TEST P3

<p dir="ltr">UK-based Standard Gas Technologies (SGT) has opened its doors to EWB to showcase its pyrolysis and carbon capturing technology at its development facility in Norfolk.</p><p dir="ltr">The company, which initially developed its technology in Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire, has been scaling up the concept at a business park a few miles north of Norfolk.</p><p dir="ltr">Standard Gas’s technical director Laurence Sharrock, speaking to EWB at the site, explained the company’s SG100 technology has been developed in tandem with engineering designer, Swift Technology, at a 9,000m2 facility at the Scottow Enterprise Park and is on target for construction to be “complete in a few weeks”.</p><p dir="ltr">The facility itself, which looked close to be almost complete when EWB visited, is expected to process up to six tonnes an hour of waste or about 48,000 tonnes a year. </p><p dir="ltr">The company describes its SG100 as “advanced thermal cracking technology” , which can take a variety of potential feedstock and produce a form of syngas and biochar, which captures and removes carbon. </p><p dir="ltr">As you approach the site the lack of stack is also quite noticeable and that is because, as Sharrock explains, the system “doesn’t burn waste, so the process has no problematic emissions”.</p><p dir="ltr">Standard Gas has also focused, explained Sharrock, on making its syngas tar free and has secured End of Waste certification from the Environment Agency (EA).</p><p dir="ltr">The gas itself can be used for electricity generation, turned into biomethane, chemicals feedstock and even when combined with electrolysis generate hydrogen, depending on the demands of the market. </p><p dir="ltr">Currently, Sharrock explained there was interest from a wide range of industry sectors, especially given increased interest in biomethane production following Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine last year.</p><p dir="ltr">Sharrock, who also said the company is in talks with waste suppliers and the wider energy-from-waste sector, further explained the facility was able to process a wide stream of feedstock, including sewage sludge and medical waste. </p><p dir="ltr">The process also produces a carbon-trapping “char”, which the company says has the potential to be used as a carbon-removing aggregate in cement and concrete. As part of an INNOVATE UK-funded project, Standard Gas is working with cement and concrete producers to test this option. </p><p dir="ltr">At the time of writing the company was about to apply for the relevant consent in order to test run the facility with the aim of demonstrating it can achieve up to 720 hours of run time, which would allow it to take the planned 48,000t/yr total. </p><p dir="ltr">The 720hr total is key for the project as insurance giant Munich Re have indicated they are prepared to cover development of Standard Gas’s future projects once this milestone has been achieved. </p><p dir="ltr">Once that is in place Sharrock says the company would be “almost” able to support an EPC wrap contract for businesses taking on the delivery of the facilities. </p><p dir="ltr">Sharrock has a personal target to deliver 25 of the facilities and hopes to have a number of projects in “various stages of development” over the next five years. </p><p dir="ltr">The company, also earlier this month, confirmed the appointment of Morgan Stanley, as its financial advisor as it continues work to secure the capital required to develop more of the facilities. </p><p dir="ltr">The current site has capacity to produce up to six of the SG100 systems a year with the company also in talks with another EU-based constructor where a further 12 could also be produced annually. </p><p dir="ltr">While each SGT unit can process 48,000t/yr, the system is scalable and can work with one, two, three or more units on the same site, greatly increasing the potential waste-processing capacity.</p>