Interview with Paul E4 Mar 2026 10:01
The environmental problems created by waste, especially waste that currently has to go to landfill, continues to be a significant issue. And while waste-to-energy technologies such as circulating f luidised bed boilers can handle most waste products, waste companies and local councils who do recycling have no options for high calorific value plastic products, other than sending them to landfill. However, a process patented by PowerHouse Energy (PHE) looks set to help tackle the problem. After several years of development and pilot scale demonstration, the company’s DMG (Distributed Modular Gasification) technology has finally reached a significant milestone with the signing of an agreement to lease a site to host what is expected to be the first commercial plant of a significant size. Commenting on the technology’s niche, Paul Emmitt, PHE’s CEO, said: “The push is the reduction of waste, generally. Our sell is, we allow you to generate electricity from something that was just going to be buried. There are big energy-fromwaste incinerators, but our system is set up to be distributed energy, so the unit is around 40 tonnes/day of waste. That’s designed to suit a municipality. So, we aren’t competing against the recyclers or the incinerators; what we want is that piece in the middle that’s still going into the ground. And surprisingly, there’s still a hell of a lot going into the ground.” Emmitt: The real push going forward is letting people know the technology is not a one trick pony In February this year, PHE announced that it secured a 25-year lease for a 1.98 acre serviced site at Silverwood Business Park, Ballymena, Northern Ireland and that it has submitted a full planning application to the Mid and East Antrim County Council. The facility is intended to take 40 t/day of waste destined for landfill and convert it into 99.999 per cent pure hydrogen for a variety of uses, including transport. Negotiations are already taking place on feedstock and offtake agreements. Emmitt said: “This is a major step forward for the company. Ballymena is set to become the hydrogen hub of Northern Ireland, with the organisations including Wrightbus, Translink and the Mid and East Antrim Borough Council all focused on developing the hydrogen economy in Northern Ireland.” According to PHE, its technology is capable of eliminating waste, including plastic waste and used tyres with high levels of energy recovery, while producing hydrogen and/or electric power. With the capacity to export around 3.5 MW from 40 t/day of non-recyclable plastic, Emmitt sees it as an excellent solution for local councils.