Page 52 - European Energy Innovation - Spring 2017 publication
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52 Spring 2017 European Energy Innovation
WASTE-TO-ENERGY
The future of Waste-to-Energy
By Patrick Clerens and Natalia Walczak, ESWET
legislation with ambitious recycling
targets – by 2030 65% of municipal
waste should be effectively recycled,
not only send to recycling. It is
important to note that part of the
material sent to recycling plants is not
recyclable and sometimes as much as
10% is rejected and has to be landfilled
or incinerated.
Year 2016 was an important due to technological reasons or Taking into account that landfill should
time for the Waste-to- contamination. As a result, it helps to be phased out, it is very likely that the
Energy sector. Works on phase out landfilling. overall volume of waste to be treated
the EU Circular Economy thermally could even increase, as also
Package and the Communication on In addition, as a reliable source of stated in a study by the Joint Research
Waste-to-Energy were a good time electricity and heat it contributes Centre of the European Commission:
to reflect on the role and the future to the energy market and increases “‘(…)despite the existing potential
of this technology in Europe. Being security of supply by replacing fossil for waste prevention and reduced
part of both waste management and fuels. It also contributes to resource generation of these streams through
energy generation, how can it further efficiency – Waste-to-Energy plants better and more widespread source-
improve its contribution to these areas? recover metals that would be otherwise separated collection, energy recovery
And asking even a more fundamental lost, and the bottom ash that remains is likely to increase to support the
question: is there any need for Waste- after the incineration can be used as an necessary massive diversion from
to-Energy in the future at all? aggregate for construction. landfill. Moreover, higher recycling
rates for other waste types may lead
BENEFITS OF WASTE-TO-ENERGY HOW MUCH WASTE WILL WE HAVE? to a further increase in the generation
Prevention of waste generation, According to Eurostat statistics, in 2014 of sorting residues, unless the quality
reuse and recycling of materials is each EU citizen generated on average of the materials collected separately at
rightly promoted as the core of waste 475 kg of waste. Out of this amount, source improves.’”.
management in the EU. But what 28% was recycled and another 28%
to do with the waste that makes no landfilled, 27% incinerated and 16% Assuming that the ambitious recycling
sense to be recycled? Should this be composted. targets are met in 2030, it will be still
landfilled? No! Waste-to-Energy is a necessary to deal with 30-35% of
complementary solution that deals The European Commission proposed municipal waste. And the commercial
with waste unsuitable for recycling in December 2015 revised waste and industrial waste that needs to be
treated is not even included in these
targets…
WILL WASTE STREAMS CHANGE?
Waste-to-Energy plants are designed
to operate with various waste input.
As any fuel, also waste has its calorific
value that differ depending on the type.
Unsorted municipal waste, with a lot of
wet matter (mainly biomass), has lower
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