From Waste to Engineered Fuel: The Challenges and Opportunities in the Current Environment

摘要

Co-processing refers to the use of waste materials in energy intensive industrial processes, such as cement, lime, steel or power production. It sees the energy and mineral components of waste recovered and reused in an industrial manufacturing process, where the naturally occurring materials required for production are supplemented by a variety of waste materials from other sources. Co-processing is a sustainable waste management solution for companies who have an interest in seeing their waste reused in a beneficial manner, suitable for both hazardous as well as non-hazardous wastes, and applied to solids, liquids or sludge.rnAs co-processing is applied to the manufacture of a product, the challenge for most waste derived fuel producers is to manufacture a homogeneous alternative fuel or alternative raw material that will not introduce variability in the manufacturing process. Blending hazardous waste for use in cement kilns is a well known practice. The concept of producing an engineered fuel from many different wastes requires a focus on defining both the physical and chemical characteristics of the fuel to ensure it complies with the technical specifications of the energy intensive manufacturing process, while at the same time ensuring environmental, quality and safety standards are met.rnIn the current business and social environment, companies are becoming more conscious of the potential liabilities of their waste disposal methods, and society is setting an expectation that more sustainable forms of waste management are sought where the components of the waste can be recovered for other applications. This is an opportunity for companies such as Geocycle to provide the expertise required to produce an engineered fuel from many diverse forms of waste.