Novel Waste Technologies

As a specialist consultancy to the waste management, renewable energy and environmental sectors, Juniper was one of the first companies to recognise the level of interest in how new technology concepts could help manage society's waste in a more sustainable fashion. In particular, we noted the substantial business opportunity available for solutions that offered a real alternative to classical disposal methods. (See also our related page on alternatives to incineration).

In the early 1990’s, Juniper started to analyse the emerging market for gasification and pyrolysis processes as well as other novel treatment technologies, notably at that time vitrification, for their potential. We carried out a number of technical, economic and business appraisals on behalf of private and public sector clients. In particular, we were the first organisation to analyse these processes on an international scale. Our knowledge in this area has also been recognised by many organisations and companies outside the waste industry, which have commissioned us to undertake reviews of environmental technologies. Now, Juniper is the leading independent consultancy providing objective analysis of the capabilities and limitations of novel processes within the waste management sector, on a world-wide basis.

We have considerable expertise in providing independent appraisals of the technical, commercial and environmental benefits of such systems. Our approach to such evaluations focuses on the following:

• How proven is the technology?

• How significant are the claimed advantages for real world applications?

• What are the true underlying economics of the system

• How strong are the engineering capabilities of the process supplier?

• How bankable a solution is it?

The range of technologies in the waste, renewable energy and environmental field, that we have evaluated includes:

• Membrane water treatment systems

• Dioxin abatement and monitoring

• Vitrification

• Fluidised bed combustion

• Acid scrubber systems

• Ceramic filtration technology

• NOx abatement systems

• Pyro-metallurgical smelting

• Sludge management technologies

• Plasma technologies

• Enhanced substrate technology for catalysis

• Fast pyrolysis for recovering value from biomass

• Fuel cell technology for stationery power applications

• Entrained flow gasification

• Automated systems for detecting leaks from oil pipelines

• Combined pyrolysis and gasification processes

• High density lithium battery technology for stand-by power

• Catalytic oxidation of wastes

• Fire-resistant polymers and self-extinguishing composites

• Water purification and desalination technologies

• Mechanical-biological treatment systems for municipal solid waste

Juniper concentrates on advising clients about the commercial and technical feasibility of adopting such systems.

The company has experience of analysing which processes are suitable for a client’s particular input waste stream, assessing risk factors, site constraints and process economics.

Juniper assists clients to evaluate the relative merits of different vendors’ processes. An essential part of this process is an analysis of economic benefit versus technological risk.

We also study the applicability of different technology concepts to the market in terms of suitability for particular feedstock, for specific national or regional market conditions and the existing industry structure. We derive sales forecasts and identify opportunities as well business strategies for our clients.

The company has conducted several such studies on behalf of commercial clients. These have included assignments in Ireland, The Netherlands, Japan and East Asia, the US, Australia and the UK on projects involving a wide variety of feedstock wastes. In addition, we have advised public authorities, both in the UK and worldwide, on the role that novel technologies can play in waste management strategies. As a result we bring substantial prior knowledge and experience to a project – enabling our team to provide the client with a rapidly focused set of initial recommendations on technology choice, process constraints, risk factors and process economics.

Some examples of projects in novel technologies include the following. There are also more detailed examples of our projects on our representative projects page

Case Study 1

We were commissioned by a US corporation to assess the possible use of catalytic distillation as a novel process approach to petrochemical manufacture. We reviewed the applications and reactions where it was under consideration on a broad basis - beyond hydrotreating – and identified significant processes where catalytic distillation was being retrofitted. We identified key companies active in developing this concept. We then analysed how real an opportunity this was, what technical challenges existed and which companies could be approached by our client as a potential partner.

Case Study 2

A major US multinational commissioned us to manage a two-year programme for them on vitrification, starting with a detailed analysis of alternative strategies for entering a new business field; undertaking day-to-day project management of a European start-up team; negotiating a collaborative development programme with potential partners; and submitting a programme for EUREKA funding.

Case Study 3

We were asked to assist a US Materials Technology company to help focus their development effort on a new composite material. We therefore undertook an assessment of different technology capabilities versus application requirements for their consideration.

Case Study 4

We were commissioned to undertake an investigation into the size of the opportunity for small-scale distributed power applications in village communities in the Third World, as part of a programme to evaluate business opportunities for a photo-voltaic technology.

Case Study 5

A US Start-Up asked us to undertake a critical review of the process capabilities of a catalytic extraction technology for waste management applications, and an assessment of opportunities in Japan and Europe.

Case Study 6

We undertook a competitive benchmarking analysis of a French membrane water treatment system against Japanese and US competitors as a prelude to advising on investment or disposal of this operating division of a large international company.