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Environmentally friendly technology for municipal solid waste gasification

From Science to Business

11-12 October 2006

Kyiv

 

Georgiy Geletukha

t./fax: (+380 44) 456 94 62

geletukha@biomass.kiev.ua

Institute of Engineering Thermophysics NAS of Ukraine

Kyiv

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Talk outline

  

1. What is needed in the market?

2. Brief technology description.

3. Stage of development.

4. Who needs it & how many will they need?

5. What is my unique technology advantage?

6. Competitive matrix.

7. How will I beat the competition?

8. Opportunity for joint work.

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Proprietary information statement

• The technology material presented in this talk is available for licensing or joint product development.

• None of the slides contain any confidential or proprietary information which would prevent patenting the technology.

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Problem Description & Market Need

Every year amount of municipal solid waste (MSW) is growing in the world (2 billion t/year)

Incineration is the main method for MSW thermochemical conversion

Main problems of MSW incineration:

• high emission of harmful pollutants (dioxines and furans)

• high capital costs due to necessity of expensive gas cleaning systems

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Brief technology description

Twin fluid bed gasifier consisting of two fluid bed reactors – gasifier itself and combustion chamber

Steam gasification, sand as inert material

Wet cleaning of producer gas in a scrubber

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Advantages

• low formation of dioxins and furans. As gasification takes place under limited amount of oxygen, formation of dioxins is much less intensive than during direct combustion of MSW;

• effective gas cleaning system;• low negative impact upon environment;• compacting effect from gasification is much more than that from

pyrolysis. Unburned charcoal remains after pyrolysis while only ash remains after gasification;

• gasification is a less power-consuming process than pyrolysis;• due to lower temperature during gasification as against combustion,

formation of NOx is also much less intensive.

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Experimental results

Composition of produced gas (after cleaning system)

H2 39%

CO 24%

CO2 26%

CH4 8%

N2 3%

Cl 0%

LHV, MJ/Nm3 12-13

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Stage of development

• Detail design and design documentation for 50 KWth pilot unit is available

• Built up and tested

50 KWth pilot unit

• Design is available for patenting

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Targeted Market Segment

• Companies involved in generation and disposal of MSW: industrial enterprises, municipalities, wastes collection and transportation companies, landfill operators.

• Market size assessment: several thousand units as it is planned to install gasification units on existing power plants, CHP plants and boiler houses

• Present price of MSW disposal on landfill: about 2 $/m3 – in Ukraine and up to 50 $/m3

(EU, USA, Japan, Canada).

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Competition

• Waste incineration plants (WIP) - competitorIncineration of MSW is widely spread in EU, partly in USA and only two plants are in Ukraine. People and environmental organizations are often strongly against WIP. Expensive cleaning system is required. Typical problems with utilization of produced heat.

• Landfills – competitorLarge areas occupied. High payment for MSW disposal.

• Gasification – proposed technologyMore effective and environmentally friendly MSW conversion. Lower price for MSW utilization. The main barrier – level of technical development.

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Competitive Matrix

Important product or technology

characteristics

MSW gasification technology, Institute

of Engineering Thermophysics

Waste incineration

plant

Landfill

Emission of dioxins (a)

0.02 ngeq/m3 0.5-1.1 ngeq/m3 Exist (in case of fire). No assessments

Required area of land (b)

Small Middle Very large

Efficiency electrical (c)

35%

(gasifier + engine)

15-20%

(steam turbine unit)

-

Capital costs (d) About 900 $/kWe 2000-2500

$/kWe

-

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• Next stage: demonstration project on existing power plant / boiler house

- selection of a city with MSW differential collection and refuse derived fuel (pellets) production

- selection of suitable power plant / boiler house- techno-economic assessment

• Capacity of gasification unit: 0.5-1 MWth

• Potential partner (investor) is needed to implement demonstration project in Ukraine

Opportunities (1)

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Opportunities (2)

The Institute of Engineering Thermophysics has also other fields for international cooperation based on proposed/developed technologies:

combustion of wet wood residues – 100 kWth experimental boiler is constructed and tested (CRDF project, 2002-2004)

combustion of straw bales – draft design of a 100 kWth boiler is developed (IPP project, 2006-2008)

fast pyrolysis of biomass for liquid fuel production - draft design of a 20 kg/hr pilot unit is under development (CRDF project, 2006-2008)

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Contact information

Georgiy Geletukhat./fax: (+380 44) 456 94 62

geletukha@biomass.kiev.ua Institute of Engineering Thermophysics NAS of Ukraine

Kyiv