Anthracene - A crystalline hydrocarbon, C14H10, extracted from tar and used in the manufacture of dyes and organic chemicals.

Benzo[a]pyrene - a yellow, crystalline aromatic carcinogenic hydrocarbon, C20H12, consisting of five fused benzene rings, produced by incomplete combustion of organic material, as coal, petroleum, or tobacco.

Bio-char or Char - is the solid remains after the gasification of biomass. This material is a carbon-rich fertiliser (if sourced from uncontaminated biomass) and has the potential to be sold, improving the economy of the process

Biomass – is matter derived from plants and animals and is a source of stored solar energy and concentrated plant nutrients. Biomasses contain mostly carbon, oxygen, hydrogen with smaller amounts of nitrogen, sulphur and phosphorous.

Base load power generation - is where the day time product is very similar to the night power generation. Base load power sometimes means the minimum amount of power that an electricity distribution company must take at night

Butane - a colourless, flammable hydrocarbon gas, C4H10, a saturated aliphatic existing in two isometric forms: produced synthetically from petroleum and used as a refrigerant, and aerosol propellant and in the manufacture of synthetic rubber.

Catalyst - a substance that causes or accelerates a chemical reaction without itself being affected

Cresols - any of three poisonous colourless crystalline or liquid isomeric phenols C7H8O usually derived from coal tar and wood tar that are used as disinfectants, in making phenolic resins and plasticizers, and in organic synthesis

Combined Cycle - is characteristic of a power plant that uses both a gas engine and captures the waste heat from that engine and uses that in a heat engine. Heat engines are only able to use a portion of the energy their fuel generates (usually less than 50%). The remaining heat (e.g., hot exhaust fumes) from combustion is generally wasted. Combining two or more thermodynamic cycles, results in improved overall efficiency.

In a combined cycle power plant, a gas engine and generator producing electricity and the waste heat is used to make steam to generate additional electricity via a turbine; this last step enhances the efficiency of electricity generation. The waste heat from the gas engines and steam / heat turbines are used in the dryer and drying floor. Plus the heat generated from the station can be utilised by supplying hot water / refrigeration to nearby properties.

Demand Power - is the maximum (or peak) power requirements of customers. In summer this occurs between 12 noon and 7 pm in the evening. In winter there is typically a breakfast peak between 6 am and 9 am and a dinner peak between 4 and 8 pm. Demand power generation is where the generation in the peak is many times the night time off peak generation. Power Distribution Company’s typically pay more for demand power

Dioxin - a group of carcinogenic pollutants created as by-products in many industrial processes (as pesticide manufacture, paper milling and waste incineration). Dioxins accumulate in human tissue and affect human metabolism. Eliminating dioxins is an important goal of environmental policy.

Gasification - is the thermal decomposition of carbonaceous materials in the partial absence of oxygen. This produces a synthesis gas (syngas) and char

Greenhouse gases - are gases in an atmosphere that absorb and emit radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect. The main greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere are water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone.

GreenPower – is a national government accreditation program for renewable energy which is bought by energy retailers on the consumer’s behalf. Renewable energy is generated from sources like mini hydro, wind power and biomass which produce no net greenhouse gas emissions.

The consumer pays a few cents extra each day for GreenPower in addition to their electricity account which is invested in the renewable energy sector. Because GreenPower meets the highest environmental standards, the ‘tick’ logo tells consumers the renewable energy they are supporting is the best choice for the environment. The government GreenPower program organise independent auditing of energy retailers’ sales and purchases, making sure retailers are investing in renewable energy on the consumer’s behalf.

Halogens - any of the electronegative elements, fluorine, chlorine, iodine, bromine, and astatine, that form binary salts by direct union with metals

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) - is garbage which includes residential, commercial, and institutional wastes. MSW typically contains around 50 to 90% biomass (wetter, warm climates produce a higher proportion of garden green waste, hence more biomass).

Phenol - also called carbolic acid, hydroxybenzene, oxybenzene, phenylic acid. A white, crystalline, water-soluble, poisonous mass, C6H5OH, obtained from coal and wood tar, or a hydroxyl derivative of benzene: used chiefly as a disinfectant, as an antiseptic, and in organic synthesis.

Propane - a heavy flammable gaseous alkane C3H8 found in crude petroleum and natural gas and used especially as fuel and in chemical synthesis

Pyrolysis - is the thermal decomposition of carbonaceous materials in the absence of oxygen

Quenching - the process of removing heat rapidly from a gas

Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) - is MSW with some of the recyclables and non-combustibles removed, and the waste is then shredded offering the potential for better energy recovery. RDF facilities typically process between 100 and 3000 tonnes of MSW per day.

Reducing condition – low oxygen concentration

Renewable Energy – is energy that never runs out and is derived from sources that cannot be depleted or energy that can be replaced, for example solar, wind, biomass (waste), wave and hydro. Renewable sources produce much lower levels of greenhouse gas pollution.

Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) - is an electronic, tradeable commodity equal to 1 Megawatt hour of renewable energy generation. A REC is similar to a share certificate as it represents a unit of value and may be traded for financial return.

Scrubber - a device or process for removing pollutants from smoke or gas produced by burning high-sulfur fuels.

Syngas - Synthesis gas (or syngas) is a mixture of hydrogen, carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide, and small amounts of methane and nitrogen. It has an energy content per cubic meter about 20% of natural gas and is toxic due to its CO concentration

Tarry compounds – Aromatic ringed compounds with a molecular weight above 92.

Tar - A dark, oily, viscous material, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons, produced by the destructive distillation of organic substances such as wood, coal, or peat.

VOCs - Volatile organic compounds - (formaldehyde or gasoline) that evaporate quickly especially from solvents, adhesives, fuels, or industrial wastes and that contribute to photochemical smog in the atmosphere