AFC Energy Regulatory News (AFC)

29 Oct 2009 07:00



AFC Energy PLC

('AFC Energy' or the 'Company')

AFC Energy's Waste to Energy partner appointed by Alter NRG Westinghouse

AFC Energy, the low-cost alkali fuel cell company, is pleased to announce that its partner Waste2Tricity has made the following press release this morning. AFC Energy has an agreement with Waste2Tricity Ltd to supply AFC fuel cells for integration into its system for the conversion of Municipal Solid Waste ("MSW") to energy.

Alter NRG Westinghouse appoints Waste2Tricity Ltd

as exclusive representative for its energy from waste plasma gasification system

London, 29 October 2009 - Waste2Tricity has been appointed by Alter NRG, the owner of Westinghouse Plasma Corp., as its exclusive UK sales representative for its plasma assisted gasification technology. The agreement covers all energy recovery from waste applications including the conversion into electricity of various forms of waste including municipal solid waste (MSW) as well as commercial and industrial, hazardous, agricultural, construction and demolition waste. 

Westinghouse Plasma Corp's technology is used in the world's only commercial reference plant that converts MSW into electricity using plasma gasification. Westinghouse Plasma Corp, considered to be the world leader in plasma gasification, and Hitachi Metals collaborated to design the facility which was commissioned in 2003 and continues to operate today. Plasma torches supplied by Westinghouse Plasma Corp have a history of more than 500,000 operating hours at facilities around the world.

Earlier this year, Alter NRG signed a Joint Development Agreement with Air Products, which gives Air Products the right to license and incorporate Alter NRG's proprietary Westinghouse plasma gasification technology for use in renewable energy projects in Europe and North America. 

Waste2Tricity's agreements with Alter NRG, and its exclusive rights to new generation alkaline fuels cells under development by AFC Energy plc, provide Waste2Tricity with a distinct advantage in the UK market. AFC Energy is an innovative producer of low-cost new generation fuel cells targeting waste hydrogen in commercial applications. AFC's fuel cell system has successfully completed initial field trials at AkzoNobel's chlor-alkali plant in Bitterfeld, Germany. Alter NRG's technology is ideal for producing a hydrogen stream, from waste and other low value feedstocks, which is suitable as fuel for AFC's technology.

Peter Jones, director of Waste2Tricity says: "Our appointment by Alter NRG Westinghouse as its independent UK sales representative is a great achievement. Waste2Tricity is in discussion with a number of potential end users and believes that key players in the waste industry recognise plasma gasification as a commercially attractive alternative to traditional incineration, maximising energy gains from diverting landfill material and minimising environmental impact.

"We believe that the combination of Alter NRG's plasma technology and the AFC Energy fuel cell will give Waste2Tricity the most commercially attractive model available in the market for generating electricity and will ensure that Waste2tricity becomes the market leader."

Kevin Willerton, Vice President of Strategic Alliances and Business Development at Alter NRG Westinghouse, adds: "Working with Waste2Tricity is a logical fit due to the close synergies between the two companies. Alter NRG's technology can lead to power through applications such as combined cycle, steam cycle, or internal combustion engines. The syngas produced by our technology can also be used as fuel for the production of renewable ethanol and Waste2ricity will be looking to apply the technology for all these applications depending on customer requirements."

Waste2Tricity will work with clients to help them specify Alter NRG's commercially established plasma gasification technology to convert MSW and other feedstock into syngas. This syngas is then cleaned and used for energy generation or as a feedstock for other product production. During plasma gasification, carbon based feedstocks are exposed to high temperatures (5,000° Celsius plus) generated by plasma torches in an oxygen starved atmosphere. This causes the feedstock to break down into component molecules and form a syngas rich in carbon monoxide and hydrogen. 

Waste2Tricity calculates that an Alter NRG gasifier combined with internal combustion engine (ICE) generators would use 8k tonnes of feedstock per year per MW of generating capacity, compared with 10-12k tonnes of feedstock for a traditional incineration model. Waste2Tricity believes it will have the most efficient commercial model for generating renewable electricity from diverted landfill feedstock once AFC's low temperature alkaline fuel cell is available, with the capability of using only 5k tonnes of feedstock per year per MW of electrical generating capacity. A technology agnostic company, Waste2Tricity will advocate the use any power conversion technology including steam, ICE or gas turbine depending on customer's individual requirements for their sites.

Alter NRG Westinghouse and Waste2Tricity are working closely with strategic partners to secure the specification of plasma assisted gasification for plants capable of processing between 100k and 250k tonnes per annum of waste feedstocks including refuse derived fuels. While not the focus, plants smaller than 100k tonnes per annum may be considered. 

Other recent Alter NRG developments include an alliance agreement with Uhde Engineering Consulting (Shanghai) Co. Ltd under which Uhde Shanghai will provide engineering and marketing services and jointly pursue business opportunities in the Asia Pacific region, Mexico, Central America and South America using the Westinghouse Plasma Corp technology. Finally, Coskata Inc.is using Alter NRG's WPC plasma gasification pilot facility as the site for a cellulosic ethanol commercial demonstration project using Coskata's syngas to ethanol conversion technology.

-End-

About Waste2Tricity

Waste2Tricity is a new British venture established to implement the most efficient energy conversion process available, - by intending to implement a unique combination of new generation alkaline fuel cells with plasma gasification and other existing proven technologies. The system will therefore have significant environmental and cost benefits over other methods of electricity generation. For more information, visit Waste2Tricity at http://waste2tricity.com

Waste2Tricity contacts:

Claudia Kellermann/Sheila Gimson

Portfolio Communications Ltd.

Tel: 020 7240 6959

waste2tricity@portfoliocomms.com

About Alter NRG

Alter NRG is pursuing alternative energy solutions to meet the growing demand for environmentally responsible energy in world markets. The Company's vision is to commercialize growth technologies through environmentally sustainable and economically viable alternative energy projects. The Company's objectives are twofold; First, is to further commercialize the Westinghouse Plasma Gasification Technology, a wholly owned subsidiary, to provide renewable and clean energy solutions from a wide variety of feedstock's, and providing a wide variety of energy outputs - including liquid fuels like ethanol, power, and syngas; Second, to capitalize on the rapidly growing geoexchange residential and commercial heating and cooling market through a wholly owned subsidiary CleanEnergy that enables consumers to reduce their carbon footprint and reduce the cost and volatility of energy bills using the energy from the earth.

Alter NRG contacts:

Mark Montemurro, President and Chief Executive Officer  (403) 806-3877 mmontemurro@alternrg.ca 

Daniel Hay, Chief Financial Officer (403) 806-3881 dhay@alternrg.ca 

Dufferin County Contact:

Trevor Lewis, Director of Public Works 519-941-2816 (2601)

For further information on AFC Energy, please visit www.afcenergy.com or contact: