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Waste-to-Energy
Index of organizations and processes that use sewage,
garbage, and other waste products to generate energy efficiently and cleanly.
Shortcut url: http://www.wasteforenergy.com
"Garbage is simply useful stuff in the wrong
place."
-- Alex Steffen (TreeHugger;
Nov. 22, 2006)
Page Contents:
Overviews Reports
Silicon
Large-Scale
Waste Recovery in Operation R&D
Multi-Purpose Waste
Water Crops and Animal
Waste Waste Heat Nuclear
Waste to Energy Heavy
Metal Clean-up Tire Waste Plastic
Waste Food Waste Brewery Waste Articles Non-Energy
Related Politics See
also
See also:
Waste-to-Energy - index at PESWiki
-
Video:
Waste to Energy -- an Overview (3:01 minutes) - A brief video
by PES Network introduces the concept of cost-effectively turning
garbage and sewage into energy, either as electricity or as
fuel. Addresses methane harvesting, plasma, solar, and catalytic
pressureless depolymerization. (PESWiki; Jan. 16, 2008)
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- Turning
Garbage into Gold - Entrepreneurs are creating companies
that exploit the creative opportunities in other people's junk,
sparing the environment in the process. The article looks at green
entrepreneurship in general and profiles some specific companies,
whose products range from recycled printer cartridges to rubber
sidewalks. (Business Week; August 17, 2006) (See Slashdot
discussion)
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Graphic by FirmGreen,
with permission.
- WasteReports.com -
Independent, up-to-date reviews of novel waste processing technologies covering operational reliability, economics and environmental performance. Reviews of individual proprietary processes, Executive Briefings that consider the role for the new technology families, and Information Sheets.
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- IBM Pioneers Process to Turn Waste into Solar Energy
- IBM has developed a new semiconductor wafer reclamation process that
uses a specialized pattern removal technique to repurpose scrap
semiconductor wafers to a form used to manufacture silicon-based solar
panels. (PhysOrg; Oct. 30, 2007)
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- Top
100:
MagneGas
Plasma Arc Flow Reactors - MagneGas Technology has been
developed to process liquid wastes into a clean burning fuel known as
magnegas, plus heat and other usable byproducts, said processing
occurring without noise, liquid, gaseous or other pollutions. New
discoveries of science involved. (PESWiki; May 30, 2006)
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- Top
100:
Geoplasma
LLC to turn dumps in electricity and roads - Company's
technology converts landfills into electricity and roads, by
vaporizing garbage at temperatures hotter than parts of the sun.
Lightning-like plasma arcs turn trash into gas and rock-like material.
(PESWiki; Sept. 11, 2006)
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- FirmGreen
Energy, Inc. - FirmGreens landfill gas-to-energy program
involves a multi-faceted approach to energy development, producing
ethanol, methanol and biodiesel, in addition to the conventional
electric and pipeline gas commodities.
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 Changing
World Technologies -Specializes in waste-to-energy,
with two plants in operation. Energy and environmental service company
that provides funding and management expertise; aimed at providing
energy independence. Mission is to identify, introduce and
commercialize environment-friendly energy technologies to the international
marketplace.
- Waste Management Taps Clean Power From Garbage
- Waste Management Inc. said it will speed up its tapping of gas from rotting garbage to generate clean power from 60 landfills over five years.
Waste Management will bring turbines to the landfills to generate more than 700 megawatts of power a year, or enough power for about 700,000
homes. (Reuters; June 28, 2007)
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- Sweden
is gathering methane from its landfills
- 70 landfills around the country run turbines on methane; engough to power
50,000 households, refuse trucks, 60 government cars. Also, the
steam from the turbines heats homes and three greenhouses. (DiscoveryChannel.ca;
April 29, 2005)
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- Energy Products
of Idaho (EPI) - World leader in atmospheric fluidized bed
combustion technology with more than 81 installations world wide, and over 5
million hours of operating experience.
EPI has completed energy systems operating on a wider
variety of fuels than any any other fluid bed supplier in the world.
Waste input: agriculture, wood, paper, livestock, fossil
fuels, RDF (refuse), industrial, sewage.
Output: electricity, steam/hot water, thermal fluids,
hot gas for dryer. |
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- $300,000,000
plant in Mexico signed - Each of Naanovo
Energy's 12 modules being installed can handle 180 tons of municipal
waste/day, reducing volume below 10% and weight to 20%, and dispatching
146,000 gallons of water per day. Total generative capacity: 6 MW
minimum. (BusinessWire; May 23,
2005)
- Barlow
Projects, Inc. - Waste-to-Energy plant systems convert trash
or biomass into steam and/or electricity. 5 Years in operation.
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- I
Never Used Dead Cats for Fuel - A German inventor said he
has developed a method (KDV
500) to produce crude oil products from waste that he believes
can be an answer to the soaring costs of fuel, but denied a German
newspaper story implying he also used dead cats. (Reuters;
Sept. 7, 2005)
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- GEM CANADA
Waste to Energy - Uses thermal cracking technology without
combustion, chimneys, dioxins, furans or fly ash. Accepts
municipal solid waste, tires, plastic, motor oil, wood, sewer sludge,
animal waste. 1.5 tons per hour; 24/7. Approx. 1 MW
produced per ton.
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- StarTech:
Plasma Technologies - 30,000°F (3x surface of sun temp)
ionization causes waste material to revert to their elemental
form. Molecular dissociation transforms any type of waste into
hydrogen and other recyclable materials, with virtually no
emissions. Bristol, Connecticut, USA firm has been demonstrating
the technology since Jan. 2001. (ZPEnergy;
Aug. 24, 2004)
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- Nathaniel
Energy
Proprietary Patented Technology, the "Thermal
Combustor", is used to convert waste streams - such as tires,
municipal waste, plastics, agricultural crops and waste, wood wastes,
and many other forms of waste that would otherwise end up in a
landfill - into energy. Funded company is fulfilling orders for
installations internationally.
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- Japan
facility powers homes and melts snow with kitchen garbage -
Garbage-processing center in Japan gets the electricity it needs from
kitchen waste; can process 10 tons of refuse per day. The heat produced can
also melt the snow on the city's streets during winter. (Japan Times,
Sept. 10, 2004)
- Hot
Trash-To-Fuel Technology Gathering Steam - Got
garbage? Toxic trash? Zap it with a torch three times hotter than the sun
and gather the resulting gas to fuel pollution-free cars and home power
units. (Reuters; Feb. 27, 2004)
- The
Planet Group - Planet Group waste technologies feature the advanced
thermal treatment of waste, with energy recovery. BOS Gasification is
modular, proven and efficient for MSW, industrial, clinical waste and much
more.?
- ThermoEnergy
- Patented ThermoEnergy Integrated Power System (TIPS) is designed to
increase efficiency of fossil fuel plants, without air emissions.
Company does retrofits as well as new installs.
- Landfill
gas a great source of energy - Three California landfills together
produce 5.5 MW of power. (Ventura County Star (subscription); Dec.
26, 2004)
 Turning
rotten garbage into gold - Methane from Trans-Jordan, Utah landfill
may pump out enough to run 3 megawatt turbine; prototype testing under
way. 10-year return on investment hoped. (Salt Lake Tribune;
April 27, 2005)
Smaller-Scale Companies in Operation
- EntropicEnergy.com
- Canadian company (not to be confused with Detroit company by same name)
has a patent pending technology that can economically convert waste heat
into electricity on a small scale (50 kW to 2 MW).
- Waste
Water Plus Bacteria Make Hydrogen Fuel - Bacteria that feed on
vinegar and waste water zapped with a shot of electricity could
produce a clean hydrogen fuel to power vehicles that now run on
petroleum. These microbial fuel cells can turn almost any
biodegradable organic material into zero-emission hydrogen gas fuel. (PESWiki;
Nov. 12, 2007)
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- They're
Recycling Their Brain Power - An extraordinary group of
retired scientists and engineers in Asheville, N.C., is working to
solve the areas environmental problems. (Parade; Oct. 31,
2004)
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- BioMaxx Systems
Inc - Converting cellulosic biomass that is currently being
abandoned or land filled into ethanol and other valuable co-products.
Holds the worldwide license to a new fermentation process.
- New
'Digester' Converts Garbage to Energy - University of California
Davis prototype anaerobic digester to produce electricity, soil
amendments for landscaping, and fiberboard for construction. (YubaNet;
Oct. 7, 2004)
- Fuel Cell
Converts Raw Sewage into Power - Penn State University
"microbial fuel cell" treats the water at the same time it
generates electricity. (PhysOrg; Oct. 27, 2004)
- Creative
Energy Systems - Sewage and Landfill Clean-up with Energy
Production; isolation of elements for recycling. Super-clean
tire burner prototype operated 1 year. Full municipal waste and
sewage to energy system has not yet to be assembled. Includes
plasma technology.
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Tire vaporizer
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- Wastewater
Could Treat Itself, Power City - The energy stored in Toronto's
municipal wastewater could be harnessed to run water treatment facilities
and contribute power to the city grid. Studies under way. (Solar
Access; Sept. 24, 2004)
- Plastic
to Energy in Japan - "A consortium of public and private
players is planning to build the nation's first power plant that burns waste
plastic as fuel. Plastic waste from the Tokyo Metro area will make up half
the feedstock and industrial waste wil make up the balance. Plastic will be
pelletized before shipment to the plant in Iwaki City in northern Fukushima
prefecture. The government likes to refer to this as 'thermal recycling' so
it fits in with government plans to promote incinerators with energy
generation capability. They also see it as a first step toward 90% plastic
'recycling' by the next century." (GMI Jan 95)
- Carpet
Discards to Energy - Shaw Industries plant in Georgia, US will
produce steam energy from waste product. (EnergyInfoSource.com, Oct
7, 2004)
- Sewage
treatment plants to help generate electricity - California plants
hope to generate enough to run their own operations and then some. (FuelCellWorks;
Nov. 2, 2004)
- Cow
manure to light up farming community - Canadian farming community
receives government funds to become the country's first municipality to be
electrically powered by cow manure. (Big News
Network, Canada; Oct. 26, 2004)
 DOJ
Files Civil Action Against MagCorp for PCB Violations - Leading U.S.
polluter, US Magnesium Corporation of Salt Lake City, has been on the EPA's
list as the largest toxic air polluter in the country. Though it has
improved, it is still significantly lacking. Local inventor said he
demonstrated the successful burning of some of their emissions for energy
and clean-up, but they declined to integrate the technique. (PESN;
May 12, 2005)
- Scientists
develop portable generator that turns trash into electricity -
A group of scientists have created a portable refinery that
efficiently converts food, paper and plastic trash into electricity.
The machine, designed for the U.S. military, would allow soldiers in
the field to convert waste into power and could have widespread
civilian applications in the future. (PESN; Feb. 4, 2007)
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- You
Don't Need Oil to Make Fuel
Many things can be converted fuel, including crops, natural gas, waste,
manure, and many other carbon-based substances. Coal can be turned to
gas. Article by Governor Brian Schweitzer. (Truthout; Nov.
2005)
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Waste-to-Energy
> TCP
- Turning Waste into Oil
Two facilities are in operation which can take any material containing
carbon (which is anything which has ever lived) and transmute it into a
golden oil in just two hours. (American Energy Independence
2025; Nov. 2005)
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Agripower - Power From Trash -
A company called AgriPower will begin production next year of a movable
power generator fueled by a wide range of waste products, from walnut shells
to discarded tires. (CNET; June 22, 2007)
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Finally found: the treasure at the end of the
rainbow.
(Thanks Nathan Allan)
- LA to turn sludge
into electricity - A new plant in Los Angeles, said to be the first
of its kind in the U.S., injects material left over from treated wastewater
into depleted oil and gas reservoirs underground, where high temperatures
and pressure creates methane gas to power fuel cells on the surface.
Powering around 3,000 homes, the process will also dissolve carbon dioxide
and reduce the amount of treated solid waste. (PhysOrg; Apr. 6, 2007)
- First
Biodiesel from Sewage - Marlborough-based Aquaflow
Bionomic has produced its first sample of bio-diesel fuel from algae
in sewage ponds. The company expects to be producing at the rate
of at least one million liters of fuel per year from Blenheim by
April. (New Zealand Herald; May 12, 2006) (Scoop)
(See Slashdot
discussion)
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Wastewater:
Energy of the future?
Professor Jurg Keller at Australia's University of Queensland said he
and his colleagues have discovered how to turn wastewater into
electricity. (PhysOrg; Nov. 2005)
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- Ray of
light for water industry - University of Aberdeen scientists
developing new technology that uses sunlight to treat dirty water and create
electricity simultaneously. Three industrial partners develop novel
technology for breaking up pollutants found in all types of water supplies.
(PhysOrg; UK; April 28, 2005)
 Penn
State > Microbial
Fuel Cells Produce Power by Cleaning Domestic Wastewater - boosts
output six times while reducing costs by two thirds. (WorldChanghing.com;
June 23, 2004)- Microbial
fuel cell: high yield hydrogen source and wastewater cleaner - Using
a new electrically-assisted microbial fuel cell (MFC) that does not require
oxygen, Penn State environmental engineers and a scientist at Ion Power Inc.
have developed the first process that enables bacteria to coax four times as
much hydrogen directly out of biomass than can be generated typically by
fermentation alone. (PhysOrg; April 22, 2005)
- Pollution-Eating
Bacteria Produce Electricity - "These bacteria can
convert a large number of different food sources into electricity. The
technology could be used to assist in the reclamation of wastewaters,
thereby resulting in the removal of waste and generation of
electricity." (PhysOrg; June 7, 2005)
- Zip
Project - Zero Impact Platform project was
created to handle waste cycle and water cycle management with clean,
renewable technologies available, as well as to support research and
development into the same. (PESWiki; Aug. 5, 2005)
Close
to Home; July 25, 2005
With permission from John McPherson
- JF
BioEnergy Inc - self-powered waste processing plant refines
organic waste down to three marketable fuel products: charcoal,
bio-oil, and bio-gas; while maintaining "carbon
dioxide-neutral" emissions.
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 Agricultural
Feedstock Contributes to Renewable Energy - Intrepid
Technology and Resources reports benefits of waste processing.
Manure to gas, to heating fuel; digested fiber to bedding and soil
amendment commodities; processed water for irrigation and to bring
influent manure to proper consistency; emission credits, organic
compost, and processing other organic wastes (cheese whey, animal
renderings) to produce supplemental gas; reduced waste handling
operations, economical gas to power on-site operations, reductions in
odor and nutrient loadings in effluent water and solids. (Renewable
Energy Access; Sept. 29, 2005)
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- GHD
Inc. Turns Manure Into Power - Agricultural waste is shoveled into
underground anaerobic tank where the combination of heat and bacteria break
it down into methane gas that is converted into electricity, solids that are
used for bedding and soil enrichment and liquid nutrient that is used on
crops.
- From Leftovers to Energy
- UC Davis researchers are developing a strain of microbes that
convert heavier waste such as food scraps or yard waste into biogas --
mostly methane and hydrogen -- that can be burned to generate electricity or compressed into liquid to power specialized vehicles.
(MIT Technology Review; June 18, 2007)
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- Rivers
of unwanted wine to turn into biofuel - European vehicles will
be running on distilled French and Italian wine again this summer as
the upcoming season's surplus production from European vineyards is
turned into biofuel. (Edie News Center; June 8, 2006)
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- Researchers
convert farm waste to bio-oil - Samy Sadaka reached into a
garbage bag, picked up a mixture of cow manure and corn stalks, let it run
through his fingers. That mix of manure and corn stalks had spent 27 days
breaking down in a special drying process. The end result looked like brown
yard mulch with lots of thin fibers. (PhysOrg; July 28, 2006)
- Biomax
15 - several residential prototypes being field tested. 30 lb.
of wood can power a typical home for a day. (San Mateo County Times;
April 8, 2004) See Google
> Biomax 15
- Hansen
Energy Harnesses the Power of Poop - Utah State University
professor's prototype now ready for industry. Uses bacteria to
break down waste; resulting methane gas is burned for
electricity. 4,400 pigs put out 80 kW. See end of article
about "biodiesel" process from hog waste.
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- Andgar
Corporation: Commercial Dairy Anaerobic Digester - Three dairies in
Washington State will generate enough electricity to serve 180 average
homes.
- New Energy Solutions
- has received grant to design and build a system to turn animal waste into
hydrogen.
- Green
Power from Chicken Litter - Gas Technology Institute has
successfully demonstrated that chicken litter can be gasified to produce
hydrogen and generate electricity using a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC).
Fertilizer also produced. (PhysOrg; July 15, 2005)
 Bananas
could power Aussie homes - At present, much of Australia's annual
banana crop goes to waste, because the fruit are too bruised or small. Bill
Clarke, from the University of Queensland, predicts that an excess
banana-fuelled power plant could power 500 homes. No prototype, early
theoretical. (BBC, Australia; Aug. 27,
2004)- Dairy
starts milking manure for energy - Manure-powered generator in
California turns cow waste into methane gas in 20 days to fuel daily
operations at the dairy while reducing air and ground pollution. (San
Bernardino Sun; Nov. 17, 2004)
- Waste
to Energy Gets Kudos from Pork Industry - Three major integrated
manure management systems are paving the way for waste management in Western
Canada by turning manure into usable by-products, such as methane, biogas
and thermal energy. (Renewable Energy Access; Jan.
27, 2005)
- BSE
Cows to Energy - SembCorp Utilities of UK has been given
permission to process 100,000 tonnes of tallow per year for the
generation of electricity. (BBC; Aug. 13, 2004) [Not
an earth-friendly solution.]
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- Honda
patents exhaust-heat-to-energy process - Honda has received a
patent on an exhaust heat exchanger that harnesses the
heat energy from the exhaust through a thermal exchange, which can
then be converted into electrical energy through a thermal electric
process or to drive a turbine/generator. (PESWiki; Aug. 21)
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 Beta
Voltaics - Claim long duration power cells that convert radioactive
materials to inert. Skeptic comments included.
- Cleaning
Uranium Waste with Bacteria - U.S. researchers have discovered
that some common bacteria (Shewanella) can convert deadly heavy metal
into less threatening nano-spheres; and that these bacteria can
convert soluble radioactive uranium into a non-toxic solid form called
uraninite. (Pacific Northwest National Laboratories; Aug. 7,
2006) (See Slashdot
discussion)
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- TirelessTech.com
- Non-combustive process recycles tires back to raw commodities such
as carbon black, hydrogen, methane and a very fine crude oil. No
emissions. Can also recycle medical waste or anything that is
carbon based. In process of securing final investments and licensing
rights. (Tipped anonymously at ZPEnergy
by nephew of inventor)
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- Waste
Plastic Becomes Clean Burning Fuel - Penn. State University has
developed PlastoFuel pellets from dirty waste Agri-plastics. GR
Technologies of Korea has patented burner converting same to alternative
energy. (Blogspot; June 6, 2005)
- 'Plastic
oil' could improve fuel economy in cars, chemists say - Recycled
plastic bottles could one day be used to lubricate your car's engine. These
polyethylene-derived oils could help improve fuel economy and reduce the
frequency of oil changes. (EurekAlert; June 12, 2005)
- The fuel of the future? Say 'cheese'
- Wisconsin entrepreneur Joe Van Groll's company, Grand Meadow Energy
LLC, produces both ethanol and bio-diesel from waste from surrounding
cheese plants and raw canola oil from a nearby farm. (FDL Reporter;
Nov. 4, 2007)
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- The
660 Gallon Brewery Fuel Cell - This fuel cell type is
essentially a battery in which bacteria consume water-soluble brewing
waste such as sugar, starch and alcohol, plus in this instance
produces clean water. "Its primarily a waste water
treatment that has the added benefit of creating
electricity." (YahooNews; May 2, 2007) (Also Slashdot,
PhysOrg, CBS
News)
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- Energy
That Cleans Up - A fuel cell fueled by microbes in
wastewater also cleans the water. (MIT Technology Review; Mar. 22,
2004)
- Trash
Talkers Tout 'Ray-Gun' to Zap Rubbish - NY Post article on
Startech Environmental of Connecticut. Estimated time to market: 10 years.
(Oct. 20, 2002)
- Waste
to Energy Review - Overview of methanol extraction practices in
use. Also gives biodeisel considerations. (Pollution Engineering;
Michigan; Mar. 1, 2005)
- California
to Argentina on Vegetable Oil - Family tanks up on waste grease
collected from restaurants along the way through 11 country promotional
tour. (The Star; July 27, 2004)
- Power
Proposal Stinks - "Poo power" could soon be used to light
up London's Science Museum as bosses consider recycling the contents of its
loos. (Sky News; July 15, 2004)
- Japan
facility powers homes and melts snow with kitchen garbage. -
SUNAGAWA, Hokkaido (Kyodo) A garbage-processing center in Japan gets the
electricity it needs to operate all year round from kitchen waste, and can
process 10 tons of refuse per day. The heat produced at Clean Plaza Kurukuru
can also melt the snow on the city's streets during winter. (Japan Times,
Sept. 10, 2004)
- Free-lunch
foragers - 'Freegans' are a growing subculture that has opted out of capitalism by cutting spending habits and living off consumer waste.
(LA Times; Sept. 11, 2007)
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- Tornado
in a Can - pulverizes down to micrometer powder; demonstrates
an "overunity" phenomenon. (MSNBC April 26, 2004)
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- Avantis
- "The chemical industry is experiencing rapidly increasing
feedstock and energy costs, regulatory pressures, high volatility of
raw material costs, employee downsizing and outsourcing, as well as
concerns over foreign competition and geopolitical events.
Fortunately, theres Avantis -- todays most effective enterprise
asset management solution that can reduce the risk of implementation
with pre-defined work processes and best practices. One specifically
tailored to help chemical producers do more with less."
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- Advanced Technology Feasibility
Group - Operational prototype converts refuse into building
materials, including 2 x 4s studs, 2 x 6 etc, railroad ties, bricks, roofing
shingles, culverts. Looking for investors.
- Diamond Z Manufacturing
- recycling and refuse handling machinery such as garbage grinders (useful
for waste-to-energy projects).
- Enviro-Bricks
- "With the solid look of a brick home, and the environmentally
responsible aspect of mass recycling, Enviro-Bricks provide the
answer to a very critical worldwide need." R40 insulation.
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- Flame
Resistant Polycarbonate from Fly Ash - NEC Corporation has developed
a low energy consuming method of manufacturing a flame resistant
polycarbonate using the by product of thermal power plants. (PhysOrg;
Nov. 12, 2004)
- Canada
joins EPA program - Canada has become the 16th nation to join the
U.S. EPA's Methane to Markets Partnership, an international initiative
designed to promote the recovery and use of methane, prevent greenhouse gas
emissions, and provide sources of clean energy to communities, businesses
and industry. (PhysOrg; July 14, 2005)
Page posted by SDA,
July 13, 2003
Last updated January 30, 2008
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Renewable
Environmental Solutions - Joint venture with Changing World
Technologies. In May, Renewable Environmental Solutions said its first
commercial plant is selling oil produced from agricultural waste. The plant
currently produces 100 to 200 barrels of oil per day. Converts
hydrocarbons and organic wastes into clean solid, liquid and gaseous
alternative fuels and specialty chemicals. (See technology
description)
Global
Finest - Company offers a number of revolutionary earth-friendly
technologies including depolymerization of waste products into usable
fuel, recycling used tires
