WTE Technology: Plasma FAQ
Plasma is a new, unproven technology: False
Plasma has been around since the 1960s and is in widespread use in the steel, military and other industries. MSW plants have been in operation for the last decade but the largest plant is only 300 tons per day. Larger projects are underway or being planned in the US and the first should be operational in 2013.
Plasma is energy negative: False
Plants operating today use about 1/3 of the energy that they produce. The remaining 2/3rd goes to the grid.
Plasma is too expensive: It depends
As a for-profit venture, plasma is profitable and can spur economic development. Plants can be as small as 250 tons per day although larger plants (1000 tons per day) are more profitable. The economics are affected by the size and value of the waste streams (for example fees for hazardous waste streams are can be as high as $1000 per ton in comparison to MSW which costs $30-60 per ton).
Economics are better in states that classify waste streams as renewable energy. In these states, capital costs for plants qualify for investment tax credits and other tax incentives. Plus, as a renewable source of energy, the power can be sold as a premium (via renewable energy credits).
Plasma is incineration: False
Plasma is not combustion process and produces no ash. It is melting or gasification of materials. Unfortunately anti-incineration advocacy groups like to link plasma with incineration and then attack plasma using emissions from old incinerators that are no longer in operation.
Plasma and other WTE technologies will undermine reduce, reuse and recycling programs: False
WTE only handles waste streams that are not recycled – although WTE might change the mix and handling of waste streams. For example, high carbons waste streams, such as plastics, might be better converted to energy rather than shipped long distances for recycling. Reducing the use of plastics remains the best option.
Plasma does offer flexibility to respond to market changes. So, if recycling markets shrink during an economic downturn, unmarketable recyclables can be converted to energy in a plasma plants rather than pile up on loading docks. Co-locating recycling operations next to the plant offers the greatest flexibility to respond to market changes.
|