Waste to energy – An evaluation of the environmental impact

The thermal treatment of waste with the heat recovery (Waste to Energy – WTE) provides us with clean and reliable energy in the form of heat as well as power. This has contributed to primary energy savings in conventional utility systems. Impact of WTE regarding the environmental issue is quantified in this paper. The evaluation focuses on the calculation of primary energy savings. A novel methodology is proposed. Then an assessment of the emission rate is made and results discussed. Real up-to-date municipal solid waste incinerator with nominal capacity 100 kt/y is involved in a case study. Benefit of its operation has been compared with other up-to-date utility concepts.