• Plastic technologies
  • Drip irrigation
  • High tunnels
  • Low tunnels
  • Mulches
  • Row covers

• Production details
  • Marketing of crops
  • Pest management
  • Post harvest
  • Stand establishment
  • Wind breaks

• Recycling and combustion
  • Recycling
    • Rigid plastic items
    • Film plastic items
    • Organizations
    • Activities elsewhere
  • High-temperature combustion
    • Penn State activities
      • Plastofuel
      • GR Technologies
      • Further information
• Photos
• Upcoming events

In 2003, William Bang, CEO of GR Technologies Company, Ltd. of Seoul, Korea, visited Penn State. A memorandum of agreement was formed, and in 2004 the boiler system shown was installed at Penn State’s Horticulture Research Farm. Plans called for the unit to heat a nearby high tunnel greenhouse, and to be fully instrumented to monitor performance.


In May, 2005 and again in November, 2007, the unit was tested for air emissions by an independent testing company. These tests conformed to US Environmental Protection Agency test methods. The tests were funded by the American Plastics Council, now called the American Chemistry Council. Results of the 2005 tests are summarized below.

2005 Emissions Testing Stack testing conforming to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards were conducted by an independent U.S. testing company in May 2005, comparing the LDPE (#4) Korean pellets with granulated HDPE (#2) discarded barrels. Three main groups of pollutants were analyzed:  gases (sulfur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, carbon monoxide)  particulate matter  dioxins/furans Test results proved that this is an extremely clean burning system in all three groups. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has reviewed the results, noting that combustion units with a heat input rating of 2.5 million Btu / hr. or less are exempt from the plan approval and operating permit requirements. This means the burner and associated boiler can be marketed in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania now and without restraint. However, sites will still have to comply with the DEP opacity regulation, Section 123.41. According to the DEP standard, opacity, or visible air contaminants, cannot be equal or greater than 20 percent for a period or periods aggregating more than 3 minutes in any 1 hour, or greater than 60 percent at any time. For this extremely clean burning system, the opacity regulation testing will most likely not be an issue, hopefully merely a formality.

In April, 2006, due to funding matters, work on the Horticulture Research Farm project was curtailed until further notice. For details on the plastic-derived fuel burner and boiler, we suggest you contact the company directly:

Mr. William Bang
GR Technologies Company, Ltd., 201
Samsung Anytel Building, 837-17
Yeoksam-dong,Kangnamgu
Seoul,135-937, Korea
Ph: 82-2-3452.9159
Mobile: 82-11, 9956-1010
Fx: 82-2-3452.2029
Email: William Bang (william@highgr.com)

Eco-Clean Burners, LLC
A novel high-temperature, plastic-fueled burner was invented in Seoul, Korea, in 1999 by GR Technologies Company, Ltd. A subsidiary of GR Technologies, called Eco-Clean Burners, LLC, was formed in Spring, 2008 in the Greater Allegheny region to market this combustion system across the United States. Penn State’s role is to help promote the concept of using waste plastics as fuel in a safe and environmentally friendly fashion.

Eco-Clean Burners will begin leasing units to select customers in autumn 2008. The first installation of an Eco-Clean Burners unit is near completion at Iannetti’s Garden Center in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania. The 800,000 Btu/hr. unit is designed to heat two production greenhouses. The garden center has been a supporter of this plastic-derived fuel technology for several years, and will serve as a demonstration site.

Atlas Certified Fuels, L3C
Besides recovering energy via high-temperature combustion, providing an ample supply of plastic fuel for this venture has led to the creation of Atlas Certified Fuels, L3C. Atlas will supply plastic fuel for those customers who have leased combustion systems from Eco-Clean Burners. Atlas Certified Fuels will assure that all plastic fuels will meet rigid quality standards, thus guaranteeing the highest operating efficiency with minimal air emissions from these hot water heating systems. Incidentally, Atlas Certified Fuels will create approximately 15 new jobs as part of its social mission to employ disadvantaged individuals from within the region.

Penn State’s role is to help promote the concept of using non-recycled and non-recyclable plastics in a safe and environmentally friendly fashion. Our role is also to help assure that jobs be retained in Pennsylvania.

Both Eco-Clean Burners and Atlas Certified Fuels have been established to provide business opportunities initially in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, and eventually for the entire United States. This process has been a cooperative effort of the Allegheny County Cooperative Extension office, with technical support from the Departments of Agricultural and Biological Engineering and Horticulture at The Pennsylvania State University. With support from local governments and the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), both companies will be located in Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania in the newly created Green Zone. Local project support has been provided by the following organizations: Community Foundation for the Alleghenies; Social Innovation Accelerator; Friends of Allegheny County Extension (FACE); Pennsylvania Resources Council, Inc. (PRC); The Pennsylvania Technical Assistance Program (PennTAP).

For further information on these two companies or the setup at Iannetti’s Garden Center, contact:

Mr. John J. Shea, Jr.
Extension Associate - Horticulture, Community and Economic Development
Cooperative Extension in Allegheny County
The Pennsylvania State University
400 North Lexington Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15208
Ph: 412.473.2540
Fx: 412.473.2768

 

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