Ze-gen reports consistent high-quality syngas production
By Timothy Charles Holmseth
Preliminary data indicates Ze-gen Inc. is consistently producing synthesis gas with a combined carbon monoxide and hydrogen content exceeding 70 percent. The data was provided by Ze-gen Senior Vice President Scott Fraser during a presentation at the 16th Annual North American Waste-to-Energy Conference in Philadelphia in May.
The presentation, Update on Ze-gen's Proof of Concept Gasification Plant, consisted of data gathered at the company's demonstration facility in New Bedford, Mass.
Ze-gen said the high quality synthesis gas is suitable for a variety of renewable energy uses and can replace natural gas or residual oil for industrial burner use such as in boilers. It can also be used to generate renewable electricity and because it's of high quality could be processed into liquid fuels such as biodiesel.
"Our positive test results are arriving at a time when fossil fuel prices are reaching historical record levels, and this offers one more renewable energy source to meet the energy requirements of the country," said Bill Davis, president and chief executive officer of Ze-gen.
"Our first commercial facility will be what we call a burner tip modification project, meaning that we will replace residual oil or natural gas at an existing cogeneration facility," said Megan Feldt, a spokeswoman for Ze-gen. "The synthesis gas we're producing is a great substitute for either of those fossil fuels. Down the road we will pursue stand-alone power plants and the liquid fuels market."
Feldt said the two waste streams that produced the synthesis gas results were clean wood pellets and a mixture consisting of construction and demolition residual wood waste and clean wood pellets. "For a variety of reasons unrelated to our technology, we are starting with wood waste streams," she said. "We have plans to test other waste streams, including tires, agricultural waste, and other municipal waste streams within the next 6 months."
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