-10). "Florida county
environmental impact plant and building				plans to vaporize landfill trash". USA Today.
A full scale plant will be 150 metres (490 ft)				Associated Press.
long, 50 metres (160 ft) wide, and along most				^ "About the Project". A Partnership for a Zero
of its length only 11 metres (36 ft) high. Above				Waste Ottawa. Retrieved 2009-04-10.
the thermal plant, the roof height is about				^ Czekaj, Laura (7 December 2008). "Mechanical
14 metres (46 ft), and the single exhaust for				problems plague Plasco". Ottawa Sun. Retrieved
the engines 10 metres (33 ft) higher, at only				28 December 2008.
34 metres (110 ft). The building is approximately				^ "Plans unveiled for "breakthrough" plasma plant".
the size of a supermarket store and operates				Waste Management News (letsrecycle.com).
under a light vacuum, meaning it contains all odors.				2008-02-25. Retrieved 2008-10-20.
The entire process occurs within the building.				^ "Bid for 60m Welsh organic waste park". Waste
Planned facilities				management News (letsrecycle.com). 2007-08-31.
St. Lucie County, Florida (GeoPlasma)				^ Credeur, Mary Jane (2003-06-14). "Start-up will
The first plasma-based waste disposal system in				turn tires into electricity". Atlanta Business
the USA was announced in 2006 in St. Lucie				Chronicle.
County, Florida. The county stated that it hopes				^ "Plasco forms R&D partnership". PR
to not only avoid further landfill, but completely				Newswire. 2009-02-05. Retrieved 2009-02-08.
empty its existing landfill 4,300,000 short tons				^ "Plasco moving on schedule". 2009-06-01.
(3,900,000 t) of waste collected since 1978				Retrieved 2009-07-19.
within 18 years. The plant was scheduled to				External links
come into operation in 2009. However, no permits				Alter NRG Corp, Plasma Gasification
as yet have been submitted for construction.				InEnTec Chemical, Sustainable Technology for
Backers have announced that the facility would				Industry
produce 600 short tons (540,000 kg) of solid				Waste-to-Energy Plasma Systems
rubble from around 3,000 short tons				The Gasification Technologies Council (GTC)
(2,700,000 kg) of waste per day at 5,500 C				Waste Vitrification Systems Lessons Learned
(9,900 F). Uncertainties have arisen however				article on Joseph Longo's Plasma Converter 2/19
regarding the safety of such a facility. The public				2007
and environmental threats from incinerators				StarTech Environmental, producer of plasma
coupled with the uncertainty of the community's				converters.longer version of above article from
ability to produce such large quantities of waste				"How Plasma Converters Work" at
consistently have led GeoPlasma to submit a new				Can We Turn Garbage Into Energy?: The pros
proposal for a much smaller facility that would				and cons of plasma incineration
convert 200 short tons (180 t) of waste per				Plascon - Plasma arc destruction of organic
day.				compounds - greenhouse gases such as
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (Plasco				refrigerants, ODSs, PCBs, Pesticides
Energy Group Inc.)				Westinghouse Plasma Corporation, A division of
A proposed Plasma arc gasifier has been planned				Alter NRG Corp.
for the Metro Vancouver area. However residents				Alter NRG Corp, What is Gasification?
of the area have protested. Metro Vancouver is				Phoenix Solutions Co.

DAN

Plasma arc waste disposal