Environmental and socio-economic assessment of co-combustion of coal, biomass and non-hazardous wastes in a Power Plant

Under the framework of the European project named COPOWER, the possibility to partially substitute coal used in a 243 MWth Power Plant by biomass and non-hazardous wastes for the production of electricity and steam was assessed. Three combustion scenarios were studied, based on the combustion tests performed in a Power Plant located in Duisburg (Germany): Scenario 0 (Sc0) – combustion of coal; Scenario 1 (Sc1) – combustion of coal + sewage sludge (SS) + meat and bone meal (MBM); Scenario 2 (Sc2) – coal + SS + wood pellets (WP). An environmental and socio-economic assessment of these three scenarios was performed. In the environmental point of view, Sc0 was the worst scenario, mainly due to the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG). Sc1 was the best scenario, mainly due to the reduction of GHG emission, eutrophication chemical species and ozone depletion gases. In the socio-economic point of view, Sc0 was the worst scenario, mainly due to the absence of GHG abatement, and Sc1 was the best scenario due to the best cost of electricity production and negative cost of avoided emissions.

• We performed an environmental and socio-economic assessment to 3 combustion scenarios.
• Combustion of coal is the worst scenario due to the high emission levels of GHG.
• Combustion of coal+SS+MBM shows lower levels of GHG/eutrophication/ozone depletion.
• Combustion of coal+SS+WP shows a slightly positive result.