Wiltshire-based biofuel innovators ABSL and gasification specialists Hatch today went public over their alliance, tasked to deliver higher value products formed by converting home waste into energy.
A technique known as plasma gasification, and specifically the latter’s proprietory RadGas technology, are the parties’ intended route to riches.
RadGas is a specialised process that converts domestic waste and biomass sources into synthesised gas.
It works by linking together a fluid bed gasifier, a direct current (DC) plasma furnace, and a heat recovery boiler. The partners say RadGas offers an efficient, reliable process to produce a clean source of combustion, purged of tars and particulates.
ABSL’s small RadGas demonstrator in Swindon is a first-in-field play, converting household waste into limited quantities of grid-quality, synthesised biomethane.
Hatch’s relationship with ABSL began when it provided tips on operating the trial plasma furnace at the latter’s Swindon site.
Today’s alliance sets higher ambitions. It commits Hatch to delivering a scaled up DC furnace fit for full commercial operation at greater volume, and dedicated to RadGas. Secondary goals include integrating RadGas into other new products.
Robert Francki, Hatch’s global managing director for energy, said: “ABSL’s RadGas technology has tremendous potential as a GHG reducing solution for turning waste into low carbon products. We are proud to contribute our well-honed furnace technology and unique ability to engineer and deliver integrated, technologically advanced, and complex facilities.”
“We see this strategic alliance as an exciting step to building a long-term partnership that will underpin delivering a robust technology today and long into the future,” said Nathan Burkey, ABSL’s chairman. “Hatch’s gasification expertise and heritage in implementing technology bring world class delivery capability to our RadGas offering.”
ABSL provides design and support to engineering contractors and third-party developers of advanced biofuel facilities.
The firm – Advanced Biofuel Solutions Ltd, in full – also operates the world’s first plant converting household waste into bio-substitute natural gas (BioSNG) through gasification. Its Swindon hub converts 8,000 tonnes of waste every year into 22GWh of gas.
Hatch’s activities centre on technology development, project execution and professional services. The firm works at stages from project conception, through implementation and into operations support.
For nearly seven decades, it has worked worldwide in electric smelter technology. Many of its and its clients’ implementations in advanced furnace operation are unique. It deems that many of the tie-up’s RadGas requirements sit comfortably within its knowledge envelope.
