BioGold aims to produce high-grade
biodiesel and other types of energy from municipal solid waste ("MSW")
and other suitable types of waste. BioGold’s strategy to achieve this
objective is centered on utilizing modular, MSW feedstock preparation
technology in combination with a modular, feedstock to diesel or
synthetic gas technology. To this end, BioGold approach takes advantage
of two key technological components, a proprietary, in-licensed
autoclave vessel for processing MSW and a unique system for processing
organic materials into synthetic fuels.
The MSW AUTOCLAVE Technology
The key to value extraction from MSW
is the ability to efficiently separate MSW into discreet components. The
proprietary in-licensed autoclave vessel, which has a working capacity
of approximately 9 short tons per batch, creates a highly-controlled
environment for the MSW that enables BioGold to achieve the following:
First, the paper and packaging products (cellulosics) are
consistently reduced in size to yield a homogenous fiber feedstock
the size of pre-cooked oatmeal flakes, permiting the separation of
cellulose material from the other organic material and inorganic
material by simple mechanical screening.
Second, the screened cellulosic material will contain some small
inorganic matter, but a unique element of the post-processing
technology will remove these inorganic materials leaving the
cellulose ready for processing by a selected renewable fuel
technology or other fuel source.
Third, the oversized material harvested from screening contains
ferrous and non-ferrous metals, plastics, textiles, and other large
discards. The ferrous material is removed using magnetic separation,
and the non-ferrous (e.g., aluminum) is removed using eddy current
separation. This leaves plastics bottles and films as well as
textiles, wood, etc. ready to be ground to -1/2" for feedstock to
either gasifier or catalytic de-polymerization technology. Prior to
grinding, heavy material will be removed by air density separation
techniques.
Fourth, in addition to the size reduction/separation capability
provided by autoclaving, the autoclave technology in-licensed by
BioGold removes volatile organic compounds from the waste and
renders them harmless by using a proprietary method of co-combustion
with natural gas to provide process steam for powering the
autoclaves. No noxious, regulated air emissions escape from the
process.
Fifth, the unique environment created by the autoclave vessel
completely sterilizes the MSW and destroys any and all pathogens
inherent in the incoming material.
The BGF CDP Fuels Technology
Our second key technological
component, a process referred to as catalytic depolymerization (CDP), is
a system for processing organic materials into synthetic fuel. CDP
consists of an internal reaction chamber where organic material is
depolymerized (or broken down into constituent parts). The CDP system
includes additional peripheral components and diesel storage capacity as
well. Because the autoclave technology efficiently creates cellulosic
biomass of a particular particle size from the MSW (plus size-reduced
hard organic fractions), chemical reaction time in the CDP unit is
significantly decreased compared to the required time for reaction in
other traditional processes. The catalytic reaction produced by mixing
the processed feedstock with a proprietary catalyst inside the primary
reaction chamber produces an synthetic diesel fuel, containing qualities
superior to petro-diesel, at production rates and qualities not
previously achievable by alternative waste-to-fuel technologies. We
estimate that these two technologies, when combined into one plant for
producing a renewable synthetic diesel fuel, create "state of the art"
in the alternative fuel category.
