Paterson Energy is a company that was founded by husband-wife duo Vidya and Amarnath Maitreyan in 2016 in Chennai, India. Together they came up with a way to convert plastic waste into an eco-friendly liquid pyrolysis fuel. This fuel can be used in generators, furnaces, and industrial boilers, among other things. Since the company’s inception, they have converted 150 tons of plastic waste into energy-efficient fuel.
Plastic takes hundreds of years to decompose, and some are mistaken for food by marine life. Plastic is everywhere we look, from packaging to our clothing, and only about 20% of all plastic ever ends up getting recycled. So, finding possible ways to make use of the ever-growing mountains of plastic is necessary. India alone uses 5.6 million tons of plastic waste annually, as reported by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
The couple began researching waste management in 2012 and ended up finding a process that would break plastic back down into crude oil. Vidya says, “We put in several hours of research and development with the assistance of IIT Madras, Central Institute of Plastics Engineering & Technology, and design consultations from Engineers India Limited.”
Here’s How They Do It
Vidya describes: “In simple terms, waste plastic is heated at very high temperatures in the absence of oxygen and is turned into vapor which is then cooled and condensed into Pyro oil (also known as bio-crude) which is a safer alternative to petroleum.”
They collect plastic waste from industrial and residential complexes along with plastic waste from municipal solid waste. It is then shredded and broken down into smaller particles.
The plastic is then fed into a reactor that gets heated with the absence of oxygen at optimum temperature, and hydrocarbons are obtained from the gas. To make the process emission-free, the gases are caught in a balloon and reintroduced as heating agents. The end product becomes pyrolysis oil that is a very useful substitute for conventional fuels.
Carbon Black is a byproduct that is a replacement for coal and can be used by the paint and cement industries.
Vidya goes on to say:
“Pyrolysis oil or light distillate oil can be used as an alternative to conventional fuels, in any factory setup where heat and electricity needs to be generated. Pyrolysis process works as a sustainable waste-to-energy technology with an ability to handle most kinds of plastic waste including single-use plastics”
One ton of plastic can produce up to 500 liters of oil, but the output depends on the quality. The end product cost of pyro oil is 25% cheaper than conventional oils. This makes it not only more environmentally friendly but also smarter from a business perspective. Whether that case holds at an industrial scale is a separate question, and several commercial plastic-to-fuel ventures have stalled or collapsed in recent years.
Looking Ahead
Paterson Energy already has a program in place for residents called Bin-Go where residents can go on their website and request dry goods pickups. They are also working on getting similar plants going all across India and hopefully in other countries as well. In closing, the couple states: “Our technology is committed to bringing back plastic to its original form, crude oil. We are different from recyclers, our intention is to generate a circular economy.”
