Startech Plasma Converter System in $15M Joint Venture Project in China
30 March 2006
Startech Environmental Corporation’s Chinese distributor, GlobalTech Environmental Incorporated (GlobalTech), has signed a $15 million joint venture contract with the Liaoning Academy of Environmental Sciences for the establishment of the Liaoning GlobalTech Hazardous Waste Processing Facility Co. Ltd. using the Startech Plasma Converter System.
The 20,000 pound-per-day Startech System—the first in China—will process industrial hazardous waste including PCBs.
Startech’s Plasma Converter System contains a plasma field that reaches temperatures up to 30,000º C. The plasma breaks down feedstock materials—such as waste coal, used tires, wood wastes, raw sewage, municipal solid wastes, biomass, discarded roofing shingles, coal waste known as culm, discarded corn stalks, and other agricultural by-products—to their core elements.
The resulting Plasma Converted Gas can be used for power generation or as the input for a Fischer-Tropsch process or for the production of hydrogen. (Earlier post.)
In October 2005, Startech announced that GlobalTech, with offices in Shanghai, Beijing and Changzhou was appointed its exclusive distributor for the Peoples Republic of China.
Earlier in March,Future Fuels, Inc. (FFI) and Startech entered into a mutually exclusive global strategic alliance agreement through which FFI will use Startech’s Plasma Converter System to transform feedstock materials such as used tires, municipal solid waste and biomass into ethanol. (Earlier post.)
I like Startech and their plasma converter but.....
SUCKERS!
Countless companies have sent products and technologies to China only to have them copied without royalties. This as in cell phone tech is often done with goverment cooperation. Buy one, steal the rest. The Chineese government does not enforce US patents in China.
Posted by: Hampden Wireless | 30 March 2006 at 07:33 AM
Hampden -
no country enforces a foreign patent in its own territory. China's courts are getting better at enforcing Chinese patents - not perfect yet by any stretch but improving. If you go into China, the first thing you need to do is apply for local patents for all your IP.
Besides, the US is the only country in the world that awards patents based on documentation of the date on which an idea was first formulated. Everywhere else, the patent goes to the first party that files for protection.
Posted by: Rafael Seidl | 30 March 2006 at 08:21 AM
Let me see, a 10 ton/d facility, a pilot scale system, at best. What is the excitement about?
At 30,000°C there is bound to be a lot of heat lost to the surroundings, no matter what you do. So expect to see low efficiencies.
If you are going to convert hazardous waste to fuel, why not use TDP (sorry, TCP) or gasification F/T?
Posted by: An Engineer | 30 March 2006 at 09:53 AM
An Engineer,
StarTech should focus primarily on waste that is expensive to deal with, like the piles of used needles and other hazardous hospital waste. They talk about using their waste gas as a fuel, but I think their system is only cost effective if somebody is will to pay you a fair bit to dispose of their waste.
so, 10ton/day isn't necessary or practical.
Posted by: Shaun | 30 March 2006 at 10:16 PM
Shaun,
Expensive to deal with or not, Gasification Fischer-Tropsch can be used to convert waste plastic to fuel. At far lower temperatures than 30,000°C. TDP claims to be able to convert "anything" (anything containing carbon that is) to oil. Agian, way below 30,000°C.
So my point is, why use Plasmatech's expensive technology, when you can just dump the hazardous waste into the feedstock of G/F-T or TDP? Even at the lower temperatures, both technologies will destroy all invective agents (TDP is claiming, correctly I believe, they can destroy prions).
BTW, 20,000 lb/d (see the article) = 10 t/d.
Posted by: An Engineer | 31 March 2006 at 10:17 AM
Hello my interest is in the posibility of stating a biomass plant utilizing plasma gasification on a micro scale. I am from Wichita Kansas and would greatly like to serve Asia in fullfilling there needs. Perhaps you may help me obtaining direct "how to" establish this goal. If I am successful I can gain the funds needed to rapidly increase production in America and sort how I may support China and India, I thank you.
Robert
Posted by: Robert A Berger | 19 May 2006 at 10:58 AM
Hi,
I am currently reading about plasma converter technology and i notice that the amount of rubbish burnt a day is much less compared to incinerator plants.May I know if it is because the plant is operated at a small scale or the nature of such technology only allow for small quantities. Moreover, I took got this from a website "A Startech machine that costs roughly $250 million could handle 2,000 tons of waste daily" from http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2007-03/prophet-garbage?page=1
But from this article, the amount burnt is very little compared to this. Do most plasma converters in the states burn that much?
Posted by: Aaron | 27 September 2008 at 09:37 AM