Plastic Waste to Fuel

Presented by: Jeff Gold Nexus Fuels, LLC Where it began ….

Current Situation

MSW is 25% by volume mixed plastic.

Recycling cost for 1-ton of plastic bags: $4000 Value of recycled product: $39 Thermal Depolymerization

Breaking long-chain hydrocarbons (polymers) into smaller chains using heat.

Gas (7%-10%)

Liquid (72%-79%)

PLASTIC Wax (3%-10%)

Char (4%-8%)

Heat Plastic As Fuel

Plastic can be converted into energy-dense, liquid, fuel.

Kcal/kg System Inputs

High-Grade Inputs – 2, 4-7 •Polyethylene (high/low density) •Polypropylene •Polystyrene

Low-Grade Inputs – 1, 3, some 7 •Polyvinyl chloride - HCl

•Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) – O2 leads to char •Rubber - Sulpher •ABS – Bromine and other halogens

Feedstock (Waste Plastic)

Municipal single stream (up to 50% paper) Agricultural film (soil/plant contamination) Industrial/commercial (95% - 100% clean)

Contaminants • Paper • Cardboard • Plastic - PVC • Metal • Water • Soil • Garbage Feedstock – Fuel Ratio

Logistics can be a significant cost

Locate conversion plant as close to feedstock source as possible

Super-Sweet Synthetic Crude Oil System Output

• Recycled through plant • Provides ~2 MW of energy System Output

Super-Sweet Synthetic Crude Oil Residue (char)

• Sand • Glass • Metal • Oxidized Organics  Paper  Plastics  Wood • Carbon Black Keys to Viability EROEI Comparisons

1) Energy Efficiency Alternative Energy Conventional Energy EROEI EROEI 2) Up-Time 1.3 Biodiesel 3 Bitumen tar sands 1.3 Ethanol - corn 80 Coal 3) Feedstock Costs 5 Ethanol - sugarcane 100 Hydro 4) Off-take Price 6.8 Photovoltaic 20 Oil production 1.9 Solar flat plate 10 Natural gas (2005) 18 Wind 10 Nuclear (with diffusion enrichment) 5 Shale oil

Nexus Demonstration Plant EROEI = 15 Nexus Demonstration Plant

Developed in cooperation with Georgia Institute of Technology Nexus Demonstration Plant Technology Benefits

• Reduces costs to waste plastic generators • Removes low-value plastics from waste stream • Produces fuels with low pollutant emissions • Does not rely on food crops or bio-mass • Used on its own or in combination with traditional fuels • Processing plants placed at feedstock source or end- user location • Provides an additional alternative fuel source Development Incentive

• Finite natural fuel supplies (Peak Oil) • High liquid fuel prices • Mandated requirement for low-sulphur fuel • Flexibility of derived fuels • Increasing waste disposal costs • Increasing plastic pollution • Strong regulatory and tax incentives in place • Lower energy density in ethanol-derived fuels • STRONG, LONG-TERM PRODUCT DEMAND Demand/Production Points

• Current crude oil price (bbl): $106 • Current US oil consumption: ~21,000,000 bbl/day (1 barrel = 42 gallons) • Wholesale price (gas and diesel): 80% retail • Feedstock costs: $0.00 - $0.08/lb • Current yield: 65% - 75% (w/w) • Full-sized initial plants: 15,000 t/y • Oil yield: ~2,110,000 gallons/year/plant (50,238 bbl)