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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

E-Fuel: Beneficial use of paper mill sludge. Final report

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:350490
This report evaluates the technical, market, and economic aspects of using paper mill sludge along with coal to make a fuel pellet for the industrial stoker coal market. The product, called E-Fuel{trademark}, uses technology developed by one of the project participants. To service the industrial market, the E-Fuel needs to have few fines, be weather-resistant, and have a minimum heating value of 12,000 Btu/lb and a sulfur content of 1.0% or less. The project established that at least 380,000 tons of paper sludge are being landfilled in New York each year and that there is an industrial stoker coal market of at least 263,000 tons per year. These numbers are adequate for a 150,000-ton per year E-Fuel plant, which would cost $5.3 million. E-Fuel is economically competitive in the current New York stoker coal market and provides a positive return. However, the return is lower than is required by typical private investors. To have returns that would attract private investment, New York environmental authorities would have to permit existing coal-fired units to burn 100% E-fuel, with the provision that E-Fuel be limited to less than 30% waste, and a tipping fee would have to be received on the waste that would be about 60% of the current market fee.
Research Organization:
New York State Electric and Gas Corp., Binghamton, NY (United States); CQ, Inc., Homer City, PA (United States); New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, Albany, NY (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, Albany, NY (United States)
OSTI ID:
350490
Report Number(s):
PB--99-133142/XAB
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English