InEnTec LLC (www.inentec.com) and Lakeside Energy LLC (www.lakesideenergy.com) have announced a new partnership to facilitate construction of commercial-scale Plasma Enhanced Melter (PEM) gasification facilities that will convert hazardous waste and chemical residuals into useful chemical products. Under the terms of the agreement, Lakeside Energy will provide all project equity and working capital requirements for InEnTec Chemical LLC, a newly formed entity, to build its business.
Lakeside Energy is providing the equity to be used for working capital and financing of a PEM facility currently being developed for Dow Corning Corp. (www.dowcorning.com) According to Lakeside’s CEO, William Johnson, “We currently expect to invest up to $150 million of equity to help support the growth of InEnTec Chemical. We are enthusiastic about the business opportunities ahead.” Lakeside Energy, a Chicago-based company that invests in power generation and related renewable energy businesses, has the funding commitment to develop this technology platform into a $1-billion enterprise. Lakeside Energy is backed with funding from American Securities, a New York-based private equity firm.
“Chemical process industries [CPI] are recognizing the value of sustainability strategies and are seeking technologies that can minimize their environmental footprint and recover value from their waste streams that historically have been a cost burden to them,” said Johnson. “The paradigm shift from disposal of chemical wastes to their sustainable reuse as a chemical feedstock with InEnTec PEM technology represents a major breakthrough for chemical companies.”
The first commercial PEM chemical-waste-conversion plant in North America for InEnTec Chemical will be located at Dow Corning’s Midland, Michigan facility. Dow Corning signed a 10-yr contract with InEnTec to convert chlorinated organic residuals into aqueous hydrogen chloride (HCl) and clean synthesis gas. Both products will be reused by Dow Corning in its Midland operations. The plant is expected to produce more than 10-million lb/yr of HCl and 11-million BTU/h of syngas. Construction of the plant will begin in the 4th Q of 2008. The plant will be operated for InEnTec Chemical by Veolia Environmental Services (www.VeoliaES.com) Technical Solutions, a subsidiary of Veolia Environment.
The syngas produced at these facilities can be used for its energy value or converted into commodity products, such as hydrogen, which can serve as feedstock needed for the production of a wide variety of chemicals. These feedstocks would otherwise be derived from nonrenewable natural gas or petroleum.
In 2003, Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) in Japan purchased an InEnTec system that it has used to demonstrate the destruction of PCBs and asbestos. Today, KHI is pursuing large-scale commercial projects using the PEM technology. Global Plasma Corp. has operated a PEM system in Taiwan for more than three years, converting medical and industrial waste into synthesis gas, which it uses to generate clean electric power.
InEnTec Chemical has previously announced plans to build a second plant in the southeast region of the U.S. that will serve some of the world’s leading chemical manufacturers. That plant will also be operated by Veolia ES Technical Solutions with construction expected to begin in late 2009.