Surprise: Shell has built a pilot plant in Bangalore, India, capable of turning waste into petrol or diesel. No more oil then, just trashthe one we throw away every day. “The study of solutions to transform waste into energy is the alchemy of this century, but it is not magic; it’s simple chemistryexplains Alan Del Paggio, vice president of CRI Catalyst Company, the Shell group company that deals with this technology all over the world.
In 2100, triple the garbage
A Copernican revolution, because if there is one thing that is never lacking in the world, it is waste of all kinds. Refuse that they are bound to multiply. The Shell study based on a recent report by the World Bank states that by 2100 the world’s urban population will produce triple the trash compared to today. Not only. By 2025, 6 tonnes of waste per day will be available, almost double the approximately 3.5 million in 2010.
Two-stage catalytic reaction process
But how does the transformation of garbage into petrol take place? In the pilot plant in Bangalore – which is part of the state-of-the-art campus where they work 1,500 researchers – a two-stage catalytic reaction process called IH2 and developed by the Gas Technology Institute, a research center based in the United States, is used. In the IH2 reaction, heat, hydrogen and catalysts are used to convert large molecules – the kind found in waste – into smaller fragments.
Glass, metal and rubber must be removed
Oxygen and other contaminants are removed for create pure hydrogen and carbon, which are then combined to create hydrocarbon molecules: petrol, diesel but also kerosene for aircraft. The process works with forest and agricultural waste, but is also robust enough to handle sorted municipal waste. Glass, metal and rubber must be removed, although the IH2 can handle a small amount of plastic despite their chemical complexity. “This technology can cope with a lot of what is thrown away – adds Del Page – Cardboard and paper are cellulose, so they can be handled, and this also applies to natural fabrics. And food waste is ideal. The plant can also absorb up to 15% plastic, including fabrics such as polyester and nylon.”
The only rule is that the systems must be close to a consistent and reliable source of wasteotherwise the transportation costs of the raw material for the operation of the facility become too high. “After all successful laboratory trials, we know that the IH2 process works. The real challenge is to do it economically and sustainably on a large scale. The Bangalore demonstration site will handle five tons of waste every day.”
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