New containerized WtE Technology complying With EU emission regulations

TeamTec is currently developing an innovative small-scale (0.5-2MWth) Waste-to-Energy (WtE) technology which is a modular, containerized solution including energy recovery (heat and/or electricity). Due to the modular solution (5 standard shipping containers), the plant is easy to transport and assemble/dissassemble. It is also a target for this new technology to comply and even be well below the stringent EU WID emission limits, and it is crucial that this is achieved without the need for a costly, dedicated NOx reduction system. The new WtE technology is based on gasification of the waste in a crossdraft reactor followed by combustion of the product gas in a secondary chamber. The system also includes shredding, storage and transport system for the waste, boiler, power generation, gas cleaning system, and a continuous emission monitoring system. The CompactWtE project has been a collaboration between TeamTec and the Norwegian research institute SINTEF Energi AS. The primary objective of the CompactWtE project has been to develop optimized gasification and secondary combustion chambers for the two-staged thermal conversion of waste in the TeamTec technology in order to achieve NOx and CO emissions below the European requirements only using primary measures. The focus has been on heat integration, mixing behaviour, air staging and flue gas recirculation, through a combination of theoretical, modelling and experimental work. The numerical work has comprised both CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) simulations and ideal reactor simulations. This work has revealed potential for improvement to the secondary chamber with respect to better utilization of the combustion chamber volume and reduced NOx emissions. Based on these results, concrete recommendations for a revised design of the secondary combustion chamber are given. The proposed changes have been partly implemented during the project period. It has also been experimentally demonstrated (using TeamTec prototype) that reduced NOx emissions can be achieved through primary measures. Through this project, potential for improvements to the gasification chamber have also been identified. Some of these changes have been implemented during the project period, while others are under considerations and will be implemented after the project period. Small-scale heat and power production from waste is relevant both in the national and international markets. This technology is particularly relevant for Norway where the population is thinly spread. This novel, compact WtE technology will also fulfil the waste management needs in several niche markets such as isolated communities, acute situations, and military facilities.

TeamTec is currently developing a new innovative small-scale (0.5-2MWth) WtE technology which is a modular, containerized solution including energy regeneration (heat and electricity). Due to the modular solution (5 standard shipping containers), the plant is easy to transport and assemble. The new WtE technology is based on gasification of the waste in a crossdraft reactor followed by combustion of the product gas in a secondary chamber. Development of the gasification and combustion systems is required in order to achieve NOx and CO emissions below the European legislation, as well as to be flexible with respect to variability in the composition and properties of the input waste. The main innovation in this project is the first containerized WtE technology in the market that complies with European emissions regulations without a dedicated NOx reduction system. The innovation contains the following elements: - An advanced preheating and multi-stage injection system of the gasification agent - An optimized air and flue gas staging system in the secondary combustion chamber In this project dedicated R&D activities combined with the industrial experience of the applicant will help solving key issues of the TeamTec concept and result in: - Improved heating of the fuel bed in the drying zone, to allow a wider range of moisture content in the waste - Improved burnout and efficiency in the combustion process, with reduced emission of carbon monoxide (CO), Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) and soot particles. - Low NOx emissions by primary methods based on optimized air/FGR staging, improved mixing and temperature control - Increased lifetime of gasification and combustion chambers through reduced hotspots and temperature peaks