Page 49 - European Energy Innovation - Spring 2017 publication

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