Fluidized bed gasification of a packaging derived fuel: energetic, environmental and economic performances comparison for waste-to-energy plants

A comparison of possible solutions for small scale (0.2–1 MWe) waste-to-energy gasification-based industrial application is presented. A pilot scale bubbling fluidized bed air blown gasifier, having a capacity of 500 kWe, provided experimental data: the syngas complete composition as well as the characterization of the bed material and contaminants downstream of the cyclone and wet scrubber. Mass and energy balances and material and substance flow analyses have been drawn to assess and compare design solutions utilizing a packaging derived fuel (PDF) obtained as scrap by food industrial processes. The related environmental, energetic and economic performances have been estimated on the basis of the experimental data and manufacturer’s specifications. In the scale range analyzed, the best solution is that of a power gasification coupled with an internal combustion engine, which provides high reliability and high internal rate of return.

► The industrial application of PDF-to-energy gasification-based between 200 kWe and 1 MWe has been investigated.
► The experimental data was obtained from a 500 kWe capacity bubbling fluidized bed air blown gasifier.
► A syngas optimized engine as generation device has been selected in a list of possible machineries.
► The economic performances comparison for three different solutions has been carried out by a homemade economic model.
► The combined heat and power is the solution that showed the best energetic and economic performances.