As mentioned earlier in this blog, PEAT advancing a project for a client in China to treat refinery sludge and petrochemical waste. The system construction is finished and the system is currently en route to China. This plasma gasification system is expected to be commissioned during the later part of July.

Unlike incineration, where combustion gases are treated at atmospheric pressure, the volume of syngas that is generated in a plasma gasification system is significantly reduced. The smaller flue gas volumes also bring benefits in terms of the scale of downstream air pollution control equipment.

Here is a representative syngas composition, composition and heat value for processing 500 lbs/hr of petroleum sludge and fluxing agents with the following chemical composition (Carbon: 30.85%, Hydrogen: 3.18%, Chlorine: 0.65%, Oxygen: 0.41%, Sulfur 0.31%, water 23.82%, metals 0.17%, inorganics 40.54%) in a plasma thermal destruction and recovery system.

The syngas generated from a plasma gasification system could be converted into a variety of different fuels such as ethanol, natural gas (methane) and hydrogen or can be used to generate electricity directly similar to gasification. Some companies are trialing systems for upgrading syngas from their plasma gasification processes to be used as a chemical feedstock for products such as hydrogen recovery. However, the commercial status of such projects indicates that these are still in the development stage.

PEAT is finalizing the construction on another PTDR-100 Refinery Waste Treatment Plant for a client in China. This plasma gasification system, expected to be commissioned during the later part of June and early July, is being sought to treat refinery sludge and petrochemical waste.

The refinery waste product contains primarily water, and smaller amounts of non-aqueous liquids and solids, both organic and inorganic, are by-products of the refining and petrochemical industries. For example, a typical industrial waste stream from an oil refinery operation will contain about 80 percent-by-weight water, about 15 percent-by-weight oil, e.g., hydrocarbons and other non-aqueous liquids, and about 5 percent-by-weight solids. Due to environmental regulations, this industrial waste stream poses significant disposal problems for the oil refineries.

The PTDR waste-to-energy system will convert via plasma gasification approximately 50 kilograms/hr (110 lbs) of this refinery waste into syngas estimated to be almost 600,000 BTU/hr (150,000 kCal/hr).

PEAT International designs advanced waste to energy & industrial waste treatment plants. PEAT’s industrial waste treatment plants converts refinery waste into energy and other useful end products.