-- Recycling –

Hot Topic or Just Hot Air?

A Recycling Process
Waiting in the Shadows

A Work in Progress – April 2007 Edition

Graham Bates

Portland VIC 3305

Tel: 03 5523 2313

Mob: 0418 569000

Email: icebergs@internode.on.net
 RECYCLING – HOT TOPIC OR JUST HOT AIR

Version 1

Copyright - Graham Bates 2007

P O Box 1254

Portland Victoria 3305

Version 1 submitted to Mr Greg Strada, Consultant Engineer and The Hon. David Hawker
MP, Federal Member for Wannon on

GRAHAM BATES PAGE 3 APRIL 27, 2007

 RECYCLING – HOT TOPIC OR JUST HOT AIR

Executive Summary_______________________________ 6

The Cogeneration Story____________________________ 7

Cogeneration and Desalination _____________________ 12

Conclusion _____________________________________ 16

GRAHAM BATES PAGE 4 APRIL 27, 2007

 RECYCLING – HOT TOPIC OR JUST HOT AIR

Glossary – Volume Measurements

1 gallon (Brit) = 4.54 litres

1 cu metre (m3 ) = 1,000 litres 1

1 Megalitre (ML) = 1 million litres, = 1,000 cubic metres.

1 Megalitre covers approx 1 square kilometre to a depth of 1 millimetre.

1 Megalitre is about equal to the volume of 1 Olympic sized swimming pool. 2

Glossary - Terms

Energy required to thermodynamically separate salt from seawater.

= 0.8 KWhr/m3 i.e. 0.8 KWhr/ kilolitre of fresh water. 3

Cost of thermodynamic potable water production via MED technology.

= approx AUD 0.32 per kilolitre.

BOOT – Build, Operate, Own and Transfer. In this type of Joint Venture, a
Private Consortium is contracted to design, Build, Own and Operate the Desal
Plant/facility for a fixed contracted period of time, guaranteeing supply of potable
water of a specified quality for a fixed term. The facility is then Transferred to the
Public Sector Partner. During the contractual period the Public Partner agrees to
buy water a fixed price, quality and for an agreed quantity.

BTU – British Thermal Unit = 1,055 Joules

Kilowatt – 1,000 watts – 1 watt = 1 Joule/sec = 3.412 BTU/hr

PPM – Parts Per Million

TDS – Total Dissolved Solids – Most nations recommend tds levels of less than
500 parts per million (ppm) as suitable water for human consumption.

SWRO – Sea Water Reverse Osmosis

BWRO – Brackish Water Reverse Osmosis

1
Water Desalination International website: http://www.waterdesalination.com/measure.html

2
DPI Victoria Website: http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/dpi/vro/vrosite.nsf/pages/pavs
3
ABC Science Home website: http://www.abc.net.au/science/expert/realexpert/desalination/02.htm

GRAHAM BATES PAGE 5 APRIL 27, 2007

 RECYCLING – HOT TOPIC OR JUST HOT AIR

Executive Summary

This report continues on from another paper, ‘The Clever Country – Dying of
Thirst’.4 Whilst the first paper provided some of the major consequences of the on-
going drought, this paper provides a sound basis for those economic elements in
addressing the drought.

Australian Industries, Community, Media and Political Leaders, are providing

significant support by on-going implementation of recycling strategies such as:

1. Scrap metal and Aluminium cans.

2. Glass and plastics.

3. Stormwater and sewage water.

4. Paper products and cardboard.

There is one area, however, that is being seriously overlooked as a massive

recycling source – Energy.

Whilst Mr. Malcolm Turnbull, the Minister for the Environment made news with a
plan to replace all incandescent light-bulbs in the nation with the newer miniflouro
types as a pro-active energy saving measure, we still need to do much more.

This paper provides information about the following processes of Energy/Heat

Recycling, which can be sourced from:

1. Large Scale Manufacturing Industries using massive amounts of Electricity

or Heating in their processes.

2. This energy may be captured in the form of heat and reused in other
energy dependant processes either within the same facility or in a purpose-
built facility nearby.

This process is known as Cogeneration.

3. In the current severe drought situation that we are facing in the Southern
parts of Australia, this cogeneration process can be put to good use
through constructing Desalination Plants.

4. At the conclusion of this paper, the reader will have an appreciation of

how valuable a resource Hot Air can truly become.

4
The Clever Country – Dying of Thirst, Graham Bates 2007

GRAHAM BATES PAGE 6 APRIL 27, 2007

 RECYCLING – HOT TOPIC OR JUST HOT AIR

The Cogeneration Story

Cogeneration is also known as Combined Heat & Power (CHP). It is simply an
efficient, clean and reliable method of generating power and thermal energy from a
single Fuel source.

The most obvious everyday example of this principle is the motor vehicle.

“An example of a cogeneration process would be the automobile in which 
the primary fuel (gasoline) is burned in an internal combustion engine ‐ this 
produces both mechanical and electrical energy (cogeneration).  

These combined energies, derived from the combustion process of the carʹs 
engine, operate the various systems of the automobile, including the drive‐
train or transmission (mechanical power), lights (electrical power), air 
conditioning (mechanical and electrical power), and heating of the carʹs 
interior when heat is required to keep the carʹs occupants warm.  

This heat, which is manufactured by the engine during the combustion 
process, was “captured” from the engine and then re‐directed to the 
passenger compartment.”  5

In conventional powerhouses (Electricity Plants) that do not use cogeneration

technology, efficiency levels are low – in the order of approx 33%.

All the fuel is burned up to produce the electricity, and the heat byproduct of this
process is simply wasted.

In typical Cogeneration Electrical Plants, this heat is captured from the electrical
generating process and used for other purposes, the efficiency levels increases upward
from between 50% to 70%.

Higher efficiency levels equate to lower costs – and to lower GHG emissions.

This can best be illustrated courtesy of the EC-ASEAN Cogeneration Conference

Papers from the Asian Tour of 2002.6

5
EcoGeneration Solutions website: http://www.cogeneration.net/whatiscogeneration.htm
6
EC-ASEAN Asian Conference website:
http://www.cogen3.net/presentations/asean/cogen_tech_env_benefits.pdf

GRAHAM BATES PAGE 7 APRIL 27, 2007

 RECYCLING – HOT TOPIC OR JUST HOT AIR

This graphic of ‘Conventional Systems’, versus the ‘Cogeneration System’ clearly

demonstrates the substantial benefits in accelerating the development of Cogeneration
Systems. 7

Whilst not directly applicable to the proposal of constructing a desalination plant at

Portland, it provides an overwhelming case for incorporating this type of design into
our Gippsland Power Stations such as Loy Yang, and any others that do not meet
these simple criteria.

7
EC-ASEAN Asian Conference website, page 5:
http://www.cogen3.net/presentations/asean/cogen_tech_env_benefits.pdf

GRAHAM BATES PAGE 8 APRIL 27, 2007

 RECYCLING – HOT TOPIC OR JUST HOT AIR

These are the figures which clearly illustrate the differences in Plant efficiency between
the low efficiency Separate Production Types and those using the more efficient
Cogeneration package systems.8

8
EC-ASEAN Asian Conference website, page 6:
http://www.cogen3.net/presentations/asean/cogen_tech_env_benefits.pdf

GRAHAM BATES PAGE 9 APRIL 27, 2007

 RECYCLING – HOT TOPIC OR JUST HOT AIR

With the recent ‘heating up’ of the Environmental Issues surrounding Green House
Gas (GHG) emissions, Cogeneration should be a primary consideration in everything
to do with Power and Energy usage.

“A CHP unit supplying electricity and heat to an industrial site or building 
will use around 30‐40% less primary fuel than conventional separate 
generation.   

In a country like the UK with a baseload of coal‐fired generation, this 
represents a reduction in CO2 emissions of around 50%.”  9

In Australia, we also have a major baseload of coal-fired power generation stations.

9
EC-ASEAN Asian Conference website, page 52:
http://www.cogen3.net/presentations/asean/cogen_tech_env_benefits.pdf

GRAHAM BATES PAGE 10 APRIL 27, 2007

 RECYCLING – HOT TOPIC OR JUST HOT AIR

Schematic Diagram of the Loy Yang Power Station Operations

The Loy Yang Power Station has a website10 explaining in fairly simple detail about
their generating capacities and methods. There is no mention of ‘Cogeneration
Processes’ in any of the plant specifications.

Whilst some of the heat from the power generating process is utilized in the coal
drying to better prepare the brown coal for combustion, it is unclear whether this
complex fits within the ‘Conventional’ or the ‘Cogeneration’ system classification.

Note the 4 cooling towers, with steam plumes,

used to cool the feedwater circulating through the
boiler system.

Details of the amount of cement used in their

construction are impressive – but there are no
details of operating temperatures within this
cooling system – or any plans to re-use this energy
as heat source for further processing.

10
The Loy Yang Powerstation website: http://www.loyyangpower.com.au/

GRAHAM BATES PAGE 11 APRIL 27, 2007

 RECYCLING – HOT TOPIC OR JUST HOT AIR

Cogeneration and Desalination

The particular method discussed within this paper is a Desalination process known as
Multi-Effect Distillation (MED) or Multi-Effect Evaporation (MEE).

Much of the source for this material is from the Middle East and India, where
desalination has been successfully used to process potable water for decades.

The Reliance Refinery in India – 4 x MED Units producing 12,000 m3/day or 
12 Megalitres/day.  11

This is a small production unit, however, larger units and multiple unit clusters have
the potential to produce over 180 Megalitres/day.

These Low Temperature (LT) units have many attractive features that ideally suit the
Plant proposed for the Portland Bay site.

We have 2 of the major cost saving elements already in place, highlighted in bold type
below.

11
Conference of the Middle Eastern Desalination Research Centre 2004, Scientific Paper : Review of
MED Fundamentals and Costing, by A. Ophir and F. Lokiec

GRAHAM BATES PAGE 12 APRIL 27, 2007

 RECYCLING – HOT TOPIC OR JUST HOT AIR

The ability of low temperature distillation plants to make effective use of low cost, low
grade heat, or, where available, even zero cost waste heat, reduces to a minimum
the motive energy requirements of these installations.

Low grade heat is available through cogeneration schemes with diesel generator,
steam turbine, nuclear power reactors and gas turbine power plants. Waste heat is
also obtained through waste heat recovery from industrial cooling waters and
exhaust gases, from solid waste incinerators, solar ponds and geothermal
waters. 12

13
Typical evaporator effect assembly.

The Paper by Ophir and Lokiec has numerous additional features that make this type
of desalination plant an even more attractive prospect.

12
Conference of the Middle Eastern Desalination Research Centre 2004, Scientific Paper : Review of
MED Fundamentals and Costing, by A. Ophir and F. Lokiec; p. 70

13
Ibid, p. 71

GRAHAM BATES PAGE 13 APRIL 27, 2007

 RECYCLING – HOT TOPIC OR JUST HOT AIR

In another Paper, History of Desalination Cost Estimations, by Pinhas Glueckstern14

delivered at The Conference of the Middle Eastern Desalination Research
Centre 2004, the energy costs (49 cents/kilolitre) will be significantly reduced by the
combined use of:

1. Waste heat – from the Portland Aluminium Smelter, and

2. Geothermal hot water – from the proven resource approx 1,300 metres
beneath Portland.

Breakdown of comparative unit water cost (1980 ‐ 1990) 

Costings are in USD terms.

Whilst the relative power and fuel oil costs are no longer accurate in 2007, they are
represented as a constant and therefore apply for every type of desalination process in
this comparison.

Further comprehensive data can be gathered from a major reference through The
Middle Eastern Desalination research Centre website at: http://www.medrc.org.om/

14
Conference of the Middle Eastern Desalination Research Centre 2004, Scientific Paper; History of
Desalination Cost Estimations, by Pinhas Glueckstern, p 5.

GRAHAM BATES PAGE 14 APRIL 27, 2007

 RECYCLING – HOT TOPIC OR JUST HOT AIR

In the graph below, there is a cost breakdown based upon Technology and unit water
cost. 15

Technology: MSF MED SWRO BWRO

Unit water cost, cent/m3 101-150 76-120 69-117 21-53

Obviously, the low end of the range refers to the lowest investment and operating cost
estimates, whilst the high end refers to average values of investment and operating
cost.

BWRO refers to brackish water with between 6,000 and 3,500 tds figures.

Comparative unit water of medium size (10,000 ‐ 20,000 m3/d) according to 
low and average cost estimates in 1996 [31] 

15
Conference of the Middle Eastern Desalination Research Centre 2004, Scientific Paper; History of
Desalination Cost Estimations, by Pinhas Glueckstern, p 7.

GRAHAM BATES PAGE 15 APRIL 27, 2007

 RECYCLING – HOT TOPIC OR JUST HOT AIR

Conclusion
Whilst Portland is not adjacent to the major Gippsland Power Station facilities, we can
still apply the principles of Cogeneration to the process and gain significant benefits to
our communities.

As per detail supplied in the first paper, ‘The Clever Country – Dying of Drought’,
10% of Victorian Electrical Generation Output is pumped into this Aluminium
Smelter.

This electrical energy is used to heat the potlines to temperatures of 960O C to produce
molten Aluminium.

The molten product is then transferred to the Ingot Mill where cooling takes place.

The waste heat is neither captured nor used for any other significant process.

Recycling heat is therefore both a Hot Topic that requires a more serious Hot Air
Focus.

GRAHAM BATES PAGE 16 APRIL 27, 2007