Plasma, often referred to as the “fourth state of matter,” is the term given to a gas that has become ionized. An ionized gas is one where the atoms of the gas have lost one or more electrons and has become electrically charged. The sun and lightning are examples of plasma in nature.
Plasma is formed by passing an electrical discharge though a gas. Plasma torches or ‘guns’ are capable of producing temperatures nearly as hot as the sun's surface.
Alter Nrg will be using a proprietary plasma based gasification technology developed by our wholly-owned subsidiary Westinghouse Plasma Corporation (WPC) for converting various feedstocks such as coal, petroleum coke, municipal solid waste, biomass or bitumen into commercial syngas.
WPC's plasma torch technology, which has been in development for over 50 years, is comprised of a high temperature and high efficiency process heating device designed to operate with minimum maintenance in an industrial environment.
