Page 49 - European Energy Innovation - Spring 2017 publication
P. 49
Spring 2017 European Energy Innovation 49
WASTE MANAGEMENT
along with the combustion of wastes uncertainty about the exact effects had recent setbacks, with companies
on a large scale; highlighting a of Brexit on RDF export. Changes to entering administration and the notable
substantial movement towards a more the exchange rate will cause minor failure of 2x 350,000 tonne per year
sustainable resource management fluctuations, whilst changes to, and gasification plants in the North East of
society. Recovering energy from differences in, regulations may present England. This adds to the argument
wastes has a number of benefits, further challenges. UK-based RDF that smaller-scale facilities present the
mainly in reducing the volumes of exporters will need to meet any most viable way forward for ATT.
wastes which can otherwise not be EU requirements, potentially in the
practically or economically recycled form of a quality standard including Innovation and paradigm shifts could
and in producing clean energy as a composition, if RDF is to continue to complement the development of
substitute to pure fossil-derived energy. move from a non-EU member state to smaller scale ATT. One such example
Energy security is much talked about a member state. Another way in which is in the recovery of secondary raw
in the movement towards renewable RDF export could be affected is the
and cleaner energy sources. Whilst expected growth in the total capacity Dr Stuart Wagland, Lecturer in
not completely renewable due to the of thermal treatment within the UK, Renewable Energy from Waste,
plastic content of waste, waste is a which subject to being economically Cranfield University
secure source of energy. However, the favourable over export, could see RDF Dr Wagland is a Chartered Chemist
appropriate technology is required and being retained within the UK. RDF is, with over 12 years’ experience in the
the need to recover recyclable material generally, more homogeneous than waste and resource management
needs careful consideration. unprocessed municipal waste and has sector. He is the course director
a higher calorific value. Municipal waste of the MSc Energy from Waste
In 2009 the UK managed 11% of its contains high-moisture food waste, programme at Cranfield University
municipal wastes through thermal which is unfavourable in thermal energy and has previously contributed to
energy from waste [EfW] facilities; recovery, so RDF is a higher quality fuel the development of a UK business
today over 26% is managed in this overall. This quality, along with being case for the next generation of
way. For EU member states a similar more homogeneous, means that it is an energy from waste technologies.
increase has been observed, with the ideal feedstock for advanced thermal His current work combines
amount of waste per capita sent for treatment [ATT] processes. enhanced landfill mining and energy
thermal treatment almost doubling from waste technologies, with a
since 1995 levels (from 67 to 128 kg/ Gasification and pyrolysis, collectively specific focus on real-time waste
capita). The case for thermal energy termed ATT, have potential benefits characterisation and the recovery of
from waste processes is also evident in over incineration such as the scale of valuable commodities from mixed
the amount of waste exported from the such processes and the flexibility in wastes through thermal conversion.
UK to fuel plants located in mainland the way in which the energy is utilised.
Europe, at cost (current prices paid by For instance, the energy-rich gases
UK producers is around €60 per tonne). (syn-gas) can either be combusted
The fuel leaving the UK has been directly, with cleaning can be used
processed to various degrees, so has as a fuel in gas engines/turbines, it
been shredded and some recyclables can be stored, or it can be processed
(mostly metals) removed, therefore this to produce liquid fuels or chemicals.
is termed ‘refuse-derived fuels’ [RDF]. The liquid fuels can be very versatile,
Since 2010, when less than 100,000 and yield higher commercial benefits
tonnes were exported, the export of than the direct energy recovery route.
RDF has grown to around 3 million These facilities can viably operate at
tonnes in 2016. Over half of this goes a lower scale than combustion, thus
to the Netherlands. recent research by Cranfield University,
funded by the Energy Technologies
The export of RDF from the UK is likely Institute [ETI], concluded that the
to be affected in a number of ways, development of town-scale facilities
one of which being the impending represented a key opportunity in the
exit from Europe (“Brexit”). There is UK. Unfortunately, ATT in the UK has
www.europeanenergyinnovation.eu
