Commercializing A New Approach
Fiberight has developed a Targeted Fuel Extraction (TFE) process to cost effectively convert municipal solid waste ( MSW )into cellulosic biofuel, plant energy and marketable electricity with maximal conversion efficiency focused on individual elements of the waste stream. Fiberight’s TFE process recognizes that sold waste is neither homogeneous nor fully convertible to energy. Fiberight has developed a remarkably innovative system that bifurcates organic and inorganic wastes and converts them according to type. Fiberight’s TFE process separates, cleans and processes organic and hydrocarbon fractions then converts the organic fraction into cellulosic biofuel, the hydrocarbon fraction into plant energy and electricity, and the inert fraction into recyclables or beneficial products. Novel technologies such as enzyme recycling and cellulosic sugar concentration have been developed to control costs and the company has tested these processes on a commercial scale. During 2009, Fiberight achieved high yield conversion factors at its Lawrenceville, VA pilot plant due to recent evolution of the robust enzyme catalysts used in strategic partnership with technical partner, Novozymes. Fiberight is now able to forecast, with extensive data back-up, its ability to produce cellulosic ethanol in a commercially viable process.
It is the understanding of the different compositions of materials contained in the nation’s MSW, and the ability to focus optimized processes for their conversion without creating dangerous emissions or effluents, that differentiates Fiberight’s technology from other less efficient thermal or chemical waste to energy projects. Most importantly, the technology platform has been tested at an industrial scale, all the way through finished transportation grade fuel; making Fiberight one of the first companies in the US to achieve this important milestone.
Fiberight Key Process
- Pre-sort & primary pulping removes unsuitable waste materials to optimize process
- Separates organic from inorganic components for efficient conversion to biofuel and credit qualification
- Creates clean high BTU plastics stream for process energy – system requires minimal external energy inputs
- Wash stage for quality fractionation & ash removal
- Continuous fed batch – high solids loading for cellulosic sugar concentration
- Dirty vs. clean stage for water treatment
- Cellular disruption for yield maximization combined with sterilization stage
- Sterility management in enzymatic digestion & fermentation
- Secondary wash to overcome glucose inhibition & glucose losses
- Enzyme recovery enables high enzyme dosing and yield improvement while controlling cost
- Glucose concentration step improves ethanol yield & energy balance while obviating “stuck” fermentations
- By products for beneficial sale or energy production – plastic fraction ideal for energy