Green project with low emission
The low emission values (50% of the European Union’s new standard) make it possible for all type of investors to classify the Gartena plant as a “green project”.
Benefits
The Gartena technology provides many, many benefits of which the following might be the most significant:
Financially viable
Higher energy efficiency which makes the Gartena waste-to-energy projects more financially viable.
Positive media coverage
Lowest pollution levels significantly exceeding the EU standards which not only is critical for the environment, but also allows for wider range of financing solutions and is likely to attract positive media coverage.
No need ash landfills
Much reduced and cleaner secondary waste in the form of clean ash which eliminates the need for ash landfills which used to be required for waste-to-energy projects.
Burn a wide range of waste
Ability to burn a wide range of waste including medical and other waste material that are normally not permitted in waste-to-energy plants.
Why us
Through its patented Rotating Kiln and After-Burner process the effectiveness of the plant makes the project’s financial performance very attractive to investors. The low emission values (50% of the European Union’s new standard) make it possible for all type of investors to classify the Gartena plant as a “green project”. It will be an IMF requirement for funding of fossil fuel projects that they meet or exceeds these pollution requirements.
Due to the effectiveness of the plant’s financial performance it can operate very competitive fees thereby eliminating a political and practical road block.
Benefits of technical characteristics
Higher Operating Temperature
The Rotating Kiln and After Burners technology enables the Gartena plant to operate at exceptionally high temperatures of 1,200 centigrade. Virtually every alternative W2E facility has a typical kiln incineration temperature of 900-950 centigrade.
Exceptionally Low Emmission Levels
Gartena’s higher operating temperature permanently splits the toxins in the resultant gases, which are inherent in all waste. Dangerous dioxins are thereby split and rendered harmless. Critically, the resultant flue gasses released into the air, via the chimney stack, have world-beating, exceptionally low emission levels……far, far exceeding those stipulated by the European Union. Unlike other W2E facilities, a Gartena plant will not pollute the surrounding neighbourhoods.
Minimal Ash Residue
At a temperature of 1,200C, the energy extracted from each tonne of waste is maximised. Most competing systems ‘leave behind’ around 25% of the waste as ash. By contrast, Gartena has a 3% ash residual. Consequently more waste is converted into electricity output, making the financial viability of a Gartena plant significantly superior to its competitors.
All Waste Is Incinerated
In existing W2E facilities all municipal waste has to be carefully and systematically sorted into potentially recyclable materials before it can be burned. This is time consuming and leads to high levels of the extracted material being sent to landfill. A Gartena plant eliminates this problem: after metal extraction all the remaining waste can be incinerated. This includes all plastics, tyres, industrial oil residue, toxic waste, etc., which are all converted into electricity. It is important to note that plastic recycling is largely a myth, with only approximately 10% of current plastics being capable of recycling, while the remaining 90% is returned to landfill.
Recycle wide range of waste
Tyres
Car-tyre disposal is a gigantic and growing problem in the world. Gartena can solve this problem and turn it into valuable electrical energy.
Medical Waste Solution
Unique to Gartena, is the ability to completely incinerate so-called ‘medical waste’, which almost invariably is highly toxic and exceptionally dangerous. The high temperature within the Rotating Kiln and the two step Afterburning Chamber completely eliminates all medical waste. Under normal procedures, medical waste is sent to landfill, where inevitably it languishes forever with all the consequent problems of potentially catastrophic leakage into the water table. It is also the most problematical and expensive stream of waste for hospitals and municipalities to satisfactorily deal with. Gartena has the only W2E technology that solves this problem and converts exceptionally hazardous materials into valuable energy.
Landfill Wet Waste Solved
Gartena has another unique attribute which distinguishes it from its competitors: because of its operating temperature it can burn so-called ‘wet waste’ from existing landfill. Current W2E systems around the world require the landfill waste to be dug up and stored for a considerable period before it dries out and becomes available to be processed. Gartena can immediately utilise landfill waste without this requirement for drying-out, thereby speeding up the return of landfill to productive use and economic value.
High coefficient of performance
Municipal Heating and Cooling
The high temperature of the exit gases in a Gartena plant provide a further source of energy which can be applied to a municipal heating system (home or business heating), or where appropriate a municipal cooling system (air conditioning). The generated steam is converted into high temperature water and transmitted via pipes to the houses and businesses for heating or cooling. To benefit from this each building or house would install a unit to deliver cooling or heating. The catchment area of this system can be very considerable as the temperature of the water leaving the plant only drops by 1 degree centigrade every 10 kilometers.
Pure Drinking Water
Superior Electricity Output
Integrated Waste Management Solution
Gartena sees municipal waste management as a fully integrated process requiring a comprehensive solution to household, industrial and medical waste. This includes the careful evaluation of waste collection and waste transportation. Integral to this is the introduction of so-called ‘compacting stations’ where waste is pre-sorted (focused only on the extraction of large metal objects) and compressed into blocks (containers) before it is transported to the Gartena plant. This considerably minimises vehicle movements around the site, removes unsightly rubbish being transported through the streets, and delivers ready-to-burn blocks (material) of waste.
Medical waste is managed separately and is delivered to the plant under strict protocols to eliminate any cross contamination.
Green Education Programme
Finally, Gartena is also a strong advocate of leading an education programme for the local population which emphasises the advantages of supporting a Green Environment where – with everyone’s support and encouragement – a properly managed waste system can be seen not as a problem and blight on the local environment, but as an opportunity to create electricity, pure water, heating, air conditioning and an enhanced way of life.