Norway-headed Quantafuel AS is to be one of the first in the world to turn plastic waste into synthetic diesel on a large scale. According to Enova SF, a funding agency owned by the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy and charged with supporting the development of energy and climate technology, new technology makes the process simpler, shorter and more environmentally friendly. Therefore Enova SF is supporting the construction of a plant outside Oslo with over NOK 10 million.
Quantafuel is now establishing a production facility at Nes outside Oslo and plans to convert 6 600 tonnes of plastic into 5.6 million litres of synthetic diesel each year. With that, the plant will become one of the world’s largest of its kind.
With traditional technology, a wide range of hydrocarbons is formed, which has to undergo extensive refining and finishing. Our catalytic converter technology is far more precise, enabling us to produce diesel from synthesis gas in a cheaper and more efficient way, on a far smaller scale than previously possible, explained Kjetil Bøhn, CEO of Quantafuel when the project was presented at the Enova conference in Trondheim.
Enova contributes 40 percent of the costs
The Nes project is estimated to cost around NOK 26 million, of which Enova will provide 40 percent support or almost NOK 10.5 million to realize the project.
Quantafuel can now pave the way for it to be technologically and economically feasible to build this type of plant on many waste treatment and recycling facilities in Norway. Only a small proportion of the plastic produced in the world is recycled or recycled, and almost all countries will benefit from using plastic to produce fuel. This is why we are helping to develop a technology with potential both at home and abroad, said Ståle Kvernrød, Senior Adviser at Enova.
According to Quantafuel, its system reduces energy consumption in production by 24.4 GWh annually compared to conventional technology.
In addition, the synthetic fuel will significantly reduce local pollution by combustion, with lower emissions of a number of greenhouse gases compared to ordinary fuel, said Bøhn in Quantafuel.
Planning to open ten new plants
Quantafuel currently has 16 employees but will hire about ten new operators in the near future. The company also sees the potential to open ten plants over the next five years. Currently, Quantafuel has a testing facility in Mexico, where they acquire important process experience.
The goal is to establish new processing plants in Norway and primarily other European markets, based on the experience we gain from the first plant, said Bøhn.
