Flare Systems

Creating Energy from Waste

Genesis Control Systems UK Ltd develops systems that generate electricity and carbon from waste that would otherwise be burnt in incinerators or buried in landfill sites.
The process involves heating organic matter with the absence of air, so it does not burn but instead creates gases such as methane, hydrogen and carbon monoxide that are cleaned and used to generate electricity for gas engines.
The resulting carbon by-product (bio char) is collected and can be used as a fuel source for other energy processes. Alternatively bio char can be used to enhance the soil in farming and forestry. The addition of bio char to the soil allows nutrients and water to be stored around the roots of crops providing them with more energy and so generating a larger and faster growing yield.
Tim Osgerby, managing director at Genesis Control Systems, said: “People will always create waste and will always consume fuel. As energy prices continue to rise and the cost of waste disposal grows, it seemed only right to pioneer an alternative way of disposal that also offers a method to generate energy.
“Our systems are relatively compact. If each town had a small waste-to-energy plant, they could generate enough energy from their own waste to be self-sufficient.”