Environmental benefits

Landfilling of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is unsightly and presents serious environmental issues. Decomposition within public landfills produces extremely high levels of greenhouse gases that threaten climate stability, much greater than those of coal fired power plants. Toxic and hazardous materials from landfills can also leach into and contaminate groundwater and public drinking water supplies.

Utilization of plasma gasification technology for disposal of MSW and other wastes do not carry the same traditional environmental liabilities and provides a superior waste disposal alternative to landfills and mass-burn incineration. The conversion process is a closed system, so there are no emissions into the atmosphere from the gasification process itself. The syngas produced is cleaned prior to its use as a fuel, and the residual slag is inert and non-leaching.

Benefits of Plasma Gasification include:

  • Virtually 100% carbon conversion
  • Substantial reduction in air emissions of CO2, sulfur dioxide, and NOx
  • Dioxin formation negligible because of high temperatures
  • Slag byproduct is inert and non-leaching, and can be reused to produce metals, road aggregate, and other byproducts
  • Process can handle virtually any waste-stream
  • Extremely high operating temperatures and state-of-the-art syngas clean-up technology results in virtual elimination of potentially harmful air emissions

Learn more about plasma gasification’s impact on the environment with our Environmental FAQ

Plasma Gasification Overview

Plasma gasification technology is the next generation in waste-to-energy solutions that converts solid and or liquid waste materials into a clean synthesis gas.

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Project Apollo

AFE is currently engaged in the development of a waste-to-energy project located in the Midwest, referred to as Project Apollo.

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Technology FAQ

Find answers to the most commonly asked questions about plasma gasification and waste-to-energy, as well as acronyms and definitions.

Read the FAQ

Landfills vs. inceneration vs. Plasma Gasification

Plasma gasification provides the Ultimate Recycling solution for today’s waste disposal needs.

Landfills

Highest greenhouse gas emissions footprint

Use of valuable land, with ever increasing disposal cost for landfilling

Potential groundwater contamination

Odors and related health concerns

Incineration

Higher greenhouse gas emissions

Less energy recovered

Higher particulate and other air emissions

Creates ash material that can be regulated as "hazardous"

Plasma Gasification

Lowest greenhouse gas and other
emissions

Can convert a wide range of waste products into syngas

Creates inert useable slag instead of ash

Creates more energy per ton than landfill gas capture or mass-burn incineration