Gasification - Evaluation of Technologies, Costs, Advantages, Suppliers

Here are some interesting details on gasification systems and processes from Recovered Energy Inc., based on their detailed research into these systems. The company says it has investigated approximated 70 different gasification processes, 36 plasma gasification processes, 5 pyrolysis processes, 3 hybrid thermal processes, 100 gas turbines, numerous pollution control equipment providers, 4 ethanol processes and 5 water distillation processes in order to find answers. Here is some of what they have learned:
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* Waste can be gasified to produce synthesis gas (syngas), which can be used to produce electricity. Gasification technology is well proven. There are more than 100 plasma gasification plants around the world and a similar number of gasification plants.
* The only way to produce power from waste efficiently is to use a combined cycle gas/steam turbine.
* Only certain gas turbines have experience with syngas.
* Syngas can be used to make ethanol with certain specific gasification/pyrolysis processes.
* Waste steam from the steam turbine can be used in certain situations to make large quantities of pure distilled water.
* The various gasification and plasma gasification technologies have specific applications or niches where they fit best.
* Plasma gasification has fewer emissions than gasification and treats certain types of waste better.
* The capital cost for a plasma gasification plant is higher than the cost for a gasification plant. However, the overall economics for plasma is better than gasification in many situations, even though the capital cost is higher.
* There is no universal cure. However, gasification and plasma gasification can each be used for specific situations to solve significant problems. Each situation needs to be analyzed to determine the best fit.
* Of the many providers that claim to have technology there are only a handful that have proven technology. It is difficult to sort out who has real technology and who does not have real technology. Many of the providers are making claims that they cannot support...."

Interesting and useful summary. We at BioZio agree with many of the points mentioned here, based on our own monitoring of the gasification industry (especially biomass gasification) for the past couple of years.

See more details from Recovered Energy web site