The Federation of Recycling Companies (Federec) and GRTgaz have signed a strategic partnership aimed at developing the pyrogasification of solid recovered fuels (CSR). This promising process could transform this non-recyclable waste into renewable, low-carbon gas.
An alternative to traditional sectors
Solid recovered fuels (SRFs) come from fractions of non-hazardous solid waste that cannot be recycled. Until now, this waste was mainly disposed of by incineration or landfilling. With pyrogasification, a new way is opening up to convert them into energy. This process consists of heating these residues (non-recyclable plastics, used wood, etc.) at high temperature (between 800 and 1,500°C) in an oxygen-poor environment, to produce a gas that can be injected into existing networks.
According to the Ecological Transition Agency (ADEME), pyrogasification could, by 2050, represent up to 30% of the gas energy mix in France, depending on the decarbonization scenarios studied. It could also make it possible to produce 36 TWh of thermal energy and biogas from 2030, the equivalent of 8% of national natural gas consumption in 2021.
Outlets still limited
Despite this potential, the CSR sector currently suffers from insufficient outlets. In 2023, companies in the sector will only produce 510,000 tonnes of CSR, or only 20% of installed capacity. This deficit slows down the structuring of a sustainable model for the sector. “Energy recovery from CSR through historical sectors is not enough,” recalls Federec.
The partnership with GRTgaz aims to respond to this problem. By producing technical and economic data on pyrogasification, the two entities hope to demonstrate the viability of this solution to replace fossil fuels.
The main manager of the natural gas transport network in France, GRTGAZ supports CNG and bioCNG station project leaders.
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