Toronto, ON, Feb. 11, 2014
News Release
Trial Results on Converting Marine Plastic Litter
into Useable Fuel
Toronto, ON – Feb 11, 2014 – The Canadian Plastics Industry Association (CPIA) is pleased to inform on the positive results of a trial where marine plastic litter was collected from the shorelines of Northern Vancouver Island in 2013 and then converted into a fuel using a Blest pyrolyser located in Whitehorse, Yukon. CPIA helped fund this trial that was organized by Upcycle the Gyres Society ( an organization working on solutions to marine litter.
The installation of the pyrolyser was supported by the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor), Yukon Research Centre and the centre for Cold Climate Innovation. The unit is housed at P&M Recycling and is being used to treat plastics collected in the City of Whitehorse.
Marine plastic litter is more difficult to recycle, however, the trial found that 99% of the marine litter collected for the trial was suitable and processed effectively in the pyrolyser. Of particular note was the fact that chlorine levels from the pyrolysis of marine plastics were similar to the land based materials. No corrosion of a copper plate was detected. The material was not affected by salt water. The results from the testing were essentially the same as those reported for land based plastics collected from the Whitehorse area (results summarized below).
The reports can be accessed by clicking on the following links:
Based on the results, CPIA is supporting UpGyres to do a feasibility study for collection for conversion to fuel in remote communities all along the West Coast of Canada, as part of CPIA’s continued efforts in Canada to reduce marine litter. “The Canadian plastics industry has a dozen projects complete or in progress to further recycling and recovery opportunities to reduce plastics entering the marine environment. We invite all Canadians to visit to learn more about the plastics industry initiatives for the protection of our seas and oceans”, says Cathy Cirko, Vice President CPIA.
Highlights of the test results for plastics converted into fuel – Blest Pyrolyser, Whitehorse:
Energy: It is reported that the energy required to process one kg of plastic is 1 kiloWatt hour (kWh). 1kg of plastic yields 1 litre of oil.
Cost: The operating cost depends on the through put of the unit. At 20kg/hr the cost is Cdn. $0.99/litre; at 50kg/hr the cost drops to $0.52/litre and at 150kg/hr the cost is $0.31/litre. The local cost of diesel fuel is $1.20/litre.
Testing of the product:
Off Gas Testing: This was carried out at JFE Techno Research in Japan using mass spectrometry and gas chromatography analysing samples taken from a unit identical to the unit in the Yukon. CO2 was 186gm/kg plastic. Methane, 10ppm. No NOX from combustion.
Fuel testing: This was carried out by Polaris Labs. in Calgary. There was no corrosion of a copper plate using ASTM methods. The pour point of the oil was -9 to-12 C. The flash point was 52 degrees C which is identical to standard diesel fuel. Sulphur ranged from 7 – 12 ppm which was acceptable.
Volatiles in the fuel and in the char: The testing was conducted by CH2M Hill in CorvallisOregon. A search for a wide assortment of organic chemicals was conducted (see the report) none were detected.
Engine testing: The fuel was tested on an engine driven generator. The emissions were similar or lower than regular diesel.
The report goes on to compare the energy to recycle plastics captured in the Yukon and shipped to a southern recycling operation with the energy to pyrolyse the material directly in the Yukon and displace imported diesel fuel. Recycling is said to consume “12,143btu/kg”. 2/3 of this is for transportation. 9136btu/kg” is used to convert plastics to oil in situ. The CO2 emissions are 3.5kg/kg for recycling due to transportation and 0.186kg/kg for pyrolysis.
With diesel fuel priced at $1.20/litre simple return on investment was calculated. This of course will vary with the size of the community (based on 58kg of plastic per capita per year, residential and IC&I included). The payback takes a year for a community of 20,000 (Whitehorse 28,000) to 21 years for a village of 200 people.
For More Information:
Darlene Gray
Canadian Plastics Industry Association
905.678.7748 ext. 239