Cooperation Secures Plastic Waste for Fuel Production

Norwegian companies Quantafuel and Geminor have entered a cooperation agreement to secure deliveries of plastic waste to Quantafuel’s plants for fuel production.

Since 2007 energy firm Quantafuel AS has developed and tested its own patented catalyst solution that converts plastic waste into low emission fuels and products for the petrochemical industry, a press release said. The Norwegian company had previously opened a test production facility in Mexico, and in the third quarter of 2019 the first Scandinavian plant, located in Skive in Denmark, would be ready for production of diesel. “The new cooperation sees Geminor as a main supplier ensuring that the optimal volume and quality of plastic waste is delivered to Quantafuel’s plants.”

Plastic becomes fuel

Geminor is an international recycling company focusing on refuse-derived fuel (RDF), solid recovered fuel (SRF), recycled waste wood, hazardous waste for energy recovery and paper & cardboard, plastic and other types of waste for material recycling in the North-European market. According to the information, it has logistic hubs and offices in Scandinavia, Finland, UK and Germany, handles more than 1.4 million tons of feedstock every year and holds contracts with more than 80 waste-to-energy and recycling facilities.

As reported, Quantafuel has developed a technology in which it produces chemicals from plastic. These chemicals could be used to make new plastics. “Every year, Europe has to get rid of millions of tons of plastic waste, so the access to plastic is enormous. Our challenge is to provide a steady supply of high-quality, non-recyclable plastic waste so that the production volume is satisfactory and the end product is of good quality,” Chief Commercial Officer of Quantafuel, Thomas Steenbuch Tharaldsen, is quoted. “It is important for us to have international access to good plastic material, and in this respect, Geminor becomes an important partner.”

The company’s production plant in Skive, which will be the first of several facilities in Europe, will convert up to 20,000 tons of plastic waste into chemical products annually. It is planned, that the capacity over the next few years will be increased to around 60,000 tons. Quantafuel’s goal is to establish several production facilities in Europe, in places and in countries that adapt tax incentives and waste policies to environmental goals and provide the basis for the introduction of innovations to combat growing waste volumes.

www.geminor.no/en, www.quantafuel.com

Photo: Geminor

(GR 22019, Page 39)