Synthesis Energy Systems enters development agreement for the conversion of several types of waste into chemicals.
Synthesis Energy Systems Inc. (SES), Houston, has entered into an agreement with an undisclosed U.S.-based company to study the feasibility and optimal uses of SES' gasification technology to produce “green” chemicals.
The agreement calls for SES to lead an engineering study, commissioned and funded by the undisclosed U.S. company, that will define an optimal use of potential feedstock combinations that may include used tires, auto shredder residue and refuse-derived fuel. End markets could include chemicals such as methanol and methanol derivatives.
Assisting SES in the study will be Irving, Texas-based Fluor Enterprises, an engineering, procurement, maintenance and construction company. The study is expected to take four months. Following completion of the study, SES hopes to advance the next steps with its unnamed partner.
“We believe that our technology offers the ability to cleanly use these waste and landfill materials in an environmentally responsible way to produce a variety of high value products,” says Robert Rigdon, president and CEO of SES. “Through our development efforts with potential U.S. partners last year we believe production of chemicals from these materials can provide a unique and economically attractive ‘green chemical’ solution. Such an approach offers an avenue for reduction in the carbon footprint of many of the chemical derived products we use every day.”
Adds Rigdon, “Together with Fluor, we plan to use our in-house expertise, intellectual property, and operations experience and to complete the study, which we are hopeful, could form the basis of a technology, equipment and services supply business to meet this growing need.”
SES provides technology, equipment and engineering services for the conversion of some types of coal and biomass feedstocks into energy and chemical products.