alter nrg plasma brochure 2010
TRANSCRIPT
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As the world faces both a growing need for energy and an
ever-present call for environmental responsibility, Alter NRG was
founded to work towards providing a cleaner, sustainable form
of energy. Purchasing Westinghouse Plasma Corporation
(WPC), Alter NRG gained world-class expertise and
industry leading plasma gasification technology. A publicly
traded company committed to pursuing alternative energy
solutions emerged.
Our vision: Commercialize growth technologies through developing environmentally sustainable and economically viable alternative energy projects.
By recovering energy from waste, plasma gasification develops
an alternative source of energy production to help meet the
world’s growing power and liquid fuel demands. The energy recov-
ered through the plasma gasification process is safe, efficient,
environmentally friendly and sustainable for future generations.
Since acquisition in 2007, Alter NRG has invested
significantly in plasma gasification technology. Continued inno-
vation and development of plasma gasification is ongoing at the
Westinghouse Plasma Demonstration Facility in Madison,
Pennsylvania. Additional detailed engineering design, scientific
modeling and performance verification simulations are performed
at the company facilities in Calgary, Alberta.
cleaning up energy
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Municipal WasteIn the U.S. alone, over 250 million tons (275 million tonnes) of waste
is generated each year. As landfills continue to become a growing
problem globally, Alter NRG offers a safe, proven and environmen-
tally sustainable solution by efficiently turning our overabundant
trash heaps into much needed energy and liquid fuels.
coal plant RefuelingCoal is cheap and abundant, but must be cleaned up as
a fuel source. By co-firing with biomass and or waste feedstocks,
plasma gasification provides the bridge to environmentally
sustainable base load power.
BioMassBiomass is an energy source drawn from organic waste
such as plant materials, agricultural residues and
construction demolition wood waste. Plasma gasification
of this renewable resource creates liquid fuels and base load ener-
gy in a clean, green way, reducing emissions of greenhouse gases.
HazaRdous WasteHazardous waste poses a threat to human health
and the environment. Plasma gasification offers a safe,
reliable disposal method, turning today’s hazardous
waste into energy for tomorrow.
powering the world
THROUGH CLEAN POWER AND LIQUID ENERGY SOLUTIONS.
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Globally, waste is a problem. In 2006, it was
estimated that over 2.02 billion tons of waste
was generated worldwide. Plasma gasification
takes this unwanted but abundant resource
and turns it into sustainable energy solutions.
Regardless of geography—urban, rural, de-
veloped or undeveloped—waste is generated
every minute of every hour of every day.
By recovering energy from waste through
plasma gasification, it is possible to reverse
the environmentally unfriendly landfill cycle and
reduce the impact of leachates and the harmful
methane gases released into our air, water
and soil.
municipal waste solutionsTURNING EvERYDAY TRASH INTO EvERYDAY ENERGY.
“Communities with Waste-to-Energy (WTE) facilities are likely to have higher recycling rates than the national average. Far from competing with recycling, WTE is part of an integrated approach to solid waste management that includes recycling as a core component.” > Energy Recovery Council
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WASTE MINIMIZATION
REUSE
RECYCLE/COMPOST
ENERGY RECOVERY
DISPOSAL
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The old adage: Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. The
new message: Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.
Recover. Today, we can add energy recovery
to that list. By thermally treating waste, plasma
gasification can create a much needed power
source, while reducing the negative footprint
landfills leave behind. The European Union is
a good example of this practice today. The
Landfill Directive enacted in 1999 has marked
a decisive shift from landfilling towards the
waste hierarchy. After efforts to reduce, reuse
and recycle, member nations are increasingly
turning to energy recovery from waste to divert
waste from landfills to meet their stated landfill
reduction targets. This treatment process
produces energy, reduces landfilling and
provides relief from the release of methane
and other greenhouse gases.
Why do it? It’s economic. One ton of waste
can create between 1 and 1.3 megawatts of
power. A facility that treats 750 tonnes per day
of municipal waste can provide enough power
for up to 40,000 homes. Plasma gasification
reduces waste, cuts dependency on fossil
fuels and cleans up the planet. Reduce, reuse,
recycle and recover our trash —another step
towards energy independence.
Waste HieRaRcHyWhile energy recovery is part of the
world’s waste solution, it is not a
replacement for a comprehensive plan
to minimize, reuse and recycle our trash.
Disposal should always be a last resort.
If we follow the hierarchy from the top
down, we’ll be on our way to
a cleaner earth.
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plant
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Today, coal is a “dirty” energy source. In truth,
it is also an abundant and indispensable
source. Many nations rely heavily on coal for
their energy production. For example, in the
U.S., 49% of electricity is produced using coal.
In Poland, it’s 93%. And while we can’t keep
operating at this level, we can’t shut down
plants until a reliable electricity alternative
is established.
Plasma gasification represents an incre-
mental solution. Using the existing
infrastructure of current coal-fired facilities,
plasma gasification technology can process
both coal, biomass and waste reducing environ-
mental and health impacts of traditional coal
plants while creating clean, sustainable base
load power.
Currently, coal plants directly burn coal which
includes sulphur and mercury. A plasma
gasification refueled coal plant gasifies coal
and biomass to create a syngas which is
cleaned of sulphur and mercury. The clean
syngas is then burned, resulting in emissions
of SO2 and mercury that are 95% less than older
traditional coal plants. The biomass portion of
the feedstock creates carbon neutral energy,
producing lower emissions and a smaller
carbon footprint. And because no coal ash is
generated, plasma gasification does not add
to growing coal ash pond issues.
Refueling with plasma gasification is
not just environmentally responsible — it’s
economical. Our system works with existing
infrastructure, providing a fiscally efficient
solution. At an estimated 1/3 the cost of
building a greenfield coal facility, refueling
through plasma gasification is a sustainable,
environmental and timely alternative.
coal plant refuelingGIvING COAL POWER A CLEAN-UP.
tHe diRty tRutH
NATIONPERCENTAGE Of ENERGY
GENERATED THROUGH COAL
Poland 93%
China 81%
India 68%
Germany 49%
United States 49%
UK 32%
Source: EIA
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uneaRtHed
Biomass is a renewable energy source
consisting of plant waste material,
vegetation and agricultural waste.
Plasma gasification can convert
biomass into a carbon neutral base
load power source. It can also create
other valuable products such as
ethanol and steam. The biomass
resources used in our plasma gas-
ification process are non-food based
and do not contribute to deforestation.
The energy harnessed from biomass
comes from the process of photo-syn-
thesis. As plants grow, they capture
an amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) equal
to that released during plasma gas-
ification. This process creates an en-
ergy rich and carbon neutral balance.
biomass
eneRgy
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
BIO
MA
SS
CA
RB
ON
DIO
XID
E
RESIDUES & BY-PRODUCTS
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THE PROCESS Of
pHotosyntHesisThe growth phase of biomass waste
materials used for feedstock captures
an equivalent amount of CO2 released
through plasma gasification, providing
a carbon neutral process.
In the U.S. alone, over 590 million tons of bio-
mass are produced annually. Due to its varied
quality (e.g. dirt and moisture content), many
technologies and processes are ineffective or
inefficient in their conversion. However, the
high temperatures produced in the plasma
gasification process effectively vaporize the
tough biomass materials, converting them
into clean, green renewable energy.
With the growing global concern over green-
house gas emissions, alternative energy
resources are growing in importance.
Governmental mandates to decrease toxic
emissions means energy facilities must con-
tinue to reduce their environmental footprint.
Renewable energy incentives and carbon
programs to decrease greenhouse gas
emissions are becoming more prevalent.
As a solution to meet this target, biomass
plasma gasification helps reduce emissions
below the strictest regulatory levels, with net
CO2 emissions well below those of fossil fuel
electricity generation.
USING PLANT WASTE TO POWER THE PLANET.
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When it comes to the disposal of hazardous
waste, a safe, reliable and proven technology
must be employed as countless harmful
substances pose a risk to human health and
the environment. Plasma gasification offers a
highly efficient method to mitigate the risk of
dangerous toxins—by eliminating them. By
turning hazardous waste into much needed
energy, safe, clean and proven plasma
gasification is a win-win solution for both
reduction and destruction of a mounting prob-
lem. Plasma torches operate at temperatures
high enough to vaporize the hazardous con-
stituent. Therefore, toxins are effectively and
efficiently destroyed, and the waste is convert-
ed into recoverable energy. Although there is
no replacement for a robust and comprehen-
sive strategy to eliminate many of these toxic
materials, plasma gasification offers a solu-
tion to help safely bridge the gap today.
With years of proven commercial ex-
perience, the difficult work of processing
hazardous waste is part of our mandate.
Over the past 30 years, the Westinghouse
Plasma Corporation (WPC) Madison,
Pennsylvania demonstration facility has
successfully processed over 100 feedstocks,
including excavated landfill material contain-
ing PCBs, scrap metal, bricks, clay, tires and
digital equipment. Most recently, in early 2009,
a facility in India using our design technology
was commissioned to process 72 tonnes of
hazardous waste per day.
hazardouswaste solutionsRISkY mATERIALS. ENERGY-RICH REWARDS.
“WTE helps turn a waste management problem into an energy generating solution.” > U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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HaRnessingtHe HazaRdous
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our technologyPLASmA GASIfICATION OffERS fLExIbLE, EffICIENT ENERGY RECOvERY.
With over 30 years of research and develop-
ment, and over 500,000 hours of commercial
torch operations, WPC has developed the
industry’s leading plasma gasification technol-
ogy – a highly efficient and reliable solution.
Since acquiring WPC in 2007, Alter NRG has
expanded on the development of the technol-
ogy with engineering and operational design
improvements. Testing is also ongoing at the
Westinghouse Plasma Pilot Facility along with
detailed engineering and verification.
The WPC technology is unique in its abil-
ity to process heterogeneous feedstock with
minimal feed preparation, allowing for the
blending of feedstocks such as municipal
waste, construction and demolition waste,
auto shredder residue, high-ash coal, biomass,
liquids and slurries. This flexibility allows
companies to optimize operations based on
available feedstocks.
The WPC plasma gasification process
yields a variety of outputs such as electric-
ity, steam and liquid fuels, while reducing
harmful greenhouse gas emissions. WPC
plasma gasification is a proven technology that
provides a solution for the issues of today by
maintaining the balance between energy and
the environment.
the plasma gasification process
fEED HANDLING GAS COOLING GAS CLEAN-UP SYNGAS
Wide VaRiety of feedstocKs fleXiBle pRocess Wide VaRiety of pRoductslow cost gasifier high value
Household Waste
Industrial Waste
Coal
Biomass
Power
Ethanol
Diesel
Steam
Air or Oxygen Feed
Plasma Torch
Metal is recycled
and the inert slag
output is used for
construction
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THE GASIfIER ISLAND bEHIND THE SYNGAS
Our plasma gasification island (pictured
below) operates at temperatures above
5,500˚C (10,000˚F), ensuring a near complete
conversion of the feedstock into syngas. The
inorganic materials are released at the base of
the gasifier as an inert slag which is cooled and
becomes a benign, non-leachable product that
can be sold as construction aggregate.
The Westinghouse Plasma gasification process
is highly efficient. The overall energy recovered
from the feedstocks processed by the WPC
gasifier is approximately 80%. This recovered
energy is a clean, rich syngas that can be used
to generate power, derive liquid fuels or other
energy products. Of the total energy needed to
run the gasification process, only 2-5% of that
energy is used to power the plasma torches.
Given our facility’s modular, scalable design,
we can quickly install a plasma gasification
system anywhere, for projects ranging from
$50 to $300 million, making plasma technology
accessible around the world.
THE PLASmA GASIfICATION ISLAND
VARyING DEGREES OF PlASMA POWERtoRcH poWeR
TORCH mODEL POWER OUTPUT (kW) vESSEL mODEL
MARC 3 80–300 W 15
MARC 11 300–800 G 65
MARC 11H 700–2,400 G 65
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GASIfIER mODEL APPROxImATE CAPACITY (TONNES/DAY)
Oxygen Air
G 65Waste 750 Waste 600
Biomass 1000 Biomass 700
W 15Waste 250 Waste 140
Biomass 300 Biomass 170
TOP CENTER FEED PORT
2 SyNGAS OUTlETS
SUPPORT RING
INTERNAl FEED PIPE
ACCESS DOOR
12 TERTIARy OXIDANT TUyERES
12 SECONDARy OXIDANT TUyERES
FlANGE FOR BOTTOM REMOVAl
4 PRIMARy OXIDANT TUyERES
4 PRIMARy TORCH TUyERES
STEAM RAISING WATER JACKET
2 SlAG OUTlETS
SUPPORT FOR BOTTOM (NOT SHOWN)
gasifieR Models
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plasMagasification
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opportunities The world is changing. Renewable energy and environmental responsibility are not just buzz-
words, but global necessities. Governments and society demand renewable energy and higher
environmental standards.
From this demand, opportunities exist glob-
ally to use plasma gasification as a clean,
green energy solution. Alter NRG is working
with world-class companies like Air Prod-
ucts, NRG Energy, Hatch, Coskata, and
Uhde Shanghai Engineering Consulting to
create unique energy recovery solutions for
the future.
The Westinghouse Plasma Technology can
produce valuable and clean syngas from
abundant, inexpensive feedstocks globally. For
more information on how plasma gasification
can create an economically attractive and
environmentally beneficial result for your
company, contact us at 403.806.3875 or
www.alternrg.com.
ENGINEERING STAGE
PROPOSED PROJECTS
PROJECTS UNDER CONSTRUCTION
OPERATING PROJECTS
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facilitiesUTASHINAI, JAPAN
Owner: Hitachi Metals, Hitachi Ltd.Capacity: 220 tpdFeedstock: Municipal solid waste and auto shredder residueOutput: Primarily focused on waste destruction, although it does generate salable power
PILOT fACILITY, PA, USA
Owner: Alter NRGCapacity: 48 tpdFeedstock: Over 100 tested Output: Syngas
mADISON, PA, USA
Owner: Coskata and WPC demonstration facilityCapacity: 40,000 gallons per yearFeedstock: Non-food sourced biomassOutput: Cellulosic ethanolStatus: Operational
mIHAmA-mIkATA, JAPAN
Owner: Hitachi Metals, Hitachi Ltd. Capacity: 24 tpdFeedstock: Municipal solid waste and waste water sludgeOutput: Syngas is combusted and the resulting heat is used to dry sewage sludge prior to gasification
PUNE, INDIA
Owner: SMSILCapacity: 72 tpdFeedstock: Hazardous wasteOutput: Power
SOmERSET, mA, USA (UNDER DEvELOPmENT)
Owner: NRG EnergyCapacity: 125 MWFeedstock: Coal and biomassOutput: Carbon neutral powerStatus: Permitted, waiting for NRG Energy Hatch board approval
NAGPUR, INDIA (COmmISSIONING)
Owner: SMSILCapacity: 72 tpdFeedstock: Hazardous wasteOutput: Power
oR Visit: WWW.alteRnRg.coMcall: 403.806.3875
OUR PLASmA TECHNOLOGY IN ACTION
700, 910 - 7 AVENUE SW
CAlGARy, AlBERTA T2P 3N8
T: 403.806.3875
F: 403.806.3721
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