Air Force Steps Ahead with Plasma Waste to Energy

Canada's PyroGenesis designs and manufactures the core technology for the transportable plasma system 04 May 2011 The U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command has commenced operations of a transportable plasma waste to energy system - developed with Canadian gasification specialist, Pyrogenesis - at its Hurlburt Field, Florida base. At a ribbon-cutting ceremony recently the transportable system began converting 4200 tons (3800 tonnes) of garbage per year to usable energy, and producing intangible benefits by reducing the command's overall carbon footprint. The Air Force says that the system uses the intense heat of plasma to convert domestic waste into a synthetic gas that provides energy to the system. The system treats the waste using a patented two stage graphite arc plasma furnace, followed by a plasma fired eductor. The 5000 degrees Celsius temperature will also melt tin cans, glass or metals found in garbage into glassy rock, which will be recycled or sold. With temperatures hotter than the surface of the sun, the Air Force claims that there is the possibility to dispose of medical and hazardous waste from this base, and the nearby Eglin Air Force Base. "This is history in the making," said Terry Yonkers, assistant secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment and Logistics, who was on hand for the ceremony. "This is the first waste to energy project of this technology to go into an air base. It has been a long time in the making." According to the Air Force, the benefits of the system include keeping nearly 8.3 tons (7.5 tonne) of daily domestic trash from Hurlburt out of landfills for future generations to deal with, reducing gas emissions by over 83,000 tons (75,300 tonnes) per year and eliminating toxic materials while producing energy. The system is designed to hold close to 12 tons (10.9 tonnes) of trash per day and, according to officials, can be transported to bases and deployed in locations around the globe to shrink the ecological footprint of the U.S. military by reducing the need for the controversial open burning of waste. "Our motto is 'a step ahead in the changing world,' but that is not just about airplanes," said Lt. Gen. Donny C. Wurster, AFSOC commander. As an added benefit, the system also generates 'cost avoidance' revenue by reducing tipping fees paid by the Air Force to dispose of domestic waste, hazardous materials, medical waste and more. In addition to syngas, the process also produces an inert slag which can be used as an aggregate for construction materials and can be recovered in many forms. The test results demonstrate that the slag produced is well below regulations. The system will reduce the need for controversial burning of waste at the base The project has been in the works since 2007 and is the brainchild of George "Ron" Omley, AFSOC Environmental chief, who began researching the idea after hearing former President George W. Bush speak. "It is a project we have been working on for four years, and to see it recognised and operating is fulfilling and gratifying," added. The Hurlburt system is five times larger than its predecessor located in Montreal, Canada. That system was created by Pyrogenesis, which also assisted with this project. The Air Force claims that a system of this size has never been built, and says that testing is ongoing to see exactly how much energy will be created. "We are learning new things everyday about the system," Mr. Omley said. The system cost about $7.4 million to build. The funding for the technology originated from the U.S. Foreign Comparative Testing Office, Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st century, the Canadian government, the U.S. Air Force Surgeon General's office and Gulf Power. Operations and maintenance costs are expected to be around $700,000 per year, with the system paying for itself within three years.