Thermo-chemical treatment for obtaining activated carbon and synthesis gas

Problem statement

Municipal solid waste, having a diverse composition, makes the management process difficult, especially when the final step is incineration, which can result in the emission of chemical compounds.

Executive summary

An advanced modular thermal process produces synthesis gas and activated carbon. The gas is conditioned for use in power generation. The activated carbon can be reintroduced into the process as a fuel or sold as a commodity and used as a filter medium or for soil remediation.

Technology description

The process has been developed by Premier Green Energy, resulting in its Prima conversion technology, which is an integrated multi-stage process based on pyrolysis. In the initial phase, the pre-treated feedstock (drying and grinding) is fed into a kiln rotary furnace. This is preheated to 750°C±50°C and has a reduced oxygen atmosphere to prevent combustion of the feedstock. In a continuous and highly automated process, the feedstock is converted into syngas and char. In a secondary stage, the syngas is recovered and transferred to a dry gas cracking tower. In a subsequent integrated stage, the syngas is channelled into a multi-stage wet gas cleaning process (spray tower, full bed tower with dehumidifier and activated carbon filter pass). Finally, the dry, clean and conditioned syngas is fed to a gas engine and burned to generate clean, renewable electricity. The carbon stream is recovered and can be burned as fuel to instigate and maintain the pyrolysis process or can be used for alternative commercial applications.

Market deployment considerations

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Environmental considerations

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