USING MIXED WASTE PLASTICS TO CREATE COMBINED HEATING, COOLING, DIESEL FUEL & GREEN ELECTRICITY 

Sustainable Development Goals

Organizations Involved:
Greenfuels AG, First Engineering, ReOil, Several Chemical Companies and Oil Refineries 
Services:
Design & Engineering, Due Diligence, Supply Chain Management, Component Supply

The Challenge:

Germany is second only to Japan in recycling more waste than any other country. Seeing five different colored bins for waste disposal is commonplace, and the industry has set its recycling targets, which are the highest in Europe. Germany currently recycles an impressive 1.7million tons of plastics a year ("TPA") from a total of 2.8million TPA. Despite the highly efficient processing and recycling technologies currently in place, 1.1 million tons of plastic remain unrecycled by traditional methods, and the residual waste from previous recycling operations is still present. This non-recyclable fraction is destined for mass-burn incineration or the increasingly restricted option of landfills. A significant opportunity, therefore, exists for a resource recovery operation that can unlock the potential one billion liters of oil in this waste stream.

The Solution:

Greenfuels AG, a developer of Cleantech projects, has approached Klean Industries Inc. to propose a thermal processing solution for mixed waste plastics that are not presently recycled. Greenfuels has already secured a suitable eight-acre site in the industrial area in former East Germany, and they require a high-spec fuel oil that is low in sulfur and can be used as a generic fuel for the heavy industry that exists locally.

The first step was to analyze and test a sample of the waste plastics that Greenfuels had secured, which Klean Industries sent to Japan for liquefaction at one of its test facilities. A series of tests were conducted to discover the maximum yield of oil achievable from the client's specific waste stream, and the ideal processing temperatures and residence time were established. Within one month of receiving the sample waste, Klean Industries was able to propose a solution that would produce the high-spec fuel demanded by the client. The proposed technology, already commercialized and proven in Japan, incorporates a 100-ton-a-day continuous liquefaction process that heats the plastic waste in the presence of a catalyst to produce a naphtha-rich hydrocarbon gas. This gas is then cooled and condensed to make a fuel oil comparable to virgin fuel but with cleaner-burning properties. The non-condensable gases are returned to the reactor for use as process heat.

Greenfuels has since asked Klean Industries to do a joint venture on this project whereby they would be responsible for the plant's design, build, and operation. Greenfuels would manage all feedstock contracts with their suppliers and secure local off-take partners. This opportunity, along with a pipeline of similar projects, is under consideration by Klean Industries, which already has plans for its first plastic-to-oil facility to be located in Vancouver, Canada, which will be wholly owned by the company.

The Outcome:

  • Over 35,000 TPA of mixed plastic waste diverted from landfill
  • 33 million liters of "End of Life Plastic Diesel" for domestic use
  • Off-sets 100,000 TPA of carbon dioxide emissions
  • Preservation of fossil fuels
  • A new green industry in a deprived industrial area
  • Benefits to the local industry that gains from a less expensive and greener fuel

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This project addresses the SDGs by considering the following goals and associated targets. It contributes to ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns by developing a sustainable waste treatment framework (Goal 12). Through a safe and inclusive waste disposal system, the SDG strives to protect ecosystems and prevent biodiversity loss (Goal 15).