A proposal to combat climate change by utilising municipal waste netted a group of engineers from our London office top prize in a competition organised by IMechE (Institute of Mechanical Engineers).
The ‘Cooling The Planet’ competition asked for teams to think of an idea that would help combat climate change either through a geo-engineering or mitigation solution.
The winning suggestion from Planet AECOM (as the team were named) proposed closing the carbon cycle by using Waste to Biochar and Hydro-Pyrolysis technology.
This would allow organic waste streams to be diverted from land-fill to a network of pyrolysis plants. The syngas produced in the process could then be used as fuel, whilst the biochar can be used in agriculture to enrich soils and sequester carbon stably in the ground.
Planet AECOM’s Peter Armitage said: “Our aim was to find a solution that didn’t create new problems so we considered the whole process and not just the hydro-pyrolysis technology.
“This idea uses proven technologies and could be integrated in the existing waste collection schemes and the existing petroleum infrastructure.”
The Faber Maunsell team had to present their idea to the Institution of Mechanical Engineers accompanied by a 20-page written report sent to the judges beforehand.
They were praised by the judges for their clear understanding of the whole process, passion for engineering and their infectious enthusiasm. Each team member received a winning certificate, £500 and praise from the IMECHE members.
Team member Fabia Pennington added: “It was very tough competition and we all feel very proud that the IMechE members chose our proposal.”
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