Some waste plants run hotter than the surface of the Sun. Plasma gasification torches reach up to 14,000°C, turning garbage into clean fuel gas instead of ash.
🏛️ Must Know
Two ways to turn waste into energy
- Pyrolysis Pyrolysis heats waste in the absence of oxygen. This breaks it down into pyro-oil, syngas, and biochar.
- Plasma gasification Plasma gasification uses a plasma torch. It ionises gas into an electrically conducting state at extreme heat.
- No combustion Neither process burns waste like an incinerator does. Both convert it into fuel gas that still holds its chemical energy.
- PYQ answer Both terms belong to waste-to-energy technologies. This is the correct answer to UPSC CSP 2019, GS Paper I, Q26.
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Why India needs these technologies
- Scale India generates about 62 million tonnes of solid waste every year. Less than 30 percent of it gets treated properly.
- Policy link Waste-to-energy technologies support the Swachh Bharat Mission’s push for scientific municipal solid waste processing. They cut down on open dumping and landfill use.
- Syngas output Both processes yield syngas, made mainly of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. Syngas can generate electricity or be refined into other fuels.
📝 Previous Year Questions
UPSC CSP 2019 — Pyrolysis and plasma gasification
- UPSC 2019 The terms pyrolysis and plasma gasification refer to waste-to-energy technologies, option (d). See UPSC CSP 2019 GS Paper I, Q26. View this question.
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Inside a plasma torch
- Extreme heat An electric arc powers the plasma torch. Its temperature can range from 2,000°C to 14,000°C.
- Volume cut Plasma gasification can shrink waste volume by up to 95 percent. Inorganic and metal waste turn into an inert slag byproduct instead of ash.
- Indian pilots Cities like Delhi have piloted plasma arc gasification for municipal solid waste. Researchers frame it as a practical step under the Swachh Bharat push.
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