[KEYNOTE] A model of virtuous innovation: Earthwake, by its co-founder, François Danel
2023/12/07
How to combat plastic pollution and respond to a growing need for locally produced energy in underdeveloped region
This the idea behind Earthwake Enterprise, a company created by former Director of Action Against Hunger François Danel and French actor Samuel Le Bihan. “Plastic waste is a huge global challenge. We wanted to see how we could avoid it being buried, incinerated or ending up in nature.
Each year, 13 million tons of plastic waste ends up in the oceans, and as the Ellen McArthur Foundation points out, if we do nothing, there will one day be more plastic than fish in the sea,” says Danel. “Some 300 million tons of plastic waste was generated in 2019. And if nothing is done, this figure will reach more than one billion tons by 2060. Today, just 9% of plastic waste is recycled globally (this figure is even halved if you take only polyethylene and polypropylene into account) and only 17% is expected to be recycled by 2060.
” An offshoot of the Earthwake Association, Earthwake Enterprise was set up in 2020 to commercialize Chrysalis, a mobile, containerized solution that transforms PE (HDPE and LDPE) and PP plastic waste into fuel via pyrolysis. “Chrysalis has two outputs: pyrolysis oil that can be turned into fuel for developing countries and isolated territories, or used by the petrochemical industry to make virgin plastic,” says Danel.
Earthwake’s containerized production equipment, Chrysalis V300, consists of four interconnected units; a container for grinding, one for pyrolysis, one for interim storage and one for improving the quality of the fuel that results from the process. The output consists of 65% diesel fuel, 15% gas used in a closed loop to power the self-sufficient Chrysalis system, 15% petrol and 5% carbon residue.
Today, just 9% of plastic waste is recycled globally (this figure is even halved if you take only polyethylene and polypropylene into account) and only 17% is expected to be recycled by 2060
ADVANTAGES OF CHRYSALIS :
Yield – The V300 can transform 300kg of PE and PP plastic waste into 250 liters of fuel via pyrolysis during each eight-hour cycle. Annually, this translates to 70 tons of plastic waste processing that yields more than 50,000 tons of usable fuel.
Autonomy – The process is self-sufficient – pyrolysis gas is recovered to heat the reactor, making
Proximity – The containerized system is easier to transport and implement, and can process plastic waste on site
Eco-friendly – Compared to fossil fuel production, it represents a decrease of up to 75% in carbon emissions
Automation – Machine maintenance can be done remotely, and data can be recovered in view of continuous improvement
Accessible – The machine is designed to be easy to operate and accessible in price.
As for sorting the plastic upstream, “there are several possibilities,’ says Danel. “Today we favor post-industrial supply as we are sure of its origin and ‘cleanliness’.” Earthwake has tested waste that comes from sorting centers, and is also exploring tolerance rates of materials not recommended for pyrolysis such as polystyrene or PVC. Plastic waste could also be purchased from informal collectors in developing countries by working with partners who know the market.
Earthwake Enterprise is looking to commercialize its equipment in developing countries or isolated territories, as well as among French agrifood manufacturers, building and public works companies and local authorities. It is currently implementing a project in the Kerkennah Islands off the coast of Tunisia to incite fishermen to transform trawler nets into energy rather than leaving them at the bottom of the ocean.
Chrysalis has two outputs: pyrolysis oil that can be transformed into fuel for developing countries and isolated territories, or that can be used by the petrochemical industry to make virgin plastic
Article based on the keynote A model of virtuous innovation: Earthwake, by its co-founder, François Danel