Dr. Ella Stengler, Managing Director, CEWEP
“The vast majority of European WtE plants are equipped with grate furnace. This technology is proven since decades. It is very robust, which means it can deal with the heterogenous composition of the waste feedstock.
State-of-the-art WtE plants are equipped with complex flue gas cleaning systems, guaranteeing that the emissions are kept very low.”
In her interview with Water and Waste magazine, Dr. Ella Stengler, Managing Director, CEWEP elaborates on these and other critical issues.
The full interview is provided below:
- What’s the current situation of Waste to Energy in Europe ?
There are currently about 500 WtE plants operating in Europe, treating around 100 million tonnes of residual waste. Residual waste means municipal and similar waste that is not good enough for recycling. From this amount of waste they generate around 35,000 GWh of electricity and 88,000 GWh of heat each year. This corresponds to the needs of more than 20 million people for electricity, and more than 17 million for heat.
- Which is the main WTE technology that is used?
The vast majority of European WtE plants are equipped with grate furnace. This technology is proven since decades. It is very robust, which means it can deal with the heterogenous composition of the waste feedstock.
State-of-the-art WtE plants are equipped with complex flue gas cleaning systems, guaranteeing that the emissions are kept very low.
A recent publication from the European Environment Agency[1] showed that the total emissions from WtE facilities have remained stable and are even bound to decrease, despite the significant increase in waste treated over the years. This shows that the sector is committed to its hygienic task: destroying the pollutants embedded in the residual waste while keeping emissions to absolute minimum.
- What are the main advantages and disadvantages of WTE?
Advantages: Proven technology, low emissions, strictly regulated and monitored. Reliable treatment of waste that is not good enough for recycling. This helps to keep the circular economy clean.
At the same time local energy is generated, contributing to secure and affordable energy supply. This helps to replace fossil fuels, hence contributing to Europe’s climate targets. Furthermore, from the bottom ash, the left over from the incineration process, metals are recycled and the mineral part can be used as secondary raw material for construction purposes.
Disadvantages:
WtE has its costs. The flue gas cleaning system for instance is expensive, but this guarantees the low emissions and the good environmental performance of WtE plants. However, landfill, which would be the alternative for residual waste is also not cheap considering the long-term impacts and after-care period of landfills. And of course there are environmental costs. We should not waste the energy and materials embedded in the waste by landfilling it.
The other challenge for WtE is public acceptance. There are some myths around WtE, particularly in regions where it is not well known.
- What’s your advise for a successful implementation of 6 WtE plants in Greece?
It is important to build up an integrated waste management system. This means source separation should be implemented in order to make quality recycling possible. Also recycling infrastructure is necessary. The residual (non-recyclable) waste should go to energy recovery. Waste that can be used for material or energy recovery should not go to landfills. If this is not ensured in a country there is no planning and investment security for state-of-the-art WtE plants and reliance on large landfills will remain.
- Describe us the role of CEWEP .
CEWEP is the European umbrella association representing the operators of WtE plants.
Members are committed to high environmental standards and state-of-the-art energy and material recovery.
CEWEP acts as a kind of translator and facilitator between the EU decision makers and the practical world of WtE.
Conclusion:
While its share of municipal waste treatment has stabilised at EU level, the WtE sector remains in constant development at local level. In the Nordic countries and in Western Europe, the existing plants are upgrading their energy and material efficiency and looking into climate change mitigation efforts. In Central and Eastern Europe, there are multiple projects to build new plants in order to divert waste from landfills and to decarbonise the local heat networks. Much remains to be done in Southern Europe, but recent developments such as the ongoing WtE projects in Rome and Malta show that local authorities acknowledge the role that WtE can play in an integrated waste management system.
[1] https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/european-zero-pollution-dashboards/indicators/pollutant-emissions-from-waste-incineration-indicator
