More Benefits of Plasma Arc Gasification of Waste

In addition to the benefits highlighted in the previous post, I have found some more benefits and learned a lot more about the process. The process is pretty much an offshoot of the more common (but soon to be obsolete) inceneration.

According to Pyrogenesis, Plasma Arc Gasification (let's call it PAG) "achieves very high wast volume reduction regardless of waste type, requires no fossil fuel input, and results in lower pollution than conventional inceneration." So our world's vast waste landills can be significantly reduced and at the same time recycled (almost 100% of it) into higly marketable products like ELECTRICITY!

Furthermore, the greenhouse gas emmisions (of dioxins and furans, carbon monoxide, particulates, nitrogen oxides, etc) and ash that are produced by the conventional waste management practices are partially eliminated by the PAG process. Instead of these emmisions, syngas, a gravel-like solid, and a metal ingot are produced. The produced syngas is composed mainly of carbon monoxide and hydrogen which can undergo further combustion to release energy. According to pyrogenesis (which is the primary source of all this info), "for the same amount of waste, gasification will produce a smaller volume of gas since no fossil fuels are burned to generate heat and there is no need for excess oxygen as in most other thermal treatment processes." In essence, lower volume of gas means lower volume of greenhouse gas emmisions when the syngas is eventually used.

Among other derived advantages is the world's lesser dependence on oil for electricity generation - as the syngas is an excellent propellant of electricity turbines.

Most of the information here was gathered from www.pyrogenesis.com