RE: Thermolysis a new and ecological technology?

["Emmanuel de Broux" <EMM_DE_BROUX@msn.com>]

Carlos, you wrote :

Q: 1) Why does not exists a commercial thermolysis-plant (capacity over 50.000 
Tm/year) anywhere and it just exists "experimental plant", "pilot plant", etc?

Answer : There is no doubt the process is new. Besides this, the incineration 
lobby is extremely powerful. You can imagine it is much easier to grease palms 
when there is a (pretty) large MSW incinerator to be built. We have a few 
'experts' of that question in Belgium.
Thermolysis plants should have smaller capacities and should be disseminated 
in the country to reduce the burden of MSW transportation expenses. A 50,000 
tonne/year thermolysis plant would be, in my mind, rather large. In the area 
where I live (provinces of Namur and Luxemburg - this is not the Grand-Duchy), 
I guess that 6 to 8 plants with an average individual capacity of 40,000 
tonne/year would be a reasonable solution. That can  be computed rather 
easily. By the way, Belgians produce 1 kg of MSW per day. That figure shows a 
trend upwards.

Q: Do these experimental plants handle whole domestic trash or only a 
no-recycling fraction?

A: Non-sorted MSW can be processed if need be. However, prior collection (e.g. 
at door steps) of recyclables is recommended. Metallic waste, when collected 
separately, does not 'pollute' the carbon mass coming out of the thermolysis 
oven.

Q: 2) Do the posterior operations to the thermolysis (the combustion of gas 
and carbonous residue) produce dioxins? Are there organochlorides compounds in 
the carbonous residue?

A: There are no organochlorides because chlorine and fluorine are converted to 
calcium salts in the oven thanks to the lime added to the MSW.

Q: What does it happens with the sewage sludges?

A: The organic fraction of the sludges are converted to gas and carbon. But I 
have no details available, that use of thermolysis being relatively new to me.

Q: 3) Which is the French company patent owner?

A: I suggest you get in touch with Mr. Jean-Francois Deveau at 101716.1672 
@compuserve.com. He has the answer. Now, if you refer to the pilot-plant at 
Dreux, I can give you the coordinates if you need them. By the way, the Dreux 
oven is rotating. I have learned that a still oven tube would work all right. 
A rotating oven is more complicated thanks to the necessity to keep ends 
airtight.

Q: In Spain the company SODEMA (filial of some french firm) has offered some 
plants to several cities councils like the solution to trash problem. In Spain 
there are not recycling programs in the cities and the common practice is 
throw it in landfill (in the best case!). The thermolysis is presented
like the true solution for hospitalary, industrial and domestic residues. Our 
local environmental groups are figthing against it. Somebody can help us?

A: To me, thermolysis is highly preferable to incineration and to landfills. I 
fight both solutions. But do not count on me to fight thermolysis, a process 
that does not produce carbohalogenated compounds like furans, dioxins, PCBs, 
no dust, no heavy metals (mercury vapor is trapped by activated carbon), no 
acids, no sulfur dioxide. I still have to get valid arguments against 
thermolysis.

General comment :

Anyway, Carlos, I repeat I am not selling anything (I mean to make money). I 
am not linked in any way with ESR or whatever company which could sell 
thermolysis plants. I just try to exchange ideas about a process which, in my 
mind, deserves to be better known. That's all. So, please do not plan to fire 
at the pianist (me) - he does not deserve it. 8-)

With kind regards from friendly Belgium.