Page 32 - Plastics News May 2021

internAtionAL news

Waste4Future" paves new ways Pentagon exploring waste-

for plastics recycling in Germany to-energy technology for
development

sustainable society with climate-neutral processes
A requires significant adjustments in the value chains,
which are only possible through innovations. Seven h e Army C orps of
Fraunhofer Institutes are pooling their expertise in TE ng ineer s r ecentl y
the lighthouse project "Waste4Future" to develop new awarded Tennessee-based
solutions for this goal, from the raw material base to startup Enexor BioEnergy a
material flows and process engineering right to the end of contract on behalf of the
a product's life cycle. In particular, they want to increase Navy to convert the service’s
energy and resource efficiency in the use of plastics and waste into renewable energy.
thus pave the way for a chemical industry that requires The $125,000 contract was
fewer fossil raw materials and produces fewer emissions. awarded in March and will
The "Waste4Future" lighthouse project aims to create focus on converting things
new opportunities for recycling plastics in order to make like paper, plastic, food and
the carbon they contain available as a "green" resource other organic materials into clean power and
for the chemical industry. "We are thus paving the way thermal energy. As part of this contract, Enexor
for a carbon circular economy in which valuable new base will demonstrate how it can successfully convert
molecules are obtained from plastic waste and emissions representative waste streams, covering all naval
are largely avoided: Today's waste becomes tomorrow's installations and vessels, into clean power and thermal
resource," says Dr.-Ing. Sylvia Schattauer, deputy director energy. The energy will be used to power Enexor’s
of the Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials manufacturing facility in Franklin with the ultimate
and Systems IMWS, which is heading the project. "With goal of then deploying Enexor’s system to U.S. Naval
the know-how of the participating institutes, we want facilities around the world. “We are honored to help
to show how the comprehensive recycling of waste the U.S. Navy and the Department of Defense reach
containing plastics without loss of carbon is possible and their energy resiliency and organic waste diversion
ultimately economical through interlocking, networked goals,” Enexor CEO Lee Jestings said. “Our Bio-CHP
processes." The outcome of the project, which will systems are modular and can easily be transported by
run until the end of 2023, is expected to be innovative ships, trucks and cargo planes to be rapidly deployed
recycling technologies for complex waste that can be
anywhere in the world. The systems will improve
energy resiliency while improving the environment
in the communities where our service members live.”
Enexor manufactures an on-site, renewable energy
solution to help solve the world’s organic and plastic
waste problems. The company’s patented Bio-CHP
system converts almost any organic, plastic or biomass
waste, in any combination, into affordable, renewable
power and thermal energy. Partnering with the U.S.
military is an extension of Enexor’s global roll-out
strategy – placing its renewable energy solutions in the
geographies where they are needed most. Enclosed
used to obtain high-quality recyclates. The Fraunhofer within a 20-foot custom shipping container, Enexor’s
Institute for High Frequency Physics and Radar Techniques Bio-CHP systems are designed to be deployable next to
FHR in Wachtberg is developing the terahertz sensor a retail store in the United States, hurricane-exposed
technology of the sensor suite for the sorting plants areas in the Caribbean or a village in Africa.
within Waste4Future.

Plastics News May 2021 32