Enerkem Biofuel & Biochemical Plant Enters Start-up Phase

Not only is this good news from the standpoint of biofuels production--the 95 gallon/ metric ton is a very good rate--------it is also very good news that the process is disposing of chemically treated waste at the same time.

I hope Enerkem is very successful with their projects.

Where are all the dangerously harmful toxics of the treated wood going during the process? Unless there is a step designed for cleaning and containment - the Law of Conservation of Matter would dictacte the toxics being released into the air, syngas, or into the liquid fuel, which would then be burned and released.

Like many of the gassification processes - whether pyrolysis, fluidized bed, or plasma arc - the companies pushing the technology generally ignore or fail to mention how they are handling/containing the toxics. When speaking with a Westinghouse Alter-NRG representative, he wanted me to believe the hazardous materials went into the slag - but when pressed further, he had to admit that due to the extreme heat, all non-ferrous metals were gassified. Of course he wouldn't admit where they went after that and wasn't too happy with having to admit to having a stack.

SO - where do the chemicals go?

My guess is out the stack and into the snow you and your children eat while out walking on those beautiful winter days.

Robert----good question.

Good observation Robert - I was curious about the same thing you are and went looking for answers based on evidence rather than colourful conjecture. Here's what I found out and though I don't have any scientific training, this response seems to fairly recognize the issue of waste products from the process and address it head-on.

Enerkem's state-of-the-art gasification and conditioning process converts carbonaceous materials, such as residual forest or agricultural residues as well as structural biomass treated with creosote and other impregnating agents, into a syngas consisting mostly of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen. The carbon dioxide is separated and recovered for specific uses. The creosote and other impregnating chemicals are broken down in the gasification process and become part of the product syngas. Other impurities are captured and appropriately neutralized for effective reuse or disposal as innocuous salts. Water, a product of the process, is treated as part of the technology and any contaminants are recovered and neutralized so that the purged water meets sewage standards. Similarly, any limited atmospheric emissions (as the purpose of the technology is to recycle carbon and not to combust it) meet the strictest environmental standards.

Although it's been a while since I ate snow, Mr. Robb (and still wouldn't think it wise wherever you are) I believe this company's technology is obviously doing something useful with waste and deserves some positive reinforcement. It's certainly a whole lot better than leaving those creosote soaked poles in the ground.

Enerkem still does not address where the toxics, such as creosote end up. Yes, I see it goes into the syngas, but what is done with the syngas? The syngas is often burned for moderate energy recovery, of course this is 'conveniently' left out of the description.

"Broken down" is also quite misleading. Are the toxics 'broken down' like how plastics/PVC are melted and release Dioxin, possible the most deadly toxin known to man? Or are they altered like merucury into the more toxic methyl-mercury, which occurs in the burning of landfill gas?

Maybe less misleading is how the "impurities are captured and neutralized for effective reuse and disposal." How are they being reused, and just how "innocuous" are these salts? How are they disposed?

And not to be too nit-picky, but knowing sludge issues here in the US - sewage standards are quite lax, even for the Class-A 'biosolids' which are allowed to be dumped onto our farmlands. More toxic Class-B are still allowed as long as the land isn't used for food production, although it does not exclude grazing.

This bio-fool is not falling for the hype. Working towards Zero-Waste, although easily dismissed as too idealistic, is actually economic and achievable once understood. Let's get our organics out of costly land-fills, incinerators, and ethanol and into cheap and effective composting!

Robert---I agree that questioning the handling, dispersal and so on of toxics in the creosote on old telephone poles is appropriate.

I think it would be appropriate also to recall that the toxins in the creasote are the products of digging up and burning coal in the first place. The same would be true of petroleum. The toxins that you are refering to are what made coal and petroleum fossil fuels in the first place.

These toxins are now releasing into the environment because we dug up coal and burned it to start with. If we do nothing with the old telephone poles, the toxins will leach into the soil, and water anyway. I hope that this handling of these waste products will prevent that from happening further.