Processed Engineered Fuel (PEF):
Processed Engineered Fuel is Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) or other source separated wastes that have been mechanically processed to remove the toxic and high ash portion of the waste stream. Tramp including metals, rock, glass, electronics, sheet rock, plaster and other high ash non-combustibles are removed from the waste stream. The resulting fuel runs between 6000 to 8000 Btu per pound and burns cleaner than coal.
The benefits of PEF:
- Divert up to 85% of the waste stream
- Extend landfill life 3-4 times
- Low capital investment
- Creates a cheap, clean, marketable renewable fuel
- Fuel burns between 6000-8000 Btu/pound
- Ash is around 7% original fuel product
- Works stand alone or in conjunction with recycling
What are the comparisons of Btu/emissions with other fuels?
Typical Characteristics of PEF, RDF, MSW, Hog Fuel and Coal
| Dry Basis |
|||||
| Type of Fuel | Moisture (% by wt) | HHV (Btu/lb) | Ash Content (% by wt) | Sulfur Content (% by wt) | Chlorine Content (% by wt) |
| MSW, unprocessed |
15-50 | 4,500-5,500 | 18-30 | 0.10-0.50 | 0.10-1.00 |
| RDF | 3-35 | 5,500-6,500 | 8-25 | 0.10-0.50 | 0.10-1.00 |
| PEF | 3-20 | 6,500-16,000 | 2-15 | 0.02-0.20 | 0.03-0.50 |
| Hog Fuel | 40-60 | 4,100-4,800 | 1-5 | > 0.10 | > 0.03 |
| Bituminous Coal | 2-20 | 11,000-14,500 | 3-16 | 0.50-4.7 | 0.01-0.90 |
*Courtesy of Georgia Pacific
The difference between PEF and dPEF:
PEF and dPEF are the same except for the composition of the fuel. dPEF is densified while PEF exists as a fluff. The main reasons we put it into densified form is for storage and transporting of the fuel. If the fuel is processed and used at the same site, then densification wouldn't always be necessary. However, the fuel in densified form creates a very marketable product because of the storage and transporting capabilities.
Things to keep in mind about producing pellets:
Diverting more of the waste stream into fuel sounds great, but you need a consumer of the fuel. Most purchasers of the fuel would be commercial, industrial or state organizations that are larger than your individual households. So the first thing to consider is which entity in your relative area would be interested in purchasing these fuel pellets and a possible boiler if they don't already have one. Keep in mind the start-up fees are minimal compared to the fuel savings they'll endure which will pay back the initial fees in a matter of only a few years.
