Why plasma gasification?

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. generated 250 million tons of waste in 2008 alone, and this number continues to rise. About 54% of this trash (135 million tons) ends up in landfills and is consuming land at a rate of nearly 3,500 acres per year. In fact, landfilling is currently the number one method of waste disposal in the US. Some states no longer have capacity at permitted landfills and export their waste to other states. Plasma gasification offers states new opportunities for waste disposal, and more importantly for renewable power generation in an environmentally sustainable manner.

Additional benefits/motivators for plasma gasification include:

  • Lower greenhouse gases and other emissions than landfilling and incineration
  • Plasma gasification can convert virtually any solid or liquid waste stream into syngas and inert slag
  • Creates more energy than landfill gas capture or mass incineration
  • Converts over 80% of the energy in waste into useable syngas
  • A growing number of countries have regulations in place or introduced to reduce landfill waste by anywhere from 25% to 50% by 2025
  • A growing number of U.S. landfills are close to reaching maximum capacity
  • Plasma gasification based energy facilities reduce the need for new landfills and fossil fuel power plants
  • New state and federal capital sources, government stimulus funding, DOE grants, etc. are available for commercially viable renewable energy projects
  • Technology and engineering advances in recent years now allow for the development of larger capacity facilities
  • Plasma gasification technology providers like Westinghouse Plasma Corp. have made significant investments in their technology and provide process/performance guarantees which are critical for project financing
  • With the recent Tennessee Valley Authority coal ash spill, electric utilities are aggressively looking for alternatives to conventional landfilling of bottom and fly ash. The EPA is evaluating whether to regulate coal combustion ash as a hazardous material. This ash can be gasified to produce a vitrified aggregate that is inert and can be used in construction materials or placed in a conventional landfill.

Learn more about plasma gasification’s Environmental Benefits, or visit the 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