MSW Conversion Technologies: Status in Summer 2012 Presented to the Board of Directors of the...

MSW Conversion Technologies:Status in Summer 2012

Presented to the Board of Directors of the

Municipal Review Committee, Inc.

August 1, 2012

Status of MSW Conversion Technologies:MRC Board meeting on August 1, 2012

Goal:

Monitor emerging MSW conversion technologies for

consideration after 2018

Objectives: 1. Reduce overall net disposal costs post-20182. Match facility scale to available in-state MSW 3. Produce products with more value than electricity 4. Minimize risks of unproven technology5. Reduce environmental impacts and residuals

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Recent developmentsPer the Waste Conversion Congress, Philadelphia, June 2012

1. Almost 600 vendors of new MSW technologies

2. New sources of investment capital IT companies entering the green tech space U.S. stimulus programs (DOE, ARRA)

3. First facilities in the commercialization process Demos, pilots and scale-ups now in construction Too soon to get performance, cost or tip fee data

4. No technology has yet emerged as disruptive

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Approach Description

Merchant RDF

Produce pelletized fuel for combustion in solid fuel boilers and kilns

High-value RDF

Convert RDF to liquid or gaseous fuels: ethanol, biodiesel, synthetic crude, CNG

One-step conversion

Convert MSW directly to liquid or gaseous fuels

Multi-step conversion

Process MSW in a dirty MRF, then convert individual materials to separate products


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Merchant RDF technologies: five vendors

1. Dongara Pellet Plant

2. New Biomass Energy

3. Greenwood Energy

4. Process Equipment Design Consultants (PEDCON)

5. Covanta/Waste Management


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Merchant RDF technologies: Dongara

Process: Convert MSW to RDF, then to pelletized fuel product

Market: Sell fuel to solid fuel boilers and kilns

First plant: Vaughn, Ontario, 208,000 tpy

In operation since 2008

More info to come on technology, costs, regulatory issues, product markets

Funding Private partners


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Merchant RDF technologies: New Biomass Energy

Process: Convert wood chips to fuel pellets

called “torrified wood”

Market: Sell fuel to solid fuel boilers and kilns

First plant: Quitman, MS, 80,000 tpy

Started up early in 2012

Exported two ship-loads of pellets to Europe for test burns


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Merchant RDF technologies: Greenwood Energy

Process: Convert fiber waste to fuel pellets

Market: Sell fuel to solid fuel boilers and kilns in the upper Midwest.

First plant: Green Bay, WI, 150,000 tpy

Starting up in 2012

Oneida Indian tribe seeks to extend technology to take MSW


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Merchant RDF technologies: PEDCON

Process: Convert MSW to RDF to fuel pellets

Market: Sell fuel to solid fuel boilers and kilns in the PJM control area.

First plants: Palmer Twp, PA, pilot facility in place

Easton, PA, 65,000 tpy

Starting up in 2012


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Merchant RDF technologies: Covanta

Process: Convert MSW to RDF to fuel pellets

Market: Sell fuel to solid fuel boilers and kilns in the PJM control area.

First plant: WMI transfer station in Philadelphia, 143,000 tpy

Under development


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Merchant RDF technologies: summary

1. Wood chips, fiber waste and MSW can be converted into fuel pellets

2. Canadian facility on-line since 2008; U.S. facilities starting up in 2012

3. Facilities have been funded privately

4. Market depends on value to solid-fuel boilers and regulatory acceptance

5. Performance and cost data are not yet available


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High-value RDF technologies: five vendors

1. Enerkem

2. Fiberight

3. Ineos Bio

4. BlueFire Ethanol

5. Fulcrum BioEnergy


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High-value RDF technologies: Enerkem

Process: Gasify RDF, then use catalysts to refine to ethanol and chemicals

Market: Sell in bulk to fuel blenders, refineries and industrial bulk chemical users

First plants: Sherbrooke, Q, pilot plant since 2003

Westbury, Q, 1.3 Mgal/y since 2009

Edmonton, AB, 10 Mgal/y from 300 tpd MSW, start-up 2013

Pontotoc, MS, 10 Mgal/y, in development

Funding: ARRA grants, USDOE loan guarantees


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High-value RDF technologies: Enerkem


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High-value RDF technologies: Fiberight

Process: Prepare RDF, then ferment to alcohols

Market: Sell in bulk to fuel blenders

First plants: Lawrenceville, VA, Q, pilot plant

Blairstown, IA, converted corn ethanol facility, 6 M gal/y, start-up 2013

Elkridge, MD, under development



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High-value RDF technologies: Ineos Bio

Process: Gasify RDF, then ferment to bio-ethanol with bio-catalysts and distill

Market: Sell in bulk to fuel blenders

First plants: Fayetteville, AK, pilot plant

Vero Beach, FL, 150,000 tpy MSW to 8 Mgpy ethanol and 6 MW electricity, starting-up summer 2012



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High-value RDF technologies: Ineos Bio


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High-value RDF technologies: BlueFire Ethanol

Process: Mix RDF with agr. residues, then process via concentrated acid hydrolysis and refine to ethanol and other bio-fuels

Market: Sell in bulk to fuel blendersand end-users

First plants: Fulton, MS, 19 Mgal/y from woody biomass only, starting up 2013

Lancaster and Mecca, CA, from post-sorted MSW, under development



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High-value RDF technologies: Fulcrum BioEnergy

Process: Gasify RDF, then refine with catalysts

Market: Sell in bulk to fuel blendersand end-users

First plants: McCarran, NV, 10.5 Mgal/y, scheduled for operation 2nd half 2013

Feedstock contracts with Waste Mgmt and Waste Connections



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High-value RDF technologies: summary

1. MSW processes are based on experience with other biomass materials

2. Large-scale facilities with complicated processing

3. U.S. facilities starting up in 2012 and 2013

4. Market depends on access to fuel blenders and fuel or chemical end-users with exacting specs

5. Financing required significant public support

6. Performance and cost data not yet available


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One-step conversion technologies: five vendors

1. PlascoEnergy

2. AlterNRG

3. Chinook Energy

4. Sierra Energy

5. Covanta CLEERGAS/InenTech


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One-step conversion technologies: PlascoEnergy

Process: Gasify by plasma arc torches; clean up gas

Market: Burn syngas in GE Jenbacher IC engines

First plant: Ottawa, ON, 94 tpd demo plant to be scaled up to 200 tpd by 2014

Funding: Private


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One-step conversion technologies: Alter NRG

Process: Plasma arc gasification

Market: Burn syngas in engines; convert syngas to ethanol for sale to fuel blenders

First plant: Madison, PA 48 tpd demo project

St. Lucie, FL, project canceled April 2012


Westnghouse facility in Japan


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One-step conversion technologies: Chinook Energy

Process: Gasify organics in batch vessels

Market: Burn syngas in IC engines: convert to fuels

First plants: 18 plants worldwide gasifying organic contaminants in scrap metal

Converting Millville, NJ, plant to gasify MSW

Funding: Private

Concept Beneficiate ferrous and/or FEPR?


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One-step conversion technologies: Chinook Energy


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One-step conversion technologies: Sierra Energy

Process: Gasify MSW in blast furnace to produce syngas and slag. Modular design.

Market: Convert syngas to CNG, sell slag as aggregate.

First plants: DOD, CA, 5 tpd demonstration plant Sacramento, CA, 50 tpd plant scheduled on-line in 2013, expansion to 200 tpd

Funding: Private, California incentives


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One-step conversion technologies: Sierra Energy


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One-step conversion technologies: Covanta CLEERGAS using InenTech technology

Process: Gasify MSW for combustion in solid fuel boiler

Market: Generate electricity

First plants: Tulsa, OK, operating at 350 tpd since August 2011.

Funding: Private


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One-step conversion technologies: summary

1. MSW gasification has been demonstrated technically

2. Use of syngas in IC engines is being demonstrated, but data are not public

3. Conversion of syngas to liquid fuels has not been demonstrated. Facilities will start up in 2012 and 2013

4. Facilities are modular and scalable



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Multi-step conversion technologies: four vendors

1. Zero Waste Energy

2. W2E Eisenmann

3. CR&R / Los Angeles County

4. Harvest Power


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Multi-step conversion technologies: Zero Waste Energy with Kompoferm technology

Process: Dirty MRF (unsorted MSW) with digester for organics, advanced recycling lines

Market: Convert bio-gas to CNG; sell recyclables First plant: San Jose, CA, demo plant operating,

constructing expansion to 270,000 tpy for start-up in 2013

Funding: Private, California incentives


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Multi-step conversion technologies: W2e Eisenmann

Process: Dirty MRF with wet anaerobic digestion of organics to produce bio-gas

Market: Generate electricity

First plants: Columbia, SC, 48,000 tpy and 3.2 MW, prototype under construction, start-up 2012

Funding: Private


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Multi-step conversion technologies: CR&R

Process: Dirty MRF with digester for organics, advanced recycling lines

Market: Convert bio-gas to CNG; sell recyclables

First plants: Riverside, CA

Under construction: start-up in 2014

Funding: Private, selected by LA County, CEC grants for bio-fuels


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Multi-step conversion technologies: Harvest Power

Process: Anaerobic digestion of source-separated organics. Combust bio-gas in IC engines

Market: Generate electricity, sell fertilizer

First plants: London, ON, 65,000 tpy, scheduled for start-up 2013

Orlando, FL, scheduled for start-up 2013

Funding: Private


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Multi-step conversion technologies: summary

1. Use dirty MRF technology with mechanical separation and anaerobic digestion

2. Variety of products, including electricity, CNG, recyclables

3. Generally uses proven equipment and processes in unproven configurations and applications

4. Facilities will start up in 2012 and 2013



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Observations· Multiple pilot and demonstration projects for MSW

processing are underway· There is little experience with syngas use or

conversion to liquid fuels· Performance and cost data are not yet available· Merchant RDF facilities depend on markets for solid

fuels and regulatory acceptance· High-value RDF facilities are large-scale and require

access to fuel blenders and users ; not appropriate for PERC


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Observations· One-step conversion technologies are modular and

scalable, but syngas uses are not yet demonstrated· Multi-step conversion technologies use proven

equipment and processes in new configurations· Need more experience to understand:

» Capital costs, O&M costs, life-cycle costs» Restrictions on Acceptable Waste» Success in using syngas» True generation of products, residuals and emissions

· Stay tuned – much will be learned this year!

MSW Conversion Technologies: Status in Summer 2012 Presented to the Board of Directors of the...

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