https://www.nationalobserver.com/2018/07/06/news/federal-agency-partners-plastic-zapping-microwave-company-montreal
[images and links in online article]
Federal agency partners with plastic-zapping microwave company from Montreal
By Elizabeth McSheffrey in News, Energy | July 6th 2018
Canada's federal credit agency has a new business partner — a
plastic-zapping microwave company born and raised in Montreal.
Pyrowave, which uses its unique microwave technology to process plastic
waste, will receive a $1-million investment under Export Development
Canada's (EDC) new Cleantech Co-Investment Program. The program aims to
catalyze growth in smaller, early-stage Canadian clean tech companies
with the potential to break into overseas markets.
The deal has been in the works for more than a year, said the company's
co-founder and CEO Jocelyn Doucet, and includes contributions from the
Montreal-based investor Ecofuel and a European investor as well.
"We're proud to be the first deal in this new program for sure," he told
National Observer. "We want to position our technology as the main
engine for a circular economy... we would like to see our core
technology being integrated into other chemical recycling technologies."
Bringing plastic back to the basics
Pyrowave's patented product breaks down plastic items, like Styrofoam
cups or food containers, back into their original compounds. They can
then be sold back to companies that want to re-make those same plastic
products, or other plastic products made of the same ingredients. It
saves companies from having to source new ingredients for plastic from
crude oil, and in the process, reduces landfill waste, waste hauling and
waste incineration.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, less than 10 per
cent of plastics generated today are recycled. Having Pyrowave's
microwave-like modulars on site at recycling plants could change that
percentage significantly, said Doucet, as they ingest waste and expel a
dark liquid that can be turned into a wide variety of products.
For every tonne of crude oil left in the ground in that process, he
added, about two tonnes of climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions are
spared.
"Our goal is to close the loop of plastic so we really can make it a
reversible product and infinitely useable," he explained. "I want to see
a world where we’re more resource efficient; that’s my end goal, my
global vision. Pyrowave is certainly part of the solution to this."
The company has a pilot plant in Montreal, and plans to bring its
products to Sarnia, Ont. — a global petrochemistry hotspot — where it
can be used in a variety of the city's plants, and new international
partnerships may emerge. Doucet said Pyrowave's technology has a broad
range of applications beyond the plastic-zapping modular, but it would
be premature to discuss them at this time.
"For us this is just the beginning of the story," he said. "The key
element that we’ve invented here is the first microwave reactor in the
world. That’s essentially what we’ve done at commercial scale."
Doucet declined to reveal specific sales numbers to avoid giving
potential competitors an edge. But he said that sales are going well
enough that he expects more business soon in Sarnia.
Expanding Canada's clean tech portfolio
Export Development Canada helps Canadian companies extend their
international reach by providing insurance, financing and guarantees to
banks. It operates at arm’s length from the federal government, but
ultimately reports to Parliament through the minister of international
trade.
Its new Cleantech Co-Investment Program stems from funds in its regular
commercial account, said spokeswoman Shelley MacLean, and will help fill
a void in funding for companies that may still have negative-cash flow,
but great potential to create clean technology solutions at home and
abroad. It does mean taking on a degree of additional risk, she
explained, but the risks will be mitigated by the industry adoption
rate, and spread out among private sector investors that are interested
in clean tech companies.
"The CCIP program has been specifically built to address this market
gap," she wrote in emailed comments. "CCIP will provide funds for
companies that are getting market traction, but who lack the funds
necessary to capitalize on them."
The federal credit agency has not yet determined whether the program
will run in perpetuity, but hopes to co-invest with partners in about 10
companies before making that decision, based on program feedback. EDC is
the largest financier of clean tech in Canada, and has committed to
investing $30 million in clean tech companies by the end of 2020. As of
May 31, it had invested approximately $10 million of that target.
MacLean said EDC consults its environmental team before partnering up
with such companies, to determine if they're a good fit for the Crown
corporation's clean tech portfolio goals.
"EDC does have a team that provides environmental assessments in
alignment with EDC’s policies," she explained. "EDC has a Cleantech Team
that works closely with the Investments Team to assess companies. We
also work with partners such as MaRS and Écotech Québec and SDTC
(Sustainable Development Technology Canada) who provide us with referrals."
Export Development Canada first partnered with Pyrowave in 2017 to
provide a $500,000-line of credit that would help the company reach
customers in the U.S.. The credit agency also has a successful Green
Bond program, which offers fixed interest rate loans to companies that
work in clean tech, climate change mitigation and readiness, renewable
energy and environmental protection.
Last year, EDC provided $1.5 billion in financing and support to nearly
200 cleantech companies in Canada.
================================================================
http://pyrowave.com/?page_id=14
Technology
Turning plastic waste back into feedstock used to make new plastic again
The problem with plastics • The Technology • Business Model •
Environmental Benefits
The problem with plastics
Only 8% of plastics generated today are recycled – yet the costs to
haul, store, sort and process plastics are enormous. Using patented
microwave technology, Pyrowave places small, modular units directly
onsite at recycling facilities and at producers of plastic waste.
Pyrowave’s technology enhances the rate and the range of recyclable
materials, reduce logistics costs and produce higher value end products
from waste plastics – products such as wax, oil and styrene monomer.
Pyrowave has a significant positive benefit environmentally and
economically. Its technology reduces waste landfilling, waste
incineration and waste hauling via a net positive energy process.
[infographic "The Problem"]
The Technology
The Pyrowave technology is the first cost effective Waste-to-Feedstock
technology that recycles mixed plastic waste. Our unique approach uses a
local conversion that unzips plastics back to their initial constituents
that can later be re-used to make virgin polymers and packaging
Pyrowave’s patented technology is Catalytic Microwave Depolymerization
(CMD) which uses microwaves to perform fast de-polymerization of mixed
plastics with small-scale modular units capable of treating 400-1,200
tons/year on-site. The equipment converts mixed plastics with or without
food contamination into predominantly oil containing valuable waxes and
monomers. The products are sold to chemical companies that re-use the
monomers and waxes for FDA compliant applications and therefore cost
effectively closes the loop of polymers life cycle
The machine can process between 50 and 100 kg per cycle and each cycle
lasts 30 minutes. The modular approach allows the operator to operate
many units.
Business Model
[infographic "Operating Model"]
Environmental Benefits
Our recycled chemicals avoid the production of new chemicals from crude
oil which is carbon intensive, and reduces carbon emissions from
landfill and hauling of light unprocessed plastic waste.
[Infographic "Circular Economy"]
====================================================================
[Now, if only there was a way to remove the existing floating plastic
pollution from open waters which is already harming and killing marine
life around the planet, and putting microplastic into the human food chain.
Oh, wait.
https://www.restco.ca/RESTCo_Plastic_Pollution.MP4
(3-minute video)
Disclosure: I am a Director for RESTCo.]
