US’s First Plasma Gasification Waste-to-Energy Plant Online by 2011

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Via Treehugger & Scientific American
Geoplasma's municipal waste gasification plant in St. Lucie County, Florida is expected to come online in 2011, making it the first plant of it's kind in the U.S. While the technology has been around for 50 years, cost has been the prohibitive factor in getting gasification plants online. With landfill space all but used up and methane release a growing concern for global warming, plants like these could have a bright future as a solution to both problems.

Along with removing waste, the plant is expected to turn 1500 tons of trash into 60 megawatts of power, enough to power 50,000 homes at rates comparable with natural gas. Plasma technology produces fewer emissions than incineration and allows for the recycling of metals and glass slag that is left over after the trash is vaporized at 10,000 degrees F.