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- PharmAust’s (PAA) subsidiary, Epichem, finishes building its benchtop flow reactor for waste to fuels technology
- The technology is considered a world first, with the potential to turn a wide range of waste and biomass feedstock into valuable fuels, fine chemicals, ethanol and fertilisers
- This was partly funded from the Western Australian Government New Industries’ $200,000 grant to support the development of a new process for e-waste and reduce the amount in landfill
- Epichem says it’s in discussions with several mining and fertiliser stakeholders for the use of its OHD Technology
- Company shares last traded at 9.1 cents on August 2
PharmAust’s (PAA) subsidiary, Epichem, has finished building its benchtop flow reactor for waste to fuels technology.
The Oxidative Hydrothermal Dissolution (OHD) Flow Reactor is located at Epichem’s laboratory at Technology Park in WA. The technology is considered a world first, with its potential to turn a wide range of waste and biomass feedstock into valuable fuels, fine chemicals, ethanol and fertilisers.
The reactor will also have the potential to convert plastics into renewable fuels, coal into diesel, and rubber tyres into liquid fuels and valuable chemical products.
The benchtop flow reactor will be carbon neutral, environmentally sustainable, and use oxygen and water at high temperature and pressure to break down input materials.
Epichem OHD will advance the technology using biomass and feedstock flow reactor material science. The company says the technology has the potential to create new revenue streams from the removal of organic waste while reducing landfill.
Part of this will be funded from the Western Australian Government New Industries’ $200,000 fund it was granted in 2021 to support the development of a new process for e-waste and reduce the amount in landfill.
Colin La Galia, Epichem’s CEO, said the company it is encouraging to have achieved this milestone of the flow reactor being set up and operational.
“The flow reactor has the potential to help deal with converting and re-purposing waste,” said Colin La Galia.
“It has the ability to create a new innovative and disruptive technology in Australia, can be scaled up for a range of industry partners and create employment in WA and Australia.”
Epichem says it’s in discussions with several mining and fertiliser stakeholders for the use of its OHD Technology.
Company shares last traded at 9.1 cents on August 2.
