Plasma Gasification is Nothing Like Simple Incineration

Wisconsin-based AFE has licensed Westinghouse plasma gasification technology from Canadian company Alter NRG, for $11.4 million. AFE plans to build a number of waste-to-energy plasma gasification plants in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana. AFE's first plasma gasification plant is to be a $225 million, 25 MW Project Apollo in Milwaukee.

What can plasma gasification do that simple incineration can't do?

Plasma Gasification:  The Ultimate Solution for Multiple Waste Streams now Going into our Landfills

A plasma gasification plant ends the need for landfills - and their problems by converting the free "fuel" that would have been placed in the landfill, in the form of municipal sold waste, and hazardous waste. The plasma gasification plant "converts" carbonaceous (carbon-containing) materials such as municipal solid waste and even hazardous waste such as biowaste from hospitals, into two useful and beneficial byproducts;

1. an energy-rich fuel called synthesis gas, which is used to generate "green electricity" from a sustainable and renewable resource.

2. a commercially useful, inert solid, referred to as “slag”. The slag can be used for road aggregate and building materials.

Plasma Gasification provides for a sustainable waste solution for all types of waste streams, including MSW , hazardous wastes, and even low-level radioactive waste, which delivers tangible economic and environmental benefits.

• Plasma Gasification does not produce hazardous bottom ash and fly ash.
• Plasma Gasification is "fueled" by the "free" waste, and is "powered" by electricity, and can be turned off with the flip of a switch.
• Plasma Gasification unit does not need to be brought up to temperature over 24/36 hours burning expensive fuel oil as does mass burn incineration.
• Plasma Gasification systems require very little maintenance and unlike traditional power plants, do not need to be shut down for weeks at a time for cleaning and maintenance while waste-streams back-up.
• Plasma Gasification is just as efficient in smaller-scale systems (25 and 50 TPD units) as large-scale systems.
• Plasma Gasification can provide a high degree of flexibility over the longer term and it can operate at less than 100% of capacity so there is flexibility when waste-stream decline.

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