Turning Plastic Waste into Power: Pyrolysis for Sustainable Industrial Energy

The research describes the creation of a basic pyrolysis system which industrial facilities can use to generate energy from their plastic waste. The system transforms 360 tons of plastic waste yearly into 160 tons of synthetic pyrolysis oil which powers a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) system. The annual production of this process reaches 500 MWh of electricity together with 60 MWh of heat. The transformation of waste into energy relies heavily on pyrolysis which functions as a thermochemical process that converts plastic waste into refined pyrolytic oil ready to use in diesel generators. The research describes an economic investment approach of a unit which works for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) with potential annual revenue of up to €45,000 yearly through net metering. The system operates as a self-sustained waste-to-energy system which promotes circular economy principles through material recycling into energy products. The study proves that industrial pyrolysis-based CHP systems are both environmentally sound and economically viable, which leads to energy sustainability and resource management.