A comparative assessment of waste incinerators in the UK

The uptake in Europe of Energy from Waste (EfW) incinerator plants has increased rapidly in recent years. In the UK, 25 municipal waste incinerators with energy recovery are now in operation; however, their waste supply chains and business practices vary significantly. With over a hundred more plant developments being considered it is important to establish best business practices for ensuring efficient environmental and operational performance. By reviewing the 25 plants we identify four suitable case study plants to compare technologies (moving grate, fluidised bed and rotary kiln), plant economics and operations. Using data collected from annual reports and through interviews and site visits we provide recommendations for improving the supply chain for waste incinerators and highlight the current issues and challenges faced by the industry. We find that plants using moving grate have a high availability of 87–92%. However, compared to the fluidised bed and rotary kiln, quantities of bottom ash and emissions of hydrogen chloride and carbon monoxide are high. The uptake of integrated recycling practices, combined heat and power, and post incineration non-ferrous metal collections needs to be increased among EfW incinerators in the UK. We conclude that one of the major difficulties encountered by waste facilities is the appropriate selection of technology, capacity, site, waste suppliers and heat consumers. This study will be of particular value to EfW plant developers, government authorities and researchers working within the sector of waste management.     

A Baumol–Oates approach to solid waste taxation

A national Baumol–Oates tax on waste in Denmark helped achieve a reduction of 26% in net solid waste from 1987 to 1998. The tax, which is levied per ton of waste, was particularly effective as regards the heavier waste streams such as construction waste and garden waste. When it comes to industrial and commercial waste, there are indications that the waste tax is not sufficiently significant to induce changes in behavior, and that except for very waste-intensive enterprises, companies do not seem to be very price sensitive. For household waste, the impact of the tax can be improved where tariffs for garbage collection are weight based, rather than per unit. However, the waste sector is an area in which the price signals are modified and filtered by institutionalized practices in municipal administration, and in which true-cost pricing is not easy to achieve. Hence, the rational choice assumption of environmental economics needs to be supplemented by an institutional dimension to interpret responses to environmental taxes correctly. Received: July 13, 2001 / Accepted: October 2, 2001     

Mass balance of arsenic and antimony in municipal waste incinerators

The arsenic and antimony balance in two municipal waste incinerators was investigated. Initially, the production rates of ash and wet scrubber effluent were estimated. Then the arsenic and antimony in the ash and wet scrubber effluent were determined, which gave an estimate of the elemental balance. The total amounts of arsenic and antimony in the municipal waste were 0.9 g/t and 30–44 g/t, respectively. The distributions to fly ash were 45–47% and 33–74% for arsenic and antimony, respectively. The distribution mechanisms of arsenic and antimony are discussed from the viewpoints of their thermodynamics as well as their initial valencies, which greatly affect their behaviour. Received: July 2, 1998 / Accepted: February 27, 1999     

Environmental impacts of residual Municipal Solid Waste incineration: A comparison of 110 French incinerators using a life cycle approach

Incineration is the main option for residual Municipal Solid Waste treatment in France. This study compares the environmental performances of 110 French incinerators (i.e. 85% of the total number of plants currently in activity in France) in a Life Cycle Assessment perspective, considering 5 non-toxic impact categories: climate change, photochemical oxidant formation, particulate matter formation, terrestrial acidification and marine eutrophication. Mean, median and lower/upper impact potentials are determined considering the incineration of 1 tonne of French residual Municipal Solid Waste. The results highlight the relatively large variability of the impact potentials as a function of the plant technical performances. In particular, the climate change impact potential of the incineration of 1 tonne of waste ranges from a benefit of ?58 kg CO₂-eq to a relatively large burden of 408 kg CO₂-eq, with 294 kg CO₂-eq as the average impact. Two main plant-specific parameters drive the impact potentials regarding the 5 non-toxic impact categories under study: the energy recovery and delivery rate and the NO_x process-specific emissions. The variability of the impact potentials as a function of incinerator characteristics therefore calls for the use of site-specific data when required by the LCA goal and scope definition phase, in particular when the study focuses on a specific incinerator or on a local waste management plan, and when these data are available.     

多氯联苯电容器焚烧系统预处理装置的工程设计

介绍了多氯联苯电力电容器焚烧系统预处理装置的工程设计及多氯联苯电力电容器切割装置实用新型专利技术 (专利号 96 115 4 4 9.7)的具体实施情况 ,并借鉴国外处理固体废物设备的设计 ,对切割后的电力电容器进行分选     

危险废物回转窑焚烧系统的工艺设计

介绍杭州市危险废物回转窑焚烧处理示范工程的一期规模、工艺流程及主要设备的设计方法。     

废弃物焚烧中二恶英类的发生与对策

重点探讨和论述了废弃物焚烧过程中极毒物质二恶英类的毒理,生成机构及生成途径,并从工程应用中提出了相应的对策.     

宁波市城市污水处理厂污泥处置方案探讨

随着城市污水处理率提高导致的污水污泥产量的增长趋势也使得污水污泥的处理问题更为突出。在总结国内外城市污泥处置技术发展趋势的基础上,结合宁波市的实际情况,根据无害化、减量化和资源化的原则,提出城市污泥近远期处置方案,并对处置方案作出可行性分析。     

医疗废物焚烧中二恶英的产生及控制

医疗废物的安全处置一直被世界各国所重视,我国自SARS灾难后,强化了医疗废物的治理力度。本文针对目前主要采用焚烧法处置医疗废物过程中二恶英的生成途径进行了论述,并结合二恶英的分子结构、毒性及危害提出了控制对策与建议。     

城市生活垃圾焚烧发电的现状及发展对策

分析了城市生活垃圾焚烧处理的国内外现状和意义,针对近年来新建和在建的垃圾焚烧发电项目或多或少面临的被抵制局面,提出了对策。