Processing of municipal wastes and plastics into liquid fuels - the WtL technologies

Abstract

At the current civilisation development stage, new problems are arising in connection with the availability of energy sources. At present, energy needs are chiefly satisfied by fossil fuels. However, fossil fuel resources are limited and may, according to forecasts of many scientists. be used up quite soon. Moreover, the process of obtaining energy from fossil fuels causes significant worsening of the state of environment and thus contributes to environmental degradation. In the context of the above anxieties and threats, special interest is attracted to new energy carriers, which might constitute a supplement to fossil fuels and become an additional energy source and, in consequence, might improve national energy security and simultaneously help to improve environmental quality. As an energy source of this kind, municipal wastes, especially plastics, may be considered. In this paper, two promising methods of making liquid fuels from municipal wastes and plastics, such as catalytic pressureless depolymerisation (KDV) and plasma waste disposal method, have been presented.