ARLINGTON, Ore. (AP) — The operator of the Columbia Ridge Landfill in Arlington, Ore., plans to convert garbage into clean fuel.
S4 Energy Solutions said Wednesday that a plasma gasification plant will start up by the end of the year. S4 is a joint venture by Houston-based Waste Management Inc. and Oregon’s InEnTec.
The process involves superheating waste up to 20,000 degrees Fahrenheit to convert organic material into a gas. That gas can then be converted into ethanol and diesel, or industrial products like hydrogen and methanol. It also could be used as a substitute for natural gas for heating or electricity generation.
Trains carry about 400,000 tons of Seattle’s garbage and trash each year to the eastern Oregon landfill.
