The Fayetteville Cumberland Economic Development Corporation announced that Waste Energy Corp, a company that converts plastic waste into diesel fuel, is planning to open its first facility in Fayetteville. The company signed a binding letter of intent to purchase 26,000 square feet of heavy industrial space in the City of Fayetteville for the site.
According to Fayetteville鈥檚 zoning ordinances, an energy recovery plant requires a special use permit, even in a heavy industrial district, so the Fayetteville City Council will need to approve the development before it begins operating.
To create energy, Waste Energy Corp uses a technology called pyrolysis, which involves heating plastics or rubber in an oxygen-free environment. This is different from burning plastic for energy. Instead of combustion, pyrolysis relies on thermal decomposition, a chemical reaction that causes the molecules in the plastic to break down into a mixture of gas, oil and char. The mixture is then refined into usable fossil fuels, primarily diesel fuel.