Gasification gives lower emissions, fewer particulates and a broader feedstock base
A railway environmental problem and new combustion regulations encouraged the Swedish waste company IQR to develop new combustion technology. The result was lower emissions, a broader feedstock base and lower oil consumption. The new technology is being presented at the Elmia Recycling to Energy trade fair on 25-27 May in Jönköping, Sweden.
Industrial Quality Recycling (IQR) was founded 30 years ago with the business concept of recovering and reselling worn-out railway sleepers. Most of the sleepers were sold for use in gardens but some were in too poor shape to be sold. Instead, the company began a project to recover energy from the sleepers in an environmentally acceptable way.
Bought its own heating plant
IQR developed new methods for safer combustion but customers were still hesitant. To make a long story short, in 2003 IQR purchased the district heating plant in the Swedish municipality of Svenljunga, so that IQR could incinerate the railway sleepers itself. Ownership of the plant then offered unique opportunities to further develop IQR’s combustion technology.
“We brought in an environmental chemist, Kjell Eriksson, at an early stage. He suggested gasification instead of conventional one-stage combustion,” explains Daniel Karlström, CEO of IQR Systems AB.
In 2006 to 2007, IQR began rebuilding the district heating plant, giving it gasification technology with counter-current flow, a fixed fuel bed and a patented burner. The facility will soon have been operating for two years and the results are being presented at Elmia Recycling.
Many major advantages
The results have greatly exceeded expectations. The main advantages of gasification over conventional combustion are:
• The heating plant can process more types of biofuel and the moisture content is unimportant. The result is a broader feedstock base.
• Emissions of particulates and other harmful substances are extremely low.
• The load can be reduced to under 10 percent of maximum output without increasing emissions. It is no longer necessary to use oil to stay below the permitted emission limits.
Thanks to its lower costs, this new technology now being launched by IQR is especially suitable for small-size district heating networks. The power range is between 2 and 15 MW.
Extra large crushers
At Elmia Recycling, IQR is also exhibiting other products developed from its handling of railway sleepers and industrial waste. In this case, the products are mobile and stationary machines used to fragment waste.
In Sweden, IQR is best known for its stationary waste hammermills. At Elmia Recycling the company is showing the mobile version, the FlexHammer 1800. It is one of the largest mobile waste hammermills and is mostly sold to export markets.
Elmia Recycling to Energy is a trade fair and conference for waste handling, recycling and reuse. A special theme for 2010 is energy recovery from waste. Elmia Recycling to Energy is being held concurrently with World Bioenergy on 25–27 May 2010. www.worldbioenergy.com
For more information on Elmia Recycling to Energy contact Per Jonsson, project manager, per.jonsson@elmia.se, tel +46 36 15 21 93.
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