[Gasification] DOE's demonstration gasification project history

[Tom Miles]

> I'm looking for a gasification system that will use 4.5 ton of Olive
> waste per Day for generating electricity
> 
> So far no luck. Why? What is stopping the industry from having such a
> product?
> 
> Ron

Ron,

It depends on what the olive waste is. If it is pits that have high sodium
then it is a difficult fuel to burn or gasify. If it is chipped or chunked
prunings then it should work in a gasifier if it is sized properly. 

4.5 tpd of dry waste would be about 375 lb/hr which at 3 lb/kWh should
generate about 125 kW. If it is clean and can be chipped or chunked then it
can probably be gasified in a downdraft. If it is dirty then it needs to be
gasified in an updraft fixed or fluidized bed. I don't know of a fixed or
fluidized bed system commercially available that is that small. 

There are companies in the "Gasifiers for Small Power Generation" list
http://gasifiers.bioenergylists.org/gassupply that can deliver a system for
chips or chunks. Costs of current projects have ranged from $4,000 to
$10,000/kW. Successful projects have been for demonstration or where
electricity is $0.28-$0.30/kWh for projects of this kind, as in the UK or
Germany, for example.

Bear in mind that the "industry" is mostly made up of many small
manufacturing and development companies that have only built one or a few
gasifiers. They do not have the capital to develop systems without a
customer or patron.   

Tom