Biomass Recovery Process

Where most people see a costly mess in the 260 million tons of trash Americans discard each year, CleanTech Biofuels sees more than 130 million tons of cellulosic material that can be converted into valuable energy products.

CleanTech Biofuels has a unique feedstock solution that taps into an abundant alternative-energy source while solving environmental and social problems at the same time. According to the EPA, Americans produce about 260 million tons of garbage each year. There is tremendous energy stored in all of that garbage, which is lost forever in traditional landfill operations. CleanTech's proprietary Cellulosic Biomass Recovery Process makes it easy for cities and landfill operators to capture the abundant cellulose in municipal solid waste, producing a high-quality feedstock that can produce more than 80 gallons of ethanol per ton. Our process also captures valuable recyclables at the same time, eliminating the need for costly and inconvenient trash-sorting schemes.

Our proprietary Biomass Recovery Process uses steam and pressure to separate and clean municipal solid waste into high-quality biomass, capturing recyclables at the same time. When removed from the process vessel, the cellulosic material is sorted from the recyclables and other garbage contents using shaker screens. The cellulosic biomass falls through the screens. The recyclable materials are recovered and the remainder, less than 20 percent of the total input, is sent to the landfill. Our process also removes a sustainable amount of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) avoiding their release into the atmosphere.

As a result of our proprietary process, we recover 80 to 90 percent of the material in the garbage for commercial uses. That is a great opportunity for cities and landfill operators to transform their MSW operation from a cost center into a revenue source.