Electricity from Plastic & Rubbish

This article discusses Licella’s CAT-HTR Technology and Sierra Energy’s FastOx Gasification as follows:

·         Licella’s Cat-HTR Technology: This innovative technology uses pressure and water at near or supercritical temperatures to chemically convert plastic back into oil. The process involves heating and pressurizing a mixture of end-of-life plastics, resulting in the production of HTL oil, also known as plasticrude. This oil can be used to create new plastics or biodiesel, providing an alternative feedstock for plastic manufacturing and generating electricity.

o   Environmental Impact: CAT-HTR technology offers a sustainable solution by diverting non-recyclable plastics from landfills and incineration. It also has the potential to turn old landfills into valuable resources, creating a new mining boom for plastics.

·         Sierra Energy’s FastOx Gasification: This process breaks down waste at the molecular level using heat, steam, and oxygen, producing synthetic gas (syngas), liquid stone, and liquid metal. Syngas can be used to generate electricity, while the other by-products have various industrial applications.

·         Global Applications: Both technologies provide innovative solutions for waste management and energy production, with the potential to replace traditional landfills and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

What’s great about both technologies is that they produce Syngas.

Syngas, or synthetic gas, is a mixture primarily composed of hydrogen (H₂) and carbon monoxide (CO), with smaller amounts of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄). It is highly combustible and can be used as a fuel to generate electricity.

Electricity Generation Using Syngas.

1.  Combustion in Gas Turbines:

Gas Turbines: Clean syngas is combusted in highly efficient gas turbines. The combustion process generates hot gases that expand and drive the turbine blades, producing mechanical energy. This mechanical energy is then converted into electrical energy by a generator.

Combined Cycle: The excess heat from the gas turbines and the gasification reaction is captured and converted into steam. This steam is then sent to a steam turbine to produce additional electricity, enhancing the overall efficiency of the process.

2.  Combustion in Boilers:

Conventional Boilers: Syngas can also be burned in conventional boilers to produce steam. This steam is used to drive steam turbines, which generate electricity.

3.  Combustion in Natural Gas Engine Driven Generators.

Syngas can be combusted in engines built to run on natural gas. These engines convert the chemical energy of the syngas into mechanical energy, which then drives an electric generator to produce electricity.

Wartsilla is a company that has purpose-built engines for natural gas would be an excellent choice for generating electricity using syngas.

Wartsilla 34SG Gas Engine.

A four-stroke, spark-ignited, lean-burn gas engine generating set.

Ideal for flexible baseload and balancing renewables applications.

Fast-starting capability for rapid response to renewable generation fluctuations.

High efficiency and reliability.

Capable of operating on natural gas, biogas, synthetic methane, and hydrogen blends.

Wartsilla 50SG Gas Engine.

Another four-stroke, spark-ignited gas engine generating set.

Suitable for flexible baseload and balancing applications.

High power density and fast-starting capability.

Low greenhouse gas emissions and minimal water consumption.

Can operate on natural gas, biogas, synthetic methane, and hydrogen blends.

These engines are designed to be highly efficient and reliable, making them perfect for converting syngas into electricity.

They also offer the flexibility to blend hydrogen, which aligns with future decarbonization goals.

4.  Advantages of Using Syngas for Electricity Generation

Efficiency: Gasification and the use of syngas in combined cycle power plants can achieve higher efficiencies compared to traditional combustion methods.

Environmental Benefits: Syngas production from waste materials and biomass is considered a form of renewable energy. It helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and diverts waste from landfills.

Versatility: Syngas can be used to produce not only electricity but also other valuable products such as transportation fuels, chemicals, and fertilizers.

By utilizing syngas, we can efficiently convert waste and biomass into valuable energy, contributing to a more sustainable and cleaner energy future.