nrg focus - march 2011 issue
DESCRIPTION
Alter NRG, NRG Focus, Platts Energy Award, P5 Reactor, Therma Waste to Energy, Westinghouse Plasma, Gasification, Moltoni, Australia, New Zealand, Geoplasma, China, Tees Valley, UK, Arc Leading Light, Garbage, Gas, EU directives, landfills, Facts, Figures, Torches, Waltz Mill, Madison, Pennsylvania, USA, Canada, Clean Syngas, Waste, Management, Business, Electricity, Gasifier, Wuhan Kaidi, Shanghai, Alliance Federated Energy, Air Products, Apollo, SMS Envocare, India, alternrg.comTRANSCRIPT
MARCH 201 1
™
A GLOBAL OUTLOOKTECHNOLOGY | REVIEW | UPDATE
China:At the forefront of energy development with plasma gasification
Alter NRG Awarded Platts Global Energy Award
Waste-to-Energy vs Zero WasteA Comparison
Westinghouse Plasma Testing Capabilities
Project Updates Alter NRG & Partners
Happy ChineseNew Year!
Year of theRabbit
Cover Photo: Happy Chinese New Year 2011 - Year of the RabbitContent & Design: Alter NRG Corp. - Corporate Development Team
Past Issues: www.alternrg.com/investor_relations/presentations/publications
Alter NRG Corp. is a registered trademark. All other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners. The information contained herein cannot be re-producted in any format without legal permision from Alter NRG Corp., and is subject to change without notice. Copyright © 2011. All rights reserved.
ContentsAlter NRG Awards _______________3Green Energy Initiative of the Year
Moltoni _______________________4Debate between Zero Waste and Waste to Energy Facilities (Overview)
Plasma Arc ____________________6The Leading Light by Dr. Gary Young
Turning Garbage into Gas _________7Plasma Gasification technology is gaining popularity
Facts & Figures _________________8A Data Insight
Westinghouse Plasma ___________ 10Testing Capabilities●● On-site syngas analysis, variety of feedstock handling processes
●● Syngas for Coskata’s ethanol facility
Spotlight On China _____________ 14At the Forefront of Development●● Waste Management in China ____________ 16●● Development of the P-5 Reactor ___________18
Project Updates _______________ 20●● AFE & AP Working Together●● Moltoni’s Exclusive Territory License Agreement●● SMS Envocare’s Facility Completed Commissioning●● Wuhan Kaidi, Wuhan, China●● Tees Valley Renewable Energy Facility●● Demonstration Scale Project, China
www.alternrg.com
ISSUE●|●MARCH●20112
Alter NRG has been honoured as the recipient of the prestigious Platts Award for the Green Energy Initiative of the Year. This award recognizes the business or organization that has demonstrated the strongest commitment through a specific initiative aimed at generating more sustainable, green and renewable energy production.
Over●the●past●eleven●years●the●Platt’s●Global●Energy●Awards●have●become●a●
prestigious●honour,●recognizing●those●that●reach●beyond●the●status●quo●in●
the●name●of●excellence●in●leadership,●innovation●and●performance.●●The●
awards●receive●more●than●200●nominations●each●year●from●over●30●
countries●including●Brazil,●India,●Puerto●Rico,●Saudi●Arabia,●South●Africa,●
Spain,●Russia,●Switzerland,●Argentina,●China,●Pakistan,●Bangladesh,●
Thailand,●United●Kingdom●and●the●United●States.●●The●Platts●Global●Energy●
Awards●have●been●described●by●past●entrants●and●winners●as●both●the●
“World●Series”●and●“Academy●Awards”●of●energy.●■
Award Winning Alter NRGAlter NRG Corp. wins the Platts Award for the Green Energy Initiative of the Year
Mark Montemurro, CEO of Alter NRG comments:
“WefelthonoredjustbeingnamedasfinalistsamongstalistofverycredibleandreputableFortune500andotherlargecompaniesincludingNRGEnergy,HindustanPetroleumCorporationLimitedandKruger.Developingcleanenergysolutionsischallenginganditisbothhumblingandencouragingtowinsuchaprestigiousaward.Iwouldpersonallyliketothanktheeffortsofourapproximately80personteamofpeoplethatarethedrivingforcebehindoursuccessasaCompany.”
Mark Wright, Vice President of Business Development & Strategic Alliances for Alter NRG Corp, accepts the 2010 award for Green Energy Initiative of the Year.
Image Source: www.geaweb.platts.com
Other Awards Alter NRG has been Awarded or Nominated for:
●● Deloitte’s●Technology●Green●15●Award●
Winner,●2008
●● TechRev●focuses●on●bringing●awareness●to●
technology●being●developed●in●Calgary●that●
is●being●adopted●on●a●global●scale.●Alter●NRG●
was●nominated●in●2010
●● Ernst●and●Young●Entrepreneur●of●the●Year●
Award:●Mark●Montemurro,●CEO●of●Alter●NRG,●
has●been●named●a●finalist●for●two●
consecutive●years●in●the●Cleantech●category,●
Prairie●division
3 NRG●FOCUS●|●BY●●alter nrg
The Zero Waste ModelThe●Zero●Waste●model●supports●better●packaging●choices,●education●and●reuse●options●to●
effectively●eliminate●initial●generation●of●waste.●Recycling●and●composting●are●the●next●steps●
for●unavoidable●waste.●However,●in●order●to●achieve●zero●waste,●all●levels●of●the●waste●
management●hierarchy●must●be●perfectly●integrated.●All●non-recyclable●materials●must●be●
avoided,●and●all●residual●wastes●must●be●perfectly●composted,●reused,●or●recycled.●This●is●why●
there●is●no●evidence●of●the●Zero●Waste●model●being●achieved●in●any●urban●centre●worldwide.●
Landfills●are●undesirable●for●a●number●of●reasons,●including●large●scale●land●use,●methane●
emissions,●and●potential●leaching●of●toxins●into●groundwater.●So●what●are●the●alternatives?●
Alter NRG’s Australian and New Zealand Representative, Moltoni Energy Pty Ltd., compared thermal treatment of waste to the “Zero Waste” model supported by environmentalists throughout the world. But is a goal of Zero Waste realistic in today’s society?
Alter NRG recently announced that it has signed an Exclusive Territory License Agreement with Moltoni Energy of Australia. The agreement provides Moltoni with the exclusive rights to use Alter NRG’s Westinghouse Plasma gasification technology in Australia and New Zealand.
DEBATE
Thermal Waste to Energy or Zero WasteFact versus Fiction - Moltoni’s Prespective
Figure 1 – EU waste treatmentISSUE●|●MARCH●20114
Today’s●Waste●to●Energy●(WTE)●technologies●virtually●eliminate●the●
need●for●landfills,●so●although●we●cannot●achieve●zero●●waste●
production,●we●can●achieve●zero●waste●to●landfill●within●the●next●20●
to●50●years.●As●seen●in●Figure●1,●nations●such●as●Germany,●the●
Netherlands,●and●Switzerland●already●rely●almost●entirely●on●
recycling●and●WTE.●
Many●arguments●have●been●presented●in●opposition●to●WTE●related●
to●recycling,●environment,●health●and●economy.●But●when●we●look●at●
the●facts,●these●arguments●become●invalid.●●
Assertion: WTE discourages recycling and innovationIndependent●US●University●studies●have●shown●that●communities●that●
have●a●thermal●WTE●facility●tend●to●recycle●more●than●those●without●
due●to●the●greater●awareness●by●the●community●of●their●waste●
disposal●options.●In●addition,●the●slag●by-product●can●be●reused●in●
various●construction●materials●such●as●bricks●and●road●aggregate.
Assertion: WTE plants emit high levels of emissions, which have negative health effectsIn●regards●to●emissions,●environmental●regulators●including●the●
European●Environment●Agency●and●the●US●EPA●have●introduced●
much●tighter●regulatory●limits●on●emissions●from●WTE●facilities●over●
recent●years.●WTE●facilities●have●responded●by●developing●
technologies●that●prevent●the●formation●of●dioxins●and●furans,●along●
with●the●use●of●gas●clean●up●technologies●such●as●wet●Electrostatic●
Precipiators●(ESPs),●selective●catalytic●converters,●scrubbers●and●
activated●carbon●to●keep●emissions●of●particulates,●nitrous●oxides●
(NOx),●doxins●and●heavy●metals●to●levels●well●below●regulator●limits.●
Figure●2●shows●how●emission●levels●have●decreased●over●time.●●
As●a●result,●the●only●significant●outputs●from●a●gasification●WTE●
plant●are●synthesis●gas●and●an●inert,●non-leaching●slag.
The●US●EPA●now●views●mass●combustion●WTE●facilities●as●the●
cleanest●form●of●thermal●power●generation.●Throughout●the●
developed●world,●governments●are●classifying●electricity●generated●
from●the●biomass●portion●of●MSW●as●renewable.●In●addition,●
greenhouse●gas●emissions●from●landfills●that●are●avoided●due●to●the●
operation●of●WTE●facilities●should●be●taken●into●account.●Concerning●
health,●there●are●numerous●thermal●WTE●plants●(even●combustion●
plants)●operating●within●major●cities●in●Europe●and●Asia●with●no●
identified●health●risks.
Assertion: WTE is an inefficient processAlthough●WTE●facilities●have●lower●energy●generation●efficiencies●
than●standard●fossil●fuel●power●plants,●WTE●is●a●much●more●efficient●
option●than●waste●management●alternatives,●which●include●landfill,●
landfill●gas●to●energy,●flaring,●and●anaerobic●digestion.●Without●WTE,●
the●resource●used●to●generate●power●–●waste●–●would●just●be●
discarded,●resulting●in●zero●energy●efficiency.●Any●energy●generation●
is●greater●than●that.
Assertion: WTE is unnecessary as Zero Waste is achievableThree●major●changes●would●need●to●occur●in●order●to●achieve●zero●
waste●from●our●developed●society.●First,●a●major●shift●in●
manufacturing●processes●of●consumer●products●and●packaging;●
secondly,●the●ability●to●recycle,●repair,●re-use●or●compost●everything●
we●discard●post-consumption;●and●lastly●perfect●source●separation●
of●waste●materials●either●through●individuals●or●additional●waste●
handling.●As●populations●and●waste●volumes●increase,●the●challenge●
is●amplified.●Taking●these●steps●in●today’s●society●is●simply●
impractical●and●unrealistic,●therefore●we●must●look●to●the●best●
alternative●–●WTE.
Although●a●goal●of●zero●waste●is●desired,●we●live●in●a●
society●of●consumption●and●the●steps●required●to●
achieve●this●goal●are●impractical.●If●we●ignore●the●
alternatives●which●are●currently●available●to●us,●we●will●
continue●to●rely●on●landfills●to●hide●our●waste●for●
generations,●with●their●undesirable●characteristics●of●
large●scale●land●use,●methane●emissions●(21●times●
more●potent●greenhouse●gas●than●carbon●dioxide),●and●
potential●emissions●of●leachate●into●groundwater.●
However,●there●are●thermal●WTE●technologies●available●
today,●which●can●virtually●eliminate●the●need●for●landfills●
in●dealing●with●residual●waste.●■
Figure 2 – A comparison of gaseous emissions from Swiss mass combustion WTE facilities in 2000 relative to the gaseous emissions in 1970 5 NRG●FOCUS●|●BY●●alter nrg
Dr.●Young●credits●this●economic●viability●to●plasma●gasification’s●thermal●
efficiency,●along●with●the●production●of●syngas●for●conversion●to●steam,●electricity,●
and/or●liquid●fuels.●In●addition●to●discussing●the●economics,●Dr.●Young●highlights●
the●environmental●benefits.●The●use●of●landfills●can●be●minimized,●if●not●eliminated●
through●the●use●of●plasma●arc●gasification.●■
Dr gary c. Young is an expert in industrial processes and the author of the recently published book ‘Municipal Solid Waste To Energy Conversion Processes; Economic, Technical and Renewable Comparisons’.
In an article comparing five thermal waste treatment technologies, Dr. Gary C. Young concludes that, “Plasma Arc Gasification is an economically viable technology for managing municipal solid waste. This technology can be used for managing solid wastes: residential waste, commercial waste and industrial waste as well as municipal solid waste, which can be a mixture of these wastes.”
Plasma Arc: The Leading Light?By: Dr. Gary C. Young
Type of Thermal Process Technology
Net Energy production to Grid
Mass Burn [Incineration] 493 kWh / tonne MSW[544 kWh / ton MSW]
Pyrolysis 518 kWh / tonne MSW[571 kWh / ton MSW]
Pyrolysis / Gasification 621 kWh / tonne MSW[685 kWh / ton MSW]
Conventional Gasification 621 kWh / tonne MSW[685 kWh / ton MSW]
Plasma Arc Gasification 740 kWh / tonne MSW[816 kWh / ton MSW]
Note: Except for plasma arc gasification, these processes present environmental issues in the disposing of ash and slag.
ISSUE●|●MARCH●20116
Improvements●in●plasma●gasification●technology●are●resulting●in●lower●costs,●greater●profits●and●increased●acceptance●worldwide.●Instead●of●dealing●solely●with●the●issue●of●waste●management,●the●process●can●be●used●to●generate●power●and●fuels●through●the●production●of●syngas.●Rising●fossil●fuel●prices●and●the●elimination●of●tipping●fees●provide●substantial●economic●incentives,●and●this●can●be●seen●in●the●growing●number●of●plasma●gasification●projects●worldwide.●
This●year,●Geoplasma●plans●to●begin●construction●on●its●$120●million●facility●processing●household●waste●in●St.●Lucie●County,●Florida.●Geoplasma●is●confident●that●revenues●generated●from●the●project●will●both●cover●the●capital●costs●and●provide●a●profit.●Coskata●is●currently●using●the●Westinghouse●Plasma●gasification●technology●to●convert●wood●waste●into●syngas,●which●then●undergoes●fermentation●to●produce●ethanol.●As●plasma●gasification●gains●popularity,●Alter●NRG●is●well-positioned●to●succeed.●“Demand●is●so●great●that●the●Westinghouse●Plasma●Corporation,●an●American●manufacturer●of●plasma●torches,●is●able●to●hire●out●its●test●facility●in●Madison,●Pennsylvania,●for●$150,000●a●day.”
Even●if●difficulties●in●converting●organic●waste●to●energy●are●encountered,●plasma●torches●have●been●used●in●the●destruction●of●hazardous●waste●for●years●in●Japan.●The●decreasing●costs●and●improvement●of●plasma●torch●technology●will●only●make●the●hazardous●waste●application●even●more●
feasible,●while●preventing●the●landfill●of●toxic●waste.●■
In early February, The Economist published the following article outlining energy from waste through plasma gasification, titled “Turning Garbage into Gas”. Plasma gasification technology is gaining popularity, and Alter NRG is at the forefront with Westinghouse Plasma Corporation and two of its partners, Geoplasma and Coskata.
Turning Garbage into Gas
Source: Turning Garbage into Gas, The Economist, February 3rd, 2011
St. Lucie County Landfill Site
St. Lucie County Landfill Site 7 NRG●FOCUS●|●BY●●alter nrg
Facts & Figures: A Data Insight
Landfill Pricing (Tipping Fees) for MSW by Year (in $ per ton) ●● The●cost●to●landfill●waste●in●the●US●increased●by●45%●
between●1991●and●2008
●● As●landfill●costs●increase,●so●to●does●the●impetus●for●
alternatives●such●as●energy●from●waste●facilities
Source: Waste Business Journal
US Waste Management 2000-2009
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2005 2007 2008 2009
Landfill
Combustion with energyrecoveryRecycling
Source: US EPA
EU Waste Treatment 2009
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
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Material Recycling
Other recycling(composting)
Landfill
Total Incineration(Including energyrecovery)
EU Waste Treatment 2009•●In●the●EU●waste●management●
methods●range●from●virtually●
zero●landfill●to●100%●landfill●
dependent●on●the●nation
•●Nations●with●high●landfill●rates,●
such●as●the●United●Kingdom,●
Turkey,●Poland,●Estonia,●
Hungary,●and●Lithuania●
represent●good●market●
opportunities●for●energy●from●
waste●to●meet●the●EU●Landfill●
Directive●Source: Eurostat
US Waste Management•●Total●2009●US●WTE●capacity●was●94,721●tpd
•●In●the●US,●between●1980●and●2009●recycling●has●
increased●by●over●20%,●and●energy●from●waste●has●
grown●from●virtually●nonexistent●to●~10%
•●Waste●sent●to●landfill●has●decreased●from●~90%●to●
just●over●50%Source: US EPA
US Waste Management 2000-2009
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2005 2007 2008 2009
Landfill
Combustion with energyrecoveryRecycling
Source: US EPA
EU Waste Treatment 2009
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
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Bulg
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Cyp
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Material Recycling
Other recycling(composting)
Landfill
Total Incineration(Including energyrecovery)
US Waste Management 2000-2009
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2005 2007 2008 2009
Landfill
Combustion with energyrecoveryRecycling
Source: US EPA
EU Waste Treatment 2009
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
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Material Recycling
Other recycling(composting)
Landfill
Total Incineration(Including energyrecovery)
Significant amounts of data are collected and analyzed by internal analysts at Alter NRG to help direct sales and business development efforts. Below is a compilation of some of the major waste management and gasification trends.
ISSUE●|●MARCH●20118
Source: Gasification Technologies Council
EU 27 Waste Management 2000-2009
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Material Recycling
Other recycling(composting)
Landfill
Total Incineration (Includingenergy recovery)
Source: Eurostat
•●There●is●significant●room●for●growth●in●using●biomass●
and●waste●as●a●feedstock●in●gasification●projects●as●
large-scale●gasification●primarily●uses●coal
•●Syngas●is●used●in●a●wide●variety●of●applications●in●
addition●to●power●and●liquid●fuels
EU 27 Waste Management 2000-2009
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Material Recycling
Other recycling(composting)
Landfill
Total Incineration (Includingenergy recovery)
Source: Eurostat
Feedstock Distribution End Product Distribution
EU Landfill Directives•●The●Landfill●Directive’s●impact●has●been●greatest●in●countries●where●landfill●aversion●was●not●already●under●way,●especially●in●Estonia,●
Hungary●and●Italy●where●landfilling●rates●of●waste●were●at●or●above●75●%●in●1995
•●The●Flemish●Region●of●Belgium●and●Germany●have●already●met●the●2016●target●of●landfilling●less●than●35●%●of●the●amount●of●waste●
generated●in●1995
•●Finland,●Hungary●and●Italy●have●met●the●
2006●target●of●landfilling●75●%●of●the●
amount●of●waste●generated●in●1995.●
Estonia●(which●landfilled●more●than●80%●of●
its●waste●in●2005)●was●close●to●meeting●
this●target●in●2005
•●Member●States●use●a●variety●of●strategies●
to●divert●biodegradable●municipal●waste●
from●landfill,●including●financial●incentives●
for●alternatives●such●as●energy●from●waste●
and●anaerobic●digestion
Source: European Environment Agency
EU 27 Waste Management 2000-2009
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Material Recycling
Other recycling(composting)
Landfill
Total Incineration (Includingenergy recovery)
Source: Eurostat
Gasification Trends Syngas for Products
•● Syngas●is●a●versatile●project●that●can●be●
used●to●create●a●variety●of●products
Source: Gasification Technologies Council
9 NRG●FOCUS●|●BY●●alter nrg
Westinghouse Plasma Pilot Plant:Testing for the Future of Plasma Gasification The Westinghouse Plasma Pilot Plant located in Waltz Mill, Madison, Pennsylvania has been operational for over three decades. Initially designed to demonstrate the Westinghouse Plasma gasification technology, the Pilot Plant now conducts testing for Alter NRG’s technology development as well as providing our customers with accurate feedstock testing.
Project Specific AnalysisThrough●a●Pilot●Plant●Test,●customers●can●obtain●data●essential●
to●the●successful●development●of●their●gasification●project.●With●
a●capacity●of●48●tons●per●day●(dependent●upon●feedstock),●
clients●are●able●to●test●one●feedstock,●or●a●blend●of●a●variety●of●
feedstocks●to●gain●a●comprehensive●understanding●of●the●
syngas●composition.
The●Pilot●Plant●is●equipped●with●the●most●up●to●date●measuring●
and●sampling●equipment●to●better●understand●our●customers’●
syngas●composition.●Specifically,●customers●learn●about:
●● Syngas●composition●including●energy●value
●● Volume●and●sizing●of●particulate●in●syngas
–● Third●party●vendor●analysis●is●available●external●to●
Westinghouse●Plasma’s●testing●services
●● Potential●feed●handling●issues
●● Downstream●syngas●clean-up●processes
●● How●to●optimize●syngas●composition
●● Slag●characteristics
Feedstocks Tested at the Westinghouse Plasma Pilot PlantAlter●NRG●has●completed●gasification●tests●on●more●than●100●
distinct●feedstocks●such●as:
●● Refuse●Derived●Fuel
●● Simulated●MSW
●● Hazardous●wastes●and●
simulated●hazardous●wastes
●● Coal
●● Biomass
●● Oily●Sludge
●● Excavated●Landfill●Material●
(ELM)●-●PCB●disposal
●● MSW●Fly●Ash
●● Ferro-Nickel
●● High●Quartz●Iron●Ore
●● Black●Liquor
●● Tire●Derived●Fuel
●● Iron●Borings
●● Iron●Oxide
●● Iron●Bearing●Pellets
Note:●Feedstocks●can●also●be●
blended●and●mixed●for●testing●
at●the●Pilot●Plant.●■
Control RoomThe Westinghouse Plasma Pilot Plant located in Waltz Mill, Madison, Pennsylvania, USA
ISSUE●|●MARCH●201110
The Westinghouse Plasma Pilot Plant located in Waltz Mill, Madison, Pennsylvania, USA
The Westinghouse Plasma MARC 11 Torch
11 NRG●FOCUS●|●BY●●alter nrg
The Pilot Plant is controlled through a state of the art program that shows the critical temperatures and pressures during operation
Process Flow Diagram at the Westinghouse Pilot Plant
A typical test day at the Westinghouse Pilot Plant includes a heat-up/preparation period followed by material processing for about 6 – 10 hours, and then a follow-up operations period to cool down, organize residue and plant data, secure all subsystems, and shutdown the facility. The tests are conducted at ambient pressure using air in the plasma torch.
ISSUE●|●MARCH●201112
Sampling and Measuring CapabilitiesWestinghouse●Plasma●will●collect●data●
during●the●performance●of●the●test●
(using●equipment●on-site).●●The●test●
results●are●important●to●understand●
prior●to●building●a●commercial●scale●
facility●as●they●significantly●affect●the●
environmental●permitting●process●and●
final●engineering●design.
Test ReportA●test●report●is●prepared●by●Westinghouse●
Plasma●to●give●to●the●customer●after●the●
testing●is●complete●and●all●the●data●is●
analyzed.●●Data●such●as●the●torch●power●
and●thermal●efficiency,●temperature●and●
pressure●profiles●along●the●reactor●shaft,●
syngas●composition,●slag●and●metal●
analysis●(if●metals●are●present)●are●
included●in●the●test●report.●
Creating Clean Syngas On-siteAt●the●Westinghouse●Plasma●Pilot●Plant,●
we●have●been●processing●biomass●into●
clean●syngas●using●the●Westinghouse●
Plasma●gasification●technology●for●use●in●
Coskata’s●cellulosic●ethanol●
demonstration●facility●for●over●a●year.●
Coskata’s●cellulosic●ethanol●
demonstration●facility●is●located●adjacent●
to●the●Westinghouse●Plasma●Pilot●Plant●
and●as●such,●the●syngas●can●be●piped●
directly●into●the●bio-reactor●to●create●
ethanol.●Coskata’s●microorganisms●
convert●the●Westinghouse●Plasma●made●
syngas●into●ethanol●by●consuming●the●
carbon●monoxide●(CO)●and●hydrogen●(H2)●
in●the●gas●stream.●■
Testing at the Westinghouse Plasma
Pilot Plant provides our customers with
the opportunity to fully understand how
our technology would work processing
their specific feedstock. Using our
sophisticated sampling and measuring
equipment, Alter NRG is able to provide
our customers with an accurate
overview of the syngas to help them
further develop their projects. Over the
years, Westinghouse Plasma has
undertaken in excess of 100 tests
processing over 100 different types of
feeds and as such can confidently attest
to the quality and control of the testing
procedures and processes.
The Pilot Plant has three distinct feed systems so that feedstocks of various physical characteristics can be fed into the gasifier. Solids in almost any form and most liquids can be gasified.
The Client has the option to have an external analysis of the syngas composition
13 NRG●FOCUS●|●BY●●alter nrg
china: At the forefront of energy development with plasma gasificationThere are several key reasons why Alter NRG is doing business in China. Not only is the country seeking innovative technologies, China has also set targets to generate energy from renewables and is doing so with a cost competitive workforce.
SPOTLIGHT ON
ISSUE●|●MARCH●201114
15 NRG●FOCUS●|●BY●●alter nrg
Today, China’s population is over 1.3 billion, the largest of any country in the world. As China’s population continues to grow, especially the middle class, so too does the amount of waste generated. China surpassed the United States as the world’s largest waste generator in 2004 and it is predicted that by 2030, China’s annual solid waste quantities will increase by another 150% growing from about 190 million tons in 2004 to over 480 million tons in 20301. The social, financial, and environmental impacts of this growing waste stream are significant.
Currently,●all●aspects●of●China’s●waste●management●system●are●undergoing●drastic●
changes●as●governments●at●all●levels●try●to●respond●to●the●challenge.●Although●
landfills●are●currently●the●most●commonly●employed●waste●management●method●in●
China,●in●order●to●keep●up●with●the●amount●of●waste●generated,●alternatives●to●
landfilling●will●be●necessary.●These●landfills●will●not●only●occupy●acres●of●valuable●land●
but●also●produce●harmful●greenhouse●gas●emissions.●Compared●to●landfills,●the●
operation●of●a●plasma●gasification●energy●from●waste●facility●avoids●(1)●the●release●of●
methane●that●otherwise●would●be●emitted●when●trash●decomposes●in●landfills,●as●well●
as●(2)●the●displacement●of●CO2●that●would●have●been●emitted●had●the●electricity●been●
generated●from●fossil●fuels●such●as●coal.●
Electricity DemandsWith●China’s●continued●
population●growth,●both●
electricity●generation●and●
consumption●have●had●to●
increase●to●keep●up●with●
demand.●Both●electricity●
generation●and●consumption●
have●increased●by●over●110●
percent●since●2000.●It●is●
predicted●that●the●total●net●
electricity●generation●will●
increase●to●10,555●billion●
kilowatt●hours●by●2035,●
which●is●over●3●times●the●
amount●generated●in●2009●2.
Waste Management in China
1● Waste●Management●in●China:●Issues●and●Recommendations●May●2005,●Urban●Development●Working●Papers,●East●Asia●Infrastructure●Department,●World●Bank
2● http://www.eia.doe.gov/cabs/china/Electricity.html
ISSUE●|●MARCH●201116
Renewable Energy TargetsRenewable●energy●is●transforming●the●energy●
landscape●in●China●and●helping●the●country●
achieve●energy●security●without●relying●on●the●
importation●of●fossil●fuels.●●With●the●recently●
released●12th●Five●Year●Plan,●the●Chinese●
government●is●encouraging●the●emergence●of●new●
“green”●industries●and●will●also●introduce●
stringent●environmental●targets.●This●will●include●
an●11.4%●share●of●non-fossil●fuel●energy●in●
primary-energy●consumption●and●two●to●three●
trillion●yuan●(US$304●billion●to●US$457●billion)●is●
expected●to●be●pumped●into●renewable●energy●
and●investments●over●the●next●five●years●3.●
Specifically,●the●Chinese●government●has●set●goals●
for●a●wide●variety●of●environmental●infrastructure,●
including●solid●waste●treatment.
The Market PotentialDue●to●the●vast●amounts●of●waste●generated●and●
the●insatiable●appetite●for●power,●the●Chinese●are●
seeking●alternative●methods●to●manage●both●
issues.●The●Westinghouse●Plasma●gasification●
technology●offers●an●ideal●solution●by●safely●
disposing●of●waste●while●generating●energy.●
3● ●http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/4145?utm_source=dlvr.
it&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=[htt[://markenglehartevans.com●
Doing Business in ChinaChina is well versed in gasification as the country has many coal gasification facilities operating to generate electricity. As such, the political environment is receptive to Alter NRG’s plasma gasification technology. There are many advantages to doing business in China, for example, China has a cost competitive workforce and can provide a low-cost equipment fabrication in its many factories. Construction timelines in China are also far shorter in comparison to North America as vast amounts of resources are focused on each project, bringing facilities online quickly. ■
The Chinese government has set goals for a wide variety of environmental infrastructure, including solid
waste treatment
17 NRG●FOCUS●|●BY●●alter nrg
Alter NRG’s P-5 reactor was specifically designed in response to demand in China for a demonstration-sized gasification vessel. With a maximum capacity of 50-100 tonnes per day, it is also ideal for treatment of medical and hazardous waste. The P-5 reactor complements our current product line by offering a smaller scale gasification reactor that is useful for a demonstration size facility or for processing hazardous or medical waste(s).
P-5 Plasma Gasification Reactor
GASIFIER MODEL: P-5
ApproximAte cApAcity (tonnes/DAy)
Feedstock Oxygen Air
Waste 100 50
Biomass 90 50
Hazardous Waste 100 50
ISSUE●|●MARCH●201118
1. Wuhan Kaidi, Wuhan, ChinaAlter●NRG●and●Wuhan●Kaidi●signed●an●alliance●agreement●in●May●2010●to●construct●a●biomass-to-energy●
demonstration●facility●in●Wuhan,●China.●The●demonstration●facility●is●in●the●city●of●Wuhan,●China●and●is●expected●to●be●complete●by●the●middle●of●2011.
Using●the●Westinghouse●Plasma●P-5●Reactor,●Wuhan●Kaidi●is●demonstrating●the●plasma●gasification●technology●prior●to●building●a●commercial●facility.●In●China,●it●is●customary●for●the●government●to●support●a●demonstration●sized●facility●prior●to●backing●the●construction●of●a●commercially●facility.●
Wuhan●Kaidi●is●a●publicly●traded●company●in●China●with●a●stated●mandate●to●be●“devoted●to●environmental●protection●for●the●benefit●of●humanity”●with●approximately●1●billion●USD●of●annual●sales.●Wuhan●Kaidi●plans●to●develop●more●than●150●biomass●power●projects●throughout●China.●
2. Energy from Waste Facility, Shanghai, ChinaA●demonstration●scale●project●is●currently●being●developed●in●Shanghai,●China●in●combination●with●an●incineration●facility.●The●Westinghouse●Plasma●P-5●reactor●will●be●used●to●demonstrate●the●Westinghouse●Plasma●gasification●technology’s●capability●of●processing●both●municipal●waste●and●incinerator●ash●in●combination●with●an●incinerator.●
Using●the●Westinghouse●Plasma●gasification●technology,●the●municipal●solid●waste●and●incinerator●ash●will●be●processed●into●syngas●and●vitrified●slag,●an●inert●and●benign●by-product●that●can●be●used●as●construction●aggregate.●This●process●diverts●incinerator●ash●that●would●otherwise●be●disposed●at●a●landfill.●The●syngas●generated●through●the●plasma●gasification●process●is●sent●back●into●the●incineration●boiler●where●it●helps●increase●the●internal●temperature●resulting●in●an●improved●emission●profile●of●vent●gas.●Also,●incorporating●the●syngas●into●the●incineration●boiler●increases●the●steam●production●and●in●turn●increases●the●energy●production.●
Once●demonstrated,●this●process●will●be●a●repeatable●configuration●that●can●be●used●at●incineration●facilities●across●China●and●the●world.
“WearepleasedtobeworkingwiththeWestinghouseplasmasolutionandbelieveitprovidesfuelflexibilityforthemorethan150biomassprojectsthatweplantodevelopthroughoutChina.”
-●Mr.●CHEN●Yilong,●Chairman●of●Wuhan●Kaidi
Projects Under Construction in China
There are currently two demonstration-sized projects under development in China using the Westinghouse Plasma Gasification technology.
Doing Business in ChinaAccording to an Asian Development Bank (ADB) report, China needs RMB413.5bn ($60.7bn) in investments over the next ten years to utilize its biomass energy potential in rural areas. The report finds that if biomass feedstocks were converted into clean fuel, it could provide electricity to around 30 million rural people in China.
China has set a goal for 2020 to product 15% of energy from various waste-based sources, and this plan would help the country meet its goal, says ADB.‘Biomass energy is a sensible renewable energy option for rural areas and it can be cost-effective at community and industrial scales if governments support and effectively guide its development,’ said Klaus Gerhaeusser, ADB’s director general for the East Asia department. ■
Waste from Shanghai
19 NRG●FOCUS●|●BY●●alter nrg
Alliance Federated Energy and Air Products Announce Joint Development Agreement
Air●Products●will●act●as●
Alliance●Federated●
Energy’s●(AFE)●advisor●
on●the●design●of●Project●
Apollo,●a●40●megawatt●
(MW)●renewable●energy●
from●waste●project●
under●development●by●
AFE●in●Milwaukee,●
Wisconsin.●Should●the●
project●proceed●to●
construction,●under●the●
JDA,●Air●Products●would●
operate●the●facility.●AFE●
and●Air●Products●will●
also●collaborate●on●
future●waste-to-energy●
plasma●gasification●
opportunities●in●the●
upper●Midwest●region●of●
the●United●States.
Project Updates
Project Apollo Details: ● Description:●Renewable●energy●facility
● Capital●Cost:●Approximately●$225M
● Facility●Location:●25-acre●industrial●site
● Jobs●Created:●45●full-time●staff;●250●during●construction
● Fuel:●1200●TPD●municipal●and●industrial●wastes
● Electric●Generation:●Sufficient●to●power●approximately●20,000●
households
● Technology:●Westinghouse●Plasma●Gasification●to●produce●clean●syngas
● Design/Construct:●CorVal/Ryan
● Environmental●Permitting:●AECOM
● Commercial●Operation●Date:●Q4●2013●(estimated)●
ISSUE●|●MARCH●201120
Moltoni Energy, Australia & New ZealandAlter●NRG●recently●
announced●that●it●
has●signed●an●
Exclusive●Territory●License●Agreement●with●
Moltoni●Energy●of●Australia.●●The●agreement●
provides●Moltoni●with●the●exclusive●rights●to●use●
Alter●NRG’s●Westinghouse●Plasma●gasification●
technology●in●Australia●and●New●Zealand.●●
Moltoni●is●a●privately●owned●project●
development●company●and●has●a●portfolio●of●
more●than●a●dozen●projects●in●Australia●that●it●is●
actively●developing●and●is●also●partnered●with●
Mitsubishi●Heavy●Industries●Environment●&●
Chemical●Co,●General●Motors●Holden●and●Caltex●for●various●projects.●
The●Premier●of●Western●Australia●has●recently●given●his●support●to●a●large●waste●to●energy●facility●being●developed●by●Moltoni●near●Perth.●●●
The●project●would●be●a●large●waste●treatment●facility●which●Alter●NRG’s●W15●plasma●gasifier●would●process●a●number●of●industrial●and●
hazardous●waste●streams.●Moltoni●recently●completed●the●preliminary●engineering●for●the●facility●which,●upon●successful●construction,●will●
provide●base●load●renewable●energy,●reduction●of●greenhouse●gas●emissions,●and●up●to●a●90%●reduction●of●waste●going●to●landfill.●●
Construction●of●this●facility●is●expected●to●begin●in●2012.●
SMS Envocare’s facility in Pune, India (a sister facility of SMS Envocare’s facility in Nagpur)
SMS Envocare’s Facility Completed Commissioning, Q4 2010 in Nagpur, IndiaSMS●Envocare●has●completed●construction●of●its●second●facility●using●the●Westinghouse●Plasma●gasification●technology●for●
treatment●and●disposal●of●hazardous●waste●at●Butibori,●Nagpur●in●India.●The●facility●is●designed●to●destroy●30-75●metric●
tonnes●per●day●of●hazardous●waste●with●the●capability●to●export●1.6●MW●of●electricity.●The●facility●was●commissioned●in●the●
fourth●quarter●of●2010.
Artist Rendition of Moltoni’s Proposed Facility
21 NRG●FOCUS●|●BY●●alter nrg
Air Products submits planning application for Tees Valley Renewable Energy FacilityAir●Products●submitted●its●planning●application●in●February●2011●to●Stockton●Borough●
Council●for●its●proposed●Tees●Valley●Renewable●Energy●Facility●at●the●New●Energy●and●
Technology●Business●Park,●near●Billingham,●Teesside.●The●project●will●use●the●Westinghouse●
Plasma●advanced●gasification●technology●to●convert●pre-processed●household●and●
commercial●waste●currently●going●to●landfill●into●baseload,●renewable●power●for●up●to●
50,000●homes●in●the●North●East.●
Submitting●this●planning●application●
follows●more●than●12●months●of●
technical●and●environmental●studies,●
along●with●detailed●design●and●
engineering●work.●If●approvals●for●the●
proposed●project●are●given●-●which●also●
include●an●environmental●permitting●
consent●from●the●Environment●Agency●
-●work●on●the●project●could●start●by●the●
end●of●this●year,●and●enter●commercial●
operation●in●2014.●
Wuhan Kaidi, Wuhan, ChinaAlter●NRG●and●Wuhan●Kaidi●signed●an●alliance●
agreement●in●May●2010●to●construct●a●
biomass-to-energy●demonstration●facility●in●Wuhan,●China.●The●
demonstration●facility●is●in●the●city●of●Wuhan,●China●and●is●
expected●to●be●complete●by●the●end●of●2011.
Using●the●Westinghouse●Plasma●P-5●Reactor,●Wuhan●Kaidi●is●
demonstrating●the●plasma●gasification●technology●prior●to●
building●a●commercial●facility.●
Wuhan●Kaidi●is●a●publicly●traded●company●in●China●with●a●
stated●mandate●to●be●“devoted●to●environmental●protection●
for●the●benefit●of●humanity”●with●approximately●1●billion●USD●
of●annual●sales.●Wuhan●Kaidi●plans●to●develop●more●than●
150●biomass●projects●throughout●China●using●the●
Westinghouse●Plasma●Gasification●technology.
Waste from Shanghai
Site for Alter NRG’s plasma gasification demonstration facility
Graphic showing reception facility of proposed plant. * Illustrations are indicative only and subject to change following engineering design and consultation.
ISSUE●|●MARCH●201122
Energy from Waste Facility, Shanghai, ChinaA●demonstration●scale●project●is●currently●being●developed●in●Shanghai,●China●in●combination●with●an●incineration●facility.●The●Westinghouse●Plasma●P-5●reactor●will●be●used●to●demonstrate●the●Westinghouse●Plasma●gasification●technology’s●capability●of●processing●both●municipal●waste●and●incinerator●ash●in●combination●with●an●incinerator.●
Once●demonstrated,●this●process●will●be●a●repeatable●configuration●that●can●be●used●at●incineration●facilities●across●China●and●the●world.●■
Waste transported in Shanghai
Waste from Shanghai
City of Shanghai
23 NRG●FOCUS●|●BY●●alter nrg
www.alternrg.com
Alter NRG provides clean energy solutions that are economically viable and environmentally sustainable.
Alter NRG operates two wholly owned
subsidiaries which have an industry leadership
position and are both positioned for significant
near-term growth:
Westinghouse Plasma Corp.The industry leading plasma gasification technology that provides clean and renewable energy solutions by converting all types of waste and biomass into high value energy - like electricity, ethanol or syngas for industrial use. With plasma systems in operation for 20 years and converting waste into energy since 2002, this technology is commercially proven and has lower emissions than conventional energy technologies.
Clean Energy DevelopmentsThe industry leading geoexchange company that provides heating and cooling for homes and commercial buildings using energy from the earth. In a highly fragmented industry, CleanEnergy provides complete design-build solutions for commercially projects and also equipment sales through its dealer network in Canada.