Pyrolysis as a Promising Environmental Technology

Industrial waste management at remote construction and mining sites is traditionally associated with enormous logistical costs. When production sites are located in hard-to-reach regions, such as the Yamal Peninsula or deep in Siberia, engaging third-party contractors for waste removal and disposal becomes not only difficult but also economically unviable. In this webinar, ecologist Lilia Chanysheva analyzes a practical case study of a large construction company transitioning to the independent processing of carbon-containing waste.

The Problem of Remote Sites: Logistics and Costs

Using the development of the Kovykta field in the Irkutsk region as an example, the speaker demonstrates the scale of the problem. Over a year, the site generates about 4,000 cubic meters of carbon-containing waste, of which 71% are rubber products (tires, inner tubes), 20% are oil-containing waste, and 9% are waste oils. The cost of transferring this volume to third-party organizations exceeded 64 million rubles per year. The search for an alternative led to the need to implement local disposal technologies.

Choosing the Technology: Low-Temperature Pyrolysis

Among the solutions available on the market, the choice was made in favor of a mobile low-temperature pyrolysis unit. The presentation details the key advantages of this method for harsh climatic conditions:

• Environmental safety: The process occurs without oxygen access and direct combustion, which eliminates the formation of new toxic compounds. Emissions are less than 0.1 – 0.4 MPC (Maximum Permissible Concentration), which is confirmed by the state environmental expert review.
• Autonomy: The unit operates using the pyrolysis gas and fuel generated during the process, minimizing external energy consumption. Excess gas is safely burned in afterburner chambers.
• Mobility and absence of SPZ: The 17-ton module is easily transported by low-loader trawls. Since the unit is mobile and emissions are minimal, it does not require the establishment of a sanitary protection zone (SPZ), which is critical for rapid deployment at new sites.

Project Economics and Practical Operation

The speaker openly shares the financial indicators of the implementation. Total capital expenditures amounted to about 72 million rubles, of which 15 million went to the unit itself, and the main part (40 million) went to site and infrastructure preparation. With operating costs of 16 million rubles per year, the annual economic effect is estimated at 32 million. The payback period of the project is 3 – 3.5 years, which saves over 260 million rubles compared to contractor services.

In practice, servicing the module requires only two operators per shift. An important technological advantage was the ability to load large-sized tires whole, without preliminary shredding. By-products are also returned to business circulation: the ash and mineral residue is used for road filling, and the metal cord is handed over as scrap metal.

What you will learn from this webinar:

• How to justify the absence of the need for a sanitary protection zone for a mobile disposal unit?
• What makes up the real capital costs for launching a pyrolysis module in the Far North?
• How to organize the processing of large tires without purchasing expensive shredders?
• How are pyrolysis by-products (gas, ash) integrated into the internal processes of the enterprise?
• What technical difficulties can be encountered when launching equipment in low-temperature conditions?