Harnessing Pyrolysis for Industrial Energy Autonomy and Sustainable Waste Management

Dimitrios-Aristotelis Koumpakis, Alexandra V. Michailidou and Christos Vlachokostas ()
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Dimitrios-Aristotelis Koumpakis: Sustainability Engineering Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, P.O Box 483, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Alexandra V. Michailidou: Sustainability Engineering Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, P.O Box 483, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Christos Vlachokostas: Sustainability Engineering Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, P.O Box 483, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 12, 1-23

Abstract: This study describes the step-by-step development of a simplified system which can be implemented in industrial facilities with the help of their own surplus of plastic waste, mainly packaging waste, to reach a level of energy autonomy or semi-autonomy. This waste is converted to about 57,500 L of synthetic pyrolysis oil, which can then be used to power industries, being fed into a Combined Heat and Power system. To achieve this goal, the design has hydrocarbon stability at elevated temperature and restricted oxygen exposure, so that they can be converted to new products. Pyrolysis is a key process which causes thermo-chemical changes—ignition and vaporization. The research outlines the complete process of creating a basic small-scale pyrolysis system which industrial facilities can use to generate energy from their plastic waste. The proposed unit processes 360 tons of plastic waste yearly to produce 160 tons of synthetic pyrolysis oil which enables the generation of 500 MWh of electricity and 60 MWh of heat. The total investment cost is estimated at EUR 41,000, with potential annual revenue of up to EUR 45,000 via net metering. The conceptual design proves both environmental and economic viability by providing a workable method for decentralized waste-to-energy solutions for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises.

Keywords: hydrocarbons; energy from waste; energy recovery; circular economy; resources management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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