Plasma and fuel cell technology could turn London waste into electricity

The consortium, which includes AFC Energy plc, Alter NRG and WSP Environmental, is proposing to turn municipal solid waste (MSW) –including plastics, paper, cardboard, food and other plant material –  into electrical power by putting it through a plasma gasification chamber, where very high temperatures (+6000°C) would turn it into syngas, a gas mixture that contains varying amounts of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. It would then be turned into electricity by new generation alkaline fuel cells.

Waste2Tricity claims the combination of plasma gasification and fuel cells means the net output of electricity to the National Grid could increase by more than 50 per cent compared to existing technologies.

The technology is already being used in Japan, but the UK consortium is proposing to build a £135 million energy from waste plant capable of converting 250,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste – the most ever to be converted using such technology.

The consortium has made its bid to the London Waste & Recycling Board (LWRB). Energy company GDF SUEZ has expressed an interest in purchasing the electricity produced.

“This is a groundbreaking proposal for London’s waste,” said Katy O’Rorke of Waste2Tricity. “It represents a switch from a focus on waste management to that of energy generation from MSW and commercial waste, in an environmentally responsible and profitable way.”

April 1 was the closing date of the LWRB's first call for expression of interest for funding and access to its brokerage service. The board says it had been "delighted by the number and quality of the Expressions of Interest that have come in", with a real emphasis on innovation and the delivery of new technologies.

The next meeting of the Board is scheduled for May 5, at which the board will confirm the process for the development of proposals that have met the prescribed criteria.