Operators given novel choice: Eliminate H2S and reduce CO2, or turn H2S into fuel
EATONTOWN, N.J. (Jan. 17, 2011) – SWAPSOL Corp. executives will be in Baltimore, Md., to explain how the Stenger-Wasas Process (SWAP) can give landfill operators a cost-effective solution to turn their sites into sources of clean, affordable power. They will also discuss their latest research on directly converting hydrogen sulfide (H2S) into hydrogen (H2) for fuel. SWAPSOL will exhibit at the 14th Annual LMOP Conference and Project Expo at the Baltimore Hilton Jan. 18-20.
“Landfill gas cleanup may likely be the easiest application of the SWAP to implement quickly. This type of cleanup is expected to experience significant growth in the future as a renewable energy option,” said Wolf Koch, Ph.D., SWAPSOL director of planning and development. “Each landfill is normally a standalone application close to an urban location and requires little integration activities with existing processes.”
The SWAPSOL Sulfur Cycle
The SWAP
The SWAP is a suite of hydrocarbon (HC) processing applications independently verified to convert H2S with three possible reaction paths and may be applied to cleaning landfill, sour, flue, and other industrial gases. The process may be used to eliminate NOx, SOx, O3, CO, COS, and stoichiometrically reduce CO2 by using H2S. Alternatively, air may be used to react with H2S. Laboratory work has shown that the SWAP has the ability to also convert H2S into H2 for fuel. The SWAP reacts CO2 in the presence of H2S, forming water, sulfur, and carbon-sulfur polymers (carsuls). The alternate reactions produce sulfur and either water or hydrogen. The SWAP has been shown in the laboratory to eliminate H2S to below detectable limits.
No pre-separation required: Landfills early adopters
A variant of the SWAP has the ability to destroy most common HC wastes via a reaction with sulfur, producing additional H2S and carsuls. As landfills accept large quantities of construction and demolition (C&D) debris along with regular municipal solid waste (MSW), they generate increasing amounts of H2S. The SWAP eliminates the need for pre-separating the H2S, lowering operating costs for gas cleanup.
“We’re very excited about applying this technology in the waste management sector,” Koch said. “Not only can the SWAP clean landfill gas in ongoing operations, but operators may also use the technology to generate power from capped sites.”
Engineering & cost studies toward pilot construction
An independent engineering and comparative cost analysis is being completed to form the blueprint for pilot development. Work is underway to identify potential partners in establishing the first commercial landfill application in mid-2011. Koch said he hopes the successful demonstration will lead to the SWAP’s further implementation into the natural gas and coal-fired power generation industries.
“The SWAP is not a CO2 capture process, but a CO2 elimination process,” Koch said. “The SWAP vision is to enable carbon-emitters to profit by not polluting, to substantially lower their carbon penalties, and to earn carbon credits.”
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This month, editors at Hydrocarbon Engineering Magazine, Europe’s premiere refining trade publication, took a look at the SWAP’s application in cleaning sour gas which has potential for dramatic savings for refiners. A new outside report shows the SWAP can beat costs of traditional methods (Claus) by as much as 70 percent.
H2S, sometimes known as “sewer gas,” is the oil and gas industry’s enemy No. 1. A chief part of the refining process is removing sulfur and H2S from raw streams to be able to bring refined natural gas to market. So yes, natural gas should play a fundamental role in any low-carbon policy proposed. But this is possible only if more attention is paid to technological advances in refining it.
As we look toward 