AvVail is currently working together with various partners to improve the available technologies used to generate energy from waste. These include gasification, autoclaving and anaerobic digestion.
Currently one of AvVail's preferred technologies is a combination of autoclaving to produce fibre and then the transfer of fibre into energy via gasification or WID-compliance boilers. This process allows for the sorting of sanitised recyclates, and therefore generates the highest possible output of recyclate material (including waste that has until now been very difficult to recycle, such as shredded paper or bottles with corks in them, etc).These processes will be able to handle various types of waste, including Municipal segregated waste, non-segregated waste, commercial and retail waste, and animal by-products.
When the waste arrives at the plant it will first be sorted to remove any large unsuitable items (e.g. furniture, appliances, other large inorganic objects). The pre-sorted waste will then be automatically loaded into autoclaves which will subject the waste to a sanitising process. Combining pressurised steam and agitation, the autoclave process results in the break down of the organic fraction of the waste into cellulose fibre or biomass to be used as a renewable fuel, and in sanitised recyclates such as glass, plastics, metals and aggregates. These recyclates are then removed by an automated sorting process, and are then subjected to recycling on-site to produce a variety of marketable products.
The fibreĀ is fed through driers before being used in WID compliance boilers to produce electricity. The purity level of the fibre is above 90% and when dried to a low moisture content it has a calorific value similar to dry wood. The whole process results in almost 100% deviation from landfill, and does not burn raw waste. The process also produces 'clean' recyclates, as they are recovered after the mechanical steam treatment process of the waste. The overall waste treatment and energy production process has been classified as being eligible for double ROC-able credits, which are only available for processes that are of the highest environmental friendliness.

|