Thermal Depolymerization

This article deals with Thermal Depolymerization as it relates to NationStates. For more general information, see the Wikipedia article on this subject.

Developed by Kaukolastan to meet the rising fuel demands with falling fuel reserves, Thermal Depolymerization, better known as TDP, is a postmodern tech that allows the nation to produce low grade fossil fuels from biological waste products, ranging from food to even toxic waste. It also serves to recycle old fossil fuels and plastics into crude form again, allowing up to an 85% reclamation of fuel.

Kaukolastan uses this tech to produce oil like an OPEC nation, though it possesses no internal reserve. It is good to remember, though, that TDP only produces low grade fuels from biological waste, and while incredibly efficient at oil reclamation and plastics production, is not quite a "free oil now" technology.

These industries are more massive than their conventional drilling/refining compatriots, and the process is risky, as it involves high temperatures and pressures on fossil fuels. This is not cheap process, so the price of oil never did bottom out as expected, but it did drop significantly in Kaukolastan, and has allowed the nation to continue to export oil, as well as lease the technology. However, TDP facilities, with their high polution and symbolism of a never-ending fossil fuel age, have become a prime target of environmental protest, and the ISA has had to guard them closely. The technology is on lease to the other Directorate nations.

Other NS nations, such as Vrak and Allanea have developed similar technologies. TDP Tech Inc, a venture firm composed of serveral Vrakian oil companies has exported the technology via limited licences to Oglethorpia, Barbarosea, and other nations.