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The status of waste management and waste to energy for district heating in South Korea
Abstract
This paper focuses on waste management and waste to energy (WTE) for district heating in S. Korea. The chemical formula for the materials disposed of in volume base waste fee (VBWF) bags that are processed in WTE plants was calculated as: C 6 H 9.9 O 2.3 , with a heat of formation of 27.6 MJ/kg. The average heating value for the 35 WTE plants was 9.7 MJ/kg, and the average amount of energy recovered was calculated at 1.5 MWh/ton waste processed. 22 of the 35 WTE plants comply with the limits of the R1 formula for energy recovery plants (R1 > 0.61), as introduced by the EU. It was estimated that 8% of the district heating demand is provided by WTE in S. Korea. WTE plants can contribute to about 0.6% to the total electricity demand of S. Korea and aid the efforts of the nation to phase out the dependence on fossil fuels. The average dioxin emissions of all WTE plants were 0.005 ng TEQ/Nm 3 (limit:0.1 ng TEQ/Nm 3), and most of the other pollutants examined indicated a tenfold to hundred-fold lower emissions than the national and the EU standards. S. Korea indicated an improved performance in sustainable waste management, with combined recycling/ composting and WTE rates of about 80%, as compared to the average of the EU-28 with 65%, and the US with 36.5%, even if the EU and the US had higher GDP/capita (PPP) than S. Korea.
... Similarly, scientists from the North Carolina State University, used a comprehensive list of waste materials to develop a solid waste optimization life-cycle framework [10], and later on a streamlined life cycle analysis (LCA) for solid waste management systems [11], but also, to evaluate recycling facilities [12]. Other studies have focused on the potential of waste materials to produce energy and recyclable materials, by conducting country-or city-level assessments [13][14][15][16], or by evaluating different life cycle scenarios in regard to policy directions, such as the circular economy [17][18][19][20][21]. However, the focus was again on the specific waste materials, and not on products consumed. ...
... During summer, the heat is provided for district cooling purposes. Similar is the situation in S. Korea, where WTE contributes significantly to the DH demand of the nation [13,20,42,43]. The United Nations Environment Programme identifies modern district energy as the most effective approach for many cities in the transition to sustainable heating and cooling, by improving energy efficiency and enabling higher shares of renewables. ...
This study uses the U.S. EPA data and classification of products, which includes three main categories: durables with a lifetime over 3 years, non-durables with a lifetime below 3 years, and containers and packages, which are consumed within one year. It builds connections between the management of waste products and the energy sector, by evaluating the potential contribution of such products to the U.S. energy grid, and assessing the opportunity to substitute fossil fuels, both for electricity and residential heat production. Finally, this study conducts a vis-à-vis comparison between the U.S. and the EU progress on waste management, and the associated GHG emissions. Sankey diagrams were produced to represent the flows of products management from 1990 to 2018, and the results were assessed by considering the amounts produced, the composition, and the disposition methods used, the energy potential of waste products landfilled, and the associated greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions. The results indicate that the recycling of containers and packages have increased significantly during the 28-year period and became the dominant method of managing such products in the U.S. in 2015. Durable and non-durable products are mainly landfilled, and the situation has remained unchanged in the 2010s. Assuming that 30% of waste products landfilled in the U.S. were combusted for energy instead, it would have resulted in the substitution of
... Because of the improved lifestyle and urbanization, the quantity of municipal solid waste (MSW) is increasing all over the globe [6]. A recent report from the World Bank shows that around 2.2 billion tons of MSW will be generated by the year 2025, which is almost twice the amount produced in 2010 [7]. ...
... Tar concentration (g/Nm 3 ) = {(Mass of activated carbon before the experiment − Mass of activated carbon after the experiment) ÷ Total gas flow} (6) In this study, gas pollutants were measured in accordance with the Korean standard method for air pollution measurement titled measurement of inorganic materials in emission gases [30]. This method traps pollutants in suitable cold organic solvents or adsorbents. ...
Solid recovered fuel (SRF) residue, which is leftovers from the SRF manufacturing process, usually is discarded in landfill because of its low heating value and high ash and moisture content. However, it could be used as a fuel after mechanical and biological treatment. Gasification experiments were conducted on treated SRF residue (TSRFR) to assess the viability of syngas production. Efforts were also made to improve the gasification performance by adding low-cost natural minerals such as dolomite and lime as bed material, and by blending with biomass waste. In the case of additive mineral tests, dolomite showed better performance compared to lime, and in the case of biomass blends, a 25 wt% pine sawdust blend with TSRFR showed the best performance. Finally, as an appropriate condition, a combined experiment was conducted at an equivalence ratio (ER) of 0.2 using a 25 wt% pine sawdust blend with TSRFR as a feedstock and dolomite as the bed material. The highest dry gas yield (1.81 Nm3/kg), with the highest amount of syngas (56.72 vol%) and highest lower heating value (9.55 MJ/Nm3) was obtained in this condition. Furthermore, the highest cold gas efficiency (48.64%) and carbon conversion rate (98.87%), and the lowest residue yield (11.56%), tar (0.95 g/Nm3), and gas pollutants content was observed.
... The heterogeneity of solid fuel, health and environmental constraints, profitability, among other limitations, make the design and operations of the WTE plant considerably complex. For instance, the complexity of thermal treatment-based WTE plants can be attributed to the application of more efficient pyrolysis, gasification, combustion and flue gas cleaning technologies [34]. ...
... In East Asia, thermal WTE plants are also becoming popular, particularly in countries like China, Japan and South Korea [31]. For instance, according to Bourtsalas et al. [34], in South Korea, a total of 35 WTE plants contribute about 8% and potentially 0.6% of the country's district heating and electricity demands, respectively. ...
Industry 4.0 and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technologies are rapidly fueling data and software solutions driven digitalization in many fields notably in industrial automation and manufacturing systems. Among the several benefits offered by these technologies, is the infrastructure for harnessing big-data, machine learning (ML) and cloud computing software tools, for instance in designing advanced data analytics platforms. Although, this is an area of increased interest, the information concerning the implementation of data analytics in the context of Industry 4.0 is scarcely available in scientific literature. Therefore, this work presents a process data analytics platform built around the concept of industry 4.0. The platform utilizes the state-of-the-art IIoT platforms, ML algorithms and big-data software tools. The platform emphasizes the use of ML methods for process data analytics while leveraging big-data processing tools and taking advantage of the currently available industrial grade cloud computing platforms. The industrial applicability of the platform was demonstrated by the development of soft sensors for use in a waste-to-energy (WTE) plant. In the case study, the work studied data-driven soft sensors to predict syngas heating value and hot flue gas temperature. Among the studied data-driven methods, the neural network-based NARX model demonstrated better performance in the prediction of both syngas heating value and flue gas temperature. The modeling results showed that, in cases where process knowledge about the process phenomena at hand is limited, data-driven soft sensors are useful tools for predictive data analytics.
... Not only does it provide facilities to make it easier to recycle waste, but the government is also investing in processing waste into electrical energy. South Korea utilises every chemical discarded in waste volumes to be processed into electricity generation, the output of which contributes 0.6% to South Korea's total electricity needs and is estimated at around 8% for district heating needs (Bourtsalas et al. 2019). ...
This article explores South Korea's waste management system, focusing on effective food waste management, a key factor contributing to the country's overall success in waste management. The effectiveness of the South Korean system has made it a case study model for government officials in other countries. This article uses qualitative methods, relying on journal references from the Scopus database, with additional references obtained through Harzing's Publish or Perish. The data analysis was conducted using VOSviewer, an application designed to visualize keywords across all the compiled references. The findings show that South Korea's renowned efficient waste management system focuses on key aspects such as Government Initiatives, Waste Segregation, Pay-as-You-Throw System, Recycling Facilities, Waste-to-Energy Plants, Public Awareness and Education, as well as Enforcement and Penalties. Indonesia needs to explore and adopt several initiatives and strategies for efficiently managing various types of waste. This imperative arises particularly in light of the UNEP Food Waste Index 2021 report, which reveals that Indonesia has emerged as the Southeast Asian country with the highest food waste production.
... The waste in Korea comprises of Paper (35.1%), Plastic (21.4%), Food (8.1%), Wood (1.6%), Rubber (0.9%), Leather (0.4%), Fabric (0.4 %) and others (32.1 %) [18]. Since the early 2000s, the Republic of Korea has maintained top-rank status for its municipal solid waste (MSW) recycling rate among OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) member countries. ...
Waste management is a grassroots level problem, and a decentralized and interdisciplinary approach is required to solve this problem. The exponentially growing population and the fast-changing socio-cultural behaviors of humans influencing mass production and consumption rates are not environmentally sustainable, and this explicitly defines the big picture in the solid waste management scenario. The emerging threat to the world is not only the alarming growth in the production of waste but also the unabating mismanagement of the waste we produce. This menace is troubling urban areas of both the developing and the developed nations with high population densities as waste management is often practiced as putting wastes away from immediate sight. After reviewing a few papers about the solid waste management practices around the world, it intrigued me to write how the best practices differ from the worst practices in waste management around Asian cities. In this paper, we assess solid waste management scenarios around four Asian cities and throw a light on the management practices that the best ones are doing differently to create a more sustainable urban environment for the residents. The countries that invest in a holistic evaluation of waste produced by their citizens and conduct proper research on how to manage wastes by utilizing locally available resources seem to perform better in the waste management sector.
... NOx plays a vital role in Korea's air quality management policies. In 2019, Korean incinerators emitted NOx at 30.5 ppm, which is 43.5% of the corresponding emission limit (70 ppm) [27]. From an administrative perspective, the emission-to-limit ratio represents the overall management level for that specific pollutant. ...
Waste incineration is a crucial component of waste management as it is the final stage of circular utilization and the initial phase of disposal. Effective waste management prioritizes energy recovery from waste and substantial waste volume reduction while committing to minimizing air pollutant emissions, particularly nitrogen oxides (NOx). This study involves an in-depth analysis of operational data from 44 incineration facilities in South Korea spanning 5 years, supplemented by empirical measurements from 14 sites. This study aimed to assess three key aspects of these incineration facilities: (1) waste volume reduction characteristics, (2) energy recovery capabilities, and (3) NOx emission reduction performance. We examined how these elements interact within the policy framework governing incinerator management in South Korea. Quantitatively, incinerating 100 tons of municipal waste resulted in a gain of 338.7 m3 in landfill capacity and recovery of 637.5 GJ of energy in the form of heat or electricity. Notably, South Korean incineration facilities significantly extend the lifespan of landfill sites, aligning closely with the objectives of the South Korean Ministry of Environment’s “No More Direct Landfilling of Household Waste Policy”. This positive outcome is further reinforced by the “Incineration Tax Reduction Policy”, which incentivizes active efforts toward energy recovery during incineration. Our study provides decision-makers with valuable insights for achieving a harmonious equilibrium between environmental sustainability and resource utilization, thereby contributing to the continuous improvement of policies aimed at South Korea’s vision of achieving a circular economy.
... The downside of this method is it can cause severe environmental issues for the surrounding area in terms of odor, human health, groundwater pollution, and Greenhouse Gas emissions. With the high population density, and the expansion of urban areas, available land for landfilling is narrowing [39] Landfill in developed countries is used for the disposal of incineration ash and mixed waste, with 25.5 -40% of total waste [15], [16], [36]- [38]. In Japan and Korea, with the high rate of incineration and policy on food waste management, the proportion of BSW in landfills is less than 1% [29], [40]. ...
... Overview Waste incineration with energy recovery is one of the most rapidly expanding approaches to treating mixed municipal solid waste (typically the residual part, not targeted for recycling), favoured for its effectiveness in reducing its mass (75 wt%), volume (90% v/v) and bioactivity (Christensen et al., 2011a(Christensen et al., , 2011bDalager et al., 2011;Hjelmar et al., 2011;Niessen, 2010). More than 500 municipal solid waste incinerators exist in Europe (Blasenbauer et al., 2020); approximately 75 in the US (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2019), 1200 in Japan (Amemiya, 2018), 172 in Korea (Bourtsalas et al., 2019) and 390 in China (Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (MoHURD), 2019), where the approach is fast becoming the dominant form of waste treatment . ...
Over the coming decades, a large additional mass of plastic waste will become available for recycling, as efforts increase to reduce plastic pollution and facilitate a circular economy. New infrastructure will need to be developed, yet the processes and systems chosen should not result in adverse effects on human health and the environment. Here, we present a rapid review and critical semi-quantitative assessment of the potential risks posed by eight approaches to recovering value during the resource recovery phase from post-consumer plastic packaging waste collected and separated with the purported intention of recycling. The focus is on the Global South, where there are more chances that high risk processes could be run below standards of safe operation. Results indicate that under non-idealised operational conditions, mechanical reprocessing is the least impactful on the environment and therefore most appropriate for implementation in developing countries. Processes known as ‘chemical recycling’ are hard to assess due to lack of real-world process data. Given their lack of maturity and potential for risk to human health and the environment (handling of potentially hazardous substances under pressure and heat), it is unlikely they will make a useful addition to the circular economy in the Global South in the near future. Inevitably, increasing circular economy activity will require expansion towards targeting flexible, multi-material and multilayer products, for which mechanical recycling has well-established limitations. Our comparative risk overview indicates major barriers to changing resource recovery mode from the already dominant mechanical recycling mode towards other nascent or energetic recovery approaches.
... Briefly, employing a low temperature for heat distribution is an important measure. Most of researches adopt this idea to design systems that can be integrated with the electricity grid [31,32], recycle waste heat [33][34][35], increase the utilisation of renewable sources [36,37], and meet the hygiene requirement [38]. In this paper, an electrified heating network, meeting the domestic heating demands, consists of a highly efficient GSHP and low efficient electric heaters. ...
Electrification in energy supply-demand plays a critical role in domestic heating and road transport, delivering an electrified community to reduce carbon emissions. This solution, however, places a significant power demand increase on the distribution networks. To ensure the security of electricity supply, an efficient energy system and energy demand reduction are essential. In this paper, a multi-vector community energy system, applying an electrified heating network, electric vehicle smart charging, community-scale peak shaving and photovoltaic (PV) generation, is demonstrated in three models to manage an electrified community. Firstly, a heating network model, comprising a central ground source heat pump, low-temperature district heating system, electric heaters and thermal storage, is established to measure the optimum distribution temperature. Next, an electrified community model illustrates hourly electricity demands and performances of a community energy system, which is then used to identify the required degree of housing thermal efficiency improvement (i.e., heating demand reduction). The third model evaluates decentralised PV/storage units to maintain the power demand below a targeted power. Modelling results show that the demand ratio of domestic hot water to space heating determines the distribution temperature, which indicates the temperature is increasing with growing housing thermal efficiency. Moreover, the electrification of a community could increase the peak power demand on the highest demand day by over five times, converting heating demands into electricity directly. This significant peak demand can be possibly reduced to only a 33% increase by employing a community energy system. The model of PV/storage units is validated through a 12-week assessment. Ultimately, a modelling tool is developed by assembling the mentioned models, providing four pathways to attain electri-fication. Users can adjust specific parameters and database to align with the local conditions. The results indicate the requirements of building a community energy system and electricity demands in the highest consumption period. Ó 2022 Published by Elsevier B.V.
... With economic development and growing emphasis on clean and effective environment, waste treatment facilities have attracted increasing social interest (da Cruz et al., 2013;Fuest and Haffner, 2007;Oteng-Ababio, 2010;Song et al., 2013;Xu et al., 2015). Authorities across the country, central and local, are now preparing and implementing long-term plans for improving and sustaining the waste treatment facilities (Agamuthu et al., 2009;Bourtsalas et al., 2019;Fauziah and Agamuthu, 2012;Wilson et al., 2015). In this manner, numbers of studies have been conducted on economic efficiency of waste treatment from the perspective of government and society (Lavee, 2007;Münster et al., 2015;Piao et al., 2016). ...
This study aimed to examine the government’s cost efficiency considering the high-risk/high-return mechanism of PPP. Faced with increasing demand but with limited budget, the Korean government has relied on the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) to provide waste treatment services for the last couple of decades to expand fiscal space. However, most of waste treatment facilities projects have been promoted using the BTO (Build-Transfer-Operate) method with high rate of return due to the demand risk that is transferred to the private. We performed a conversion analysis of a BTO to a BTL (Build-Transfer-Lease) method, in which demand risk is borne by the government, for 18 PPP waste treatment cases with actual operation records. The result of comparing the life-cycle costs of government in employing each project method shows that the BTL can provide 5.26% of Value for Money (VfM) compared to the BTO as the government takes the demand risk and lowers the required rate of return of the private. This implies that transferring the demand risk to the private sector may not always be the best option for the government. From the government’s perspective, instead of transferring the demand risk to the private and providing a high rate of return, the government can retain the demand risk and reduce the rate of return, and it can be fiscally more advantageous considering the cost structure of each PPP method. Through Korean PPP waste treatment cases, this study suggests that policy makers who implement PPP should consider the government’s strategic risk sharing by understanding the predictability of demand and the nature of cost structure of each PPP method.
... WTE is a growing technique to efficiently recycle organic waste for energy production, which has been put into use in many areas and countries. Most WTE facilities utilize the incineration technology to burn the waste and collect lowpressure steam for electricity production, district heating, cooling, and other industrial uses (Bourtsalas et al., 2019). After incineration treatment, the volume of MSW waste can be significantly reduced by approximately 85%À90%, the mass by 60%À90%, and the organic matter by approximately 100% (Leckner, 2015). ...
Hazardous waste management is one of the most significant sectors in utility services. In view of the growing amount of waste and the shortage of energy and resources, the conventional waste treatment approaches could hardly fulfill the need of sustainable development, and would cause various concerns to the environment, ecological systems, and public health. The current environmental challenges highlight the demands to achieve sustainable development goals (SDG) by means of state-of-the-art technologies to evolve from a linear economy to a circular model. This chapter provides an overview on the current situations and emerging approaches on hazardous waste treatment and remediation. The concept and cutting-edge technologies of sustainable waste management for achieving SDG are discussed. Current waste treatment including landfilling, waste-to-energy technique, hydrothermal treatment, washing and extraction, phytoremediation, bioremediation, sintering and melting, and cement rotary kilns coprocessing, and advanced oxidation and photocatalysis are discussed. As a cost-efficient and promising technology, stabilization/solidification is demonstrated in terms of efficiently treating soil/sediment, industrial waste, and radioactive waste. The work summarizes the state-of-art advances and frontiers on green chemistry, sustainable development, and the circular economy.
... FAHP has been used for decision making and analysis in the fields of waste management (Che, 2010;Ho, 2011;Kuznichenko et al., 2018;Khoshand et al., 2019;Ocampo, 2019). So far, many studies have been conducted on the conditions of waste generation and management in various locations (Beigl et al., 2008;Saeed et al., 2009;Thi et al., 2015;Mian et al., 2017;Omran et al., 2018;Bourtsalas et al., 2019). However, reviewing the literature did not show any research being conducted on the weaknesses of waste management. ...
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Establishing a good sound waste management system for a community requires a comprehensive knowledge of the current status and issues involved in the present waste management system. This research was conducted to identify and prioritize waste management weaknesses in Saravan village of Guilan province, Iran. METHODS: Data were gathered through a descriptive-analytical approach using a purposive sampling and researcher-made questionnaire method. Waste management weaknesses were prioritized by Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP), and Analytic Network Process (ANP). FINDINGS: The most important weakness of rural waste management in the study area was waste management structure, equipment, and infrastructures weakness (index C) with relative importance values of 38.1% in AHP, 37.3% in FAHP, and 38.2% in ANP approaches. The village inhabitants' weakness (index B) with relative importance values of 16.5% in AHP, 17.2% in FAHP, and 1.4% in ANP had the lowest priority among studied weaknesses. Workforce weakness (index A), and educational and cultural weakness (index D) were the second and third important weaknesses, respectively. The most important sub-indices weakness of these weakness indices were non-compliance of Rural Municipality Manager (RMM) with waste management standards, rules, and regulations; Waste disposal by the village inhabitants at the nearest site; failure to establish a solid waste fix station in the village; and lack of training and awareness of villagers about waste management. CONCLUSION: In order to establish a successful waste management system in rural areas, it is recommended to develop a comprehensive strategy that involves aspects such as; establishing proper waste management infrastructures, employment of skilled staff, and conducting training plans and motivational programs for staff and inhabitants.
... Bourtsalas et al. [3] found that 63% of the WtE plants based on MSWP in South Korea fit with the limits of energy recovery relation as introduced by the EU [4] and estimated that 8% of the DH demand in the country might be provided by WtE facilities coupled to MSWPs. ...
In this paper, municipal solid waste (MSW) based electricity production and district heating (DH) potential of Turkey are considered. Three MSW based waste-to-energy (WtE) scenarios is developed: (i) Scenario-I, a DH system integrated into a gas turbine power plant (GTPP), (ii) Scenario-II, a DH system integrated into an organic Rankine cycle (ORC), and (iii) Scenario-III, which is based solely on a DH system. As a result of the thermodynamic and thermoeconomic analyzes of these developed scenarios using an existing MSW-based cogeneration facility's actual operating data, the system with the most extended payback period (about 5 years) is found as the GTPP-DH system developed in Scenario-I, which also has the highest investment cost. On the other hand, the system with the shortest payback period (about 2 years) is found as the DH system developed in Scenario-III, which also has the lowest investment cost. Overall exergy efficiencies of the GTTP-DH, ORC-DH, and DH systems are found to be 41.86%, 16.15%, and 31.87%, respectively. When the developed WtE scenarios adapted to the pilot provinces selected from each geographical region of Turkey, it is found that the GTPP system developed in Scenario-I can increase the power generation capacity of MSW plants for each province by about 20%.
... Processes 2020, 8, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 15 recyclable due to its systematic separation, collection and volume-rate waste disposal system [4]. In the case of energy recovery from MSW, there is strong evidence that high-quality fuel can be produced from it [5]. ...
Gaining energy independence by utilizing new and renewable energy resources has become imperative for Korea. Energy recovery from Korean municipal solid waste (MSW) could be a promising option to resolve the issue, as Korean MSW is highly recyclable due to its systematic separation, collection and volume-based waste disposal system. In this study, gasification experiments were conducted on Korean municipal waste-derived solid fuel (SRF) using a fixed bed reactor by varying the equivalence ratio (ER) to assess the viability of syngas production. Experiments were also conducted on coal and biomass under similar conditions to compare the experimental results, as the gasification applicability of coal and biomass are long-established. Experimental results showed that Korean SRF could be used to recover energy in form of syngas. In particular, 50.94% cold gas efficiency and 54.66% carbon conversion ratio with a lower heating value of 12.57 MJ/Nm 3 can be achieved by gasifying the SRF at 0.4 ER and 900 • C. However, compared to coal and biomass, the syngas efficiency of Korean SRF was less, which can be resolved by operating the gasification processes at high temperatures. If proper research and development activities are conducted on Korean SRF, it could be a good substitute for fossil fuels in the future.
... The technology in the form of Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) generates heat by burning MSW in a specially controlled environment; the heat is turned into steam for generation of electricity and heat for large-, medium-and small-scale applications. This technology is widely utilised in different countries, and it is proven to be economical and safer to the environment, though the most challenging issue with this system is the emission control [17,18]. ...
This chapter highlighted conventional and advanced waste treatment technologies in details, for sustainable wastes management. The chapter also reviewed Supercritical Water Biomass Gasification (SCWBG) from Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) at the temperature and pressure of 700°C and 350 bar, respectively. The findings show that gasification of organics from MSW using Supercritical Water Gasification (SCWG) technology can be a potential solution to the increasing biodegradables in the municipal solid wastes. However, with the ability of the system to allow the complete gasification of biomass below the working temperatures, this makes it even more attractive technology for sustainable wastes to wealth. With the wide varieties of sustainable fuels and chemicals that can be generated in the process, Supercritical Water Gasification (SCWG) technology can be a candid sustainable and economical energy solution for power generation and transport renewable fuel for automobiles (methane and hydrogen gas).
... Sadi and Arabkoohsar [5][6][7] combined a solar-concentrating CHP plant with an MSW incineration unit to remove the need for any thermal battery and to obtain stable power and heat outputs, and studied this in various technical, economic and environmental aspects. Bourtsalas et al. [8] investigated the feasibility of an MSW incineration plant for district heating supply in South Korea and concluded that about 1.5 MWh/tonne of MSW net thermal energy could be provided for their case study. Rudra and Tesfagaber [9] analyzed an MSW gasifier plant for cogenerating heat and hydrogen based on a variety of gasification designs/agents. ...
District heating-connected waste incineration plants face a serious operating challenge during the warmer months of the year when the heating load is quite low. The challenge is the difficulty of managing the extra municipal solid waste to be disposed of, exposing great pressure and cost on the plant. Conventionally, the solution is either burning the surplus waste and providing the extra cooling required for the condenser with a summer chiller and paying the tax of the total heat generation of the plant, or paying other industries to burn the waste for their specific applications. Both of these solutions are, however, costly. In this study, to address this challenge the utilization of the extra available resources of waste incineration plants for district cooling supply is proposed. Then, the proposed solution is analyzed from the thermodynamic and economic points of view. The feasibility of the proposal is investigated for a real waste incineration plant in Denmark and its 50 neighboring office/service buildings as the case study. The simulations are done based on real hourly data of the plant and economic parameters. The results show that for the case study for a plant with a thermal capacity of 73 MW, a district cooling with a peak load of over 20 MW could be perfectly supplied. The payback period of the proposed solution, including the cost of piping, absorption chiller, etc., can be as short as five years.
... Some alternative WtE technologies such as pyrolysis, gasification and plasma arc gasification are a relatively new, which can contribute to reducing carbon emissions, but these processes are still very limited at the global level because these required a high initial investment (GMI, 2016a). Further research into increasing the energy efficiency of the WtE plants along with treating outputs pollutants such as the desulfurization of flue gas is expected to benefit the market growth (Bourtsalas et al., 2019). AD prospects are also consistently improving, and continuous capacity expansion is predicted. ...
Purpose
Due to the increasing population and prosperity, the generation rate of municipal solid waste (MSW) has increased significantly, resulting in serious problems on public health and the environment. Every single person in the world is affected by the municipal solid waste management (MSWM) issue. MSWM is reaching a critical level in almost all areas of the world and seeking the development of MSW strategies for a sustainable environment. This paper aims to present the existing global status of MSW generation, composition, management and related problems.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 59 developed and developing countries have been grouped based on their gross national income to compare the status of various MSWM technologies among them. A total of 19 selection criteria have been discussed to select appropriate MSWM technology(s) for a city/town, which affects their applicability, operational suitability and performance. All risks and challenges arising during the life cycle of the waste to energy (WtE) project have also been discussed. This paper also gives a comparative overview of different globally accepted MSWM technologies and the present market growth of all WtE technologies.
Findings
It was found that most developed countries have effectively implemented the solid waste management (SWM) hierarchy and are now focusing heavily on reducing, reusing and recycling of MSW. On the other hand, SWM has become very serious in low-income and low-middle-income countries because most of the MSW openly dumps and most countries are dependent on inadequate waste infrastructure and the informal sector. There are also some other major challenges related to effective waste policies, availability of funds, appropriate technology selection and adequacy of trained people. This study clears the picture of MSW generation, composition, management strategies and policies at the worldwide context. This manuscript could be valuable for all nations around the world where effective MSWM has not yet been implemented.
Originality/value
This study clears the picture of solid waste generation, composition, management strategies and policies at the worldwide context. This manuscript could be valuable for all nations around the world where effective MSWM has not yet been implemented. In this study, no data was generated. All supporting data were obtained from previously published papers in journals, the outcomes of the international conferences and published reports by government organizations.
... The heat load profiles obtained here may be used as input for a simulation of a DH substation, including a heat pump [19] and a tank for thermal energy storage [6]. It should also be mentioned that a DH operator may also vary this temperature on an annual level [20], but it is expected to be close to the suggested value [21]. The different deviation values may be accomplished by changing the ratio of loads between only-heated and DHW-supplied buildings [22]. ...
Proper adjustment of domestic hot water (DHW) load structure can balance energy demand with the supply. Inefficiency in primary energy use prompted Omsk DH company to be a strong proponent of a flow controller at each substation. Here the return temperature is fixed to the lowest possible value and the supply temperature is solved. Thirty-five design scenarios are defined for each load deviation index with equally distributed outdoor temperature ranging from +8 for the start of a heating season towards extreme load at temperature of -26°C. All the calculation results are listed. If a flow controller is installed, the customers might find it suitable to switch to this type of DHW supply. Considering an option with direct hot water extraction as usual and a flow controller installed, the result indicates that the annual heat consumption will be lower once network temperatures during the fall or spring months are higher. The heat load profiles obtained here may be used as input for a simulation of a DH substation, including a heat pump and a tank for thermal energy storage. This design approach offers a quantitative way of sizing temperature levels in each DH system according to the listed methodology and the designer's preference.
... The main stages of downdraft gasification are drying, pyrolysis, combustion, and reduction. Firstly, the moisture contained in sewage sludge cake is removed from the drying zone below 200 • C. Thereafter, the pyrolysis step proceeds slowly until it reaches 350 • C, and most of the reaction is performed at 700 • C. The pyrolysis step is an endothermic reaction, and thermal cracking and condensation take place [27]. The combustion reaction is an exothermic reaction, and all of the heat that causes drying, pyrolysis, and reduction is either directly generated from combustion or indirectly recovered from combustion by the heat exchange process of the gasifier. ...
Proper treatment and careful management of sewage sludge are essential because its disposal can lead to adverse environmental impacts such as public health hazards, as well as air, soil, and water pollution. Several efforts are being made currently not only to safely dispose of sewage sludge but also to utilize it as an energy source. Therefore, in this study, initiatives were taken to valorize sewage sludge cake by reducing the moisture content and increasing the calorific value by applying a hydrothermal treatment technique for efficient energy recovery. The sludge cake treated at 200 °C for 1 h was found to be the optimum condition for hydrothermal carbonization, as, in this condition, the caloric value of the treated sludge increased by 10% and the moisture content removed was 20 wt.%. To recover energy from the hydrothermally treated sludge, a gasification technology was applied at 900 °C. The results showed that the product gas from hydrothermally treated sludge cake had a higher lower heating value (0.98 MJ/Nm 3) and higher cold gas efficiency (5.8%). Furthermore, compared with raw sludge cake, less tar was generated during the gasification of hydrothermally treated sludge cake. The removal efficiency was 28.2%. Overall results depict that hydrothermally treated sewage sludge cake could be a good source of energy recovery via the gasification process.
... Bourtsalas et al. [13] studied utilizing waste energy in district heating of South Korea. They considered waste with the chemical formula of C 6 H 9.9 O 2.3 and the heating value of 27600 kJ/kg and calculated the average heat recovery from this waste to energy plant as 1.5 MWh per ton of waste. ...
District energy systems, i.e. district heating and cooling systems, will be extremely important in the future energy systems in which a 100% sustainable supply and high synergies of different energy sectors are crucial. Therefore, finding efficient and sustainable solutions for the integration of power, cold and heat sectors is significantly important. In this study, a conventional waste-driven combined heat and power cycle, which is the key component of many energy systems in Europe for baseload coverage of heat and electricity networks, is combined with a large-scale absorption chiller to not only create a strong yet reliable synergy between the three energy sectors of cold, heat and power, but also to improve the plant performance in terms of energy and sustainability indices. The proposed scheme is designed and thermodynamically assessed for the energy market of Denmark as the case study of this work. The results showed that the thermal and electrical efficiencies of the proposed hybrid system are better than the conventional configuration for 12% and 1.3%, respectively. In addition, the exergy efficiency, sustainability index and emission reduction of 28.58%, 1.4 and 445.935 kg-CO2/GJ are obtained for the system operating with a third-generation district heating system.
... An interesting recenet application has been the use of the 3T method for the assessment of Landfill Mining (plus Landfill Gas) [31] and it would be interesting to investigate the further the potential of the method on industrial processes that focus solely on metal separation and recovery [32]. Finally, the R1 formula showed high sensitivity to the thermal efficiency and future work that would focus on the case of WtE for district heating [33] would be interesting. ...
Managing the municipal solid waste (MSW) is a task that requires the combination of multiple strategies in order to follow the concept of circular economy. Waste-to-Energy (WtE) plants are producing electricity and heat but also have other byproducts that need to be disposed or can be reused. The standard method for assessing the WtE plants is the utilization of the R1 formula. The R1 formula has several limitations and is not able to integrate more parameters like the recovery of metals. The integration of the climate correction factor can improve the R1 up to 1.25 times but this factor is related to the Heating Degree Days, which is a rapidly declining value due to climate change. Contrary to the R1 Formula, the 3T Method is a novel method that can take into consideration all the range of products like syngas and biooil in a thermodynamically consistent way. These two methods were used to analyze three characteristic incineration plants and two gasification plants and this is the first time that this comparison is being presented. The results showed that the two methods have different ranges of returned values, with the R1 returning values (usually) between 0.5 and 1.1 and the 3T method returning values between 0.2 and 0.3. The 3T method on the one hand promotes high electrical efficiencies, i.e. 3T values approach the 0.3 mark for 30% electrical efficiency, and on the other hand promotes polygeneration where the recovery of char and metals can elevate the 3T value well above the 0.3 level for only 15% electrical efficiency and 70% metal recovery.
The incineration of waste for power generation, the utilisation of cogeneration, and the application of heating represent promising approaches to the decarbonisation of a future carbon-neutral society. Nevertheless, given the context of global carbon neutrality promotion and growing interest from countries in the potential of waste as a substitute for fossil fuels, the comparative efficacy of the three waste energy recovery mechanisms remains uncertain. In order to address this uncertainty, this study has devised five scenarios, the differential performance of which has been evaluated through the application of a difference-in-difference methodology. The cogeneration scenario, which represent the cogeneration mechanism, evinces superior performance with respect to energy and environmental outcomes in comparison to the power generation scenarios, which represent the power generation mechanism. Concurrently, the theoretical basis for the large-scale heating (medium T&P) scenario, representing the heating mechanism, was validated through the differential performance of the scenarios, which demonstrated that it is superior to the cogeneration scenario. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that the high T&P heating scenario, which transports steam at 15 MPa and 550 ℃, resulted in a reduction of fossil fuel consumption by 66 GJ/hour in comparison to the 4 MPa and 400 ℃ scenario. This study presents a comprehensive examination of the obstacles hindering the expansion of green hydrogen production. The findings suggest that self-produced green hydrogen systems remain cost-effective in comparison to externally sourced green hydrogen.
A substantial body of systematic literature reviews has focused on the topic of industrial decarbonization. However, the decarbonization of industrial heating systems has been hampered by the continued reliance on fossil fuels for industrial heating. Remarkably, at the temperature level of industrial processes, the provision of relatively low-carbon heating is a viable proposition. However, there is a paucity of literature reviews that provide a summary of the carbon neutral heating strategies available for industrial process heat at different temperature levels. To determine the feasibility of providing clean heat at low to high temperature levels, a two-stage systematic literature review of existing research on photovoltaic (PV) and waste-based heating systems was conducted. Notwithstanding the decarbonization potential of PV for clean heating, the temperature of the heat supplied by PV heating systems of all types remains below 100 celsius degree because the efficiency of PV for heating does not offer a significant advantage in relatively high-temperature industrial processes. Conversely, waste incineration-based heating, as a low-carbon fuel, offers the opportunity for high-temperature heat decarbonization in non-energy-intensive industries. Waste incineration-based case studies indicate that the efficiency of waste energy recovery through combined heat and power is more effective than waste incineration power generation. However, studies that provide a well-defined approach to achieving optimal energy efficiency are scarce, despite the notable impact of the distribution ratio of waste incineration steam on the energy recovery efficiency of combined heat and power plants. In addition, most studies have not directly supported the integration of carbon capture and waste incineration to achieve carbon neutrality in heating systems. Finally, after a comprehensive literature review, it can be concluded that the lack of case studies on PV-based industrial heating is at odds with current policies to promote the use of renewable energy sources. Furthermore, there is a noticeable lack of comprehensive research on waste-to-heat cases. To facilitate the advancement of carbon neutrality in the industrial heating sector, this study presents a framework for clean heating that is temperature dependent.
Plastic pollution of oceans and seas is increasing every year and coastal countries need to pay particular attention to this problem. Four Asian countries – Japan, China, Singapore, South Korea – were analysed in terms of the amount of waste and plastic waste generated and their recycling rates. For each country, available data were collected and converted into a common unit of measurement – metric tonnes per 1,000 people. The countries' performance to date was analysed and used as a basis for projections for 2030. Based on the trends so far, Japan has seen an 11% reduction in plastics waste and a 6% reduction in waste over the period, while China has seen a 27% increase in waste and an 8% reduction in plastic waste. In South Korea, plastic waste increased by 49% and waste by 21%. In Singapore, waste decreased by 13% and plastic waste increased by 15%. On current trends, none of the countries are projected to reach their 2030 targets. However, by complying with current and newly introduced regulations, they have a chance to move closer to their targets.
The only proven alternative for the recovery of value from materials that cannot be recycled is waste to energy (WTE). The first part of the paper provides evidence as to the advantages of WTE over landfilling and examines the role of WTE in the urban environment. The second part of the paper is a holistic analysis of the legislative instruments used in China, that have led to the construction of nearly 400 plants from 2005 to 2019. The Chinese government was instrumental in the development of Public and Private Partnerships (PPPs), in form of Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT), or Build-Own-Operate (BOO) models with a lifetime of 20 years to 30 years. The government accepts most of the investment risk by participating in the equity structure, providing strong tax and policy incentives, and becoming fully engaged in public education and acceptance of new WTE projects. The construction and operation of these plants by the private sector had to comply with the governmental performance standards in order to receive incentives, such as an appreciable credit over the price of electricity received by coal-fired plants. The last part of this paper examines how the elements of the Chinese renewable energy and waste management laws, may be transposed to federal and state legislation for potential application in countries of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) region.
Biowaste is becoming a significant category in the global energy mix to mitigate the negative impacts of burning fossil fuels. The aim of this review paper was to investigate the potential, conversion mechanisms, benefits, and policy gaps related to the utilization of solid biowaste resources as renewable, clean, and affordable energy sources. Thus, a systematic review approach was employed to undertake a comprehensive analysis of the studies that dealt with solid biowaste resources for energy recovery. This review paper was conducted from November 2022 to June 2023. The relevant literature was searched using databases from scholarly journal publishers, online search engines, and websites. A total of 82 studies were determined to be eligible from 659 records. Ethiopia has a huge potential for biowaste resources, with an annual generation potential of 18,446.4 MJ per year. The multifaceted advantages associated with biowaste-to-energy conversion such as clean energy production, waste management, forest conservation, greenhouse gas emission reduction, and maintaining soil fertility using the digestate left after anaerobic digestion were mentioned. This review highlights various conversion technologies for converting solid biowastes into valuable forms of energy, such as thermochemical, biochemical, and physico-mechanical techniques. It also investigated the value-added products of the Solid Biowastes-to-Energy (SBWtoE) process, including bio-oil, syngas, bioethanol, biodiesel, biomethane, bio-briquettes, and pellets, with applications ranging from transportation to power generation. Furthermore, this review addresses the multifaceted challenges associated with implementing a circular economy, emphasizing the need to overcome policy, technological, financial, and institutional barriers. These efforts are crucial for harnessing the growing biowaste resources in Ethiopia, ultimately promoting sustainable and cost-effective energy production while advancing the nation's environmental objectives.
China is the largest developing country in the world, and its municipal solid waste (MSW) has increased with a compound annual growth rate of 5.1 % since 1980. Incineration, which has the advantages of mass- and volume-reduction as well as energy and heat recovery, has become the mainstream environmentally sound treatment method in China. However, air pollution emissions are the primary reason for limiting MSW incineration (MSWI). Currently, the Chinese government is devoted to comprehensively implementing MSW classification. However, the classification model and the future MSW reduction rate are not yet clear. In this study, we project scenarios of air pollution emissions until 2030 based on the different MSW classification models (MSW reduction rates) and diffusion rates of ultra-low emission technology. A total of 6011 tons (t) of particulate matter, 25,881 t of SO2, 14,915 t of CO, 17,167 t of HCl, and 200,166 t of NOx will be emitted in 2030 under the business-as-usual (BAU) scenario, and air pollutants will not peak under this scenario. Air pollutants will reduce by 11 % of the BAU scenario by only implementing an MSW reduction of 20 % (JPN-model). The optimal scenario (DEU-model, increasing the efficiency of material recovery and upgrading air pollution control devices) means that air pollutants will be reduced by 83.2–96.2 % from the base amount under the BAU scenario. These results provide references for MSW management and air pollution emission reduction from the aspects of MSW classification and technology upgrades
Taiwan is a developed nation with a high dependence (97.4%) on imported energy in 2021. Thus, the Taiwan government established the energy policy and regulatory incentives for promoting waste-to-energy (WTE) in recent years. In this work, the updated analysis of energy supply during the period of 2000–2021 in Taiwan was performed by using the national reports and/or official statistics, especially in the operational efficiencies of municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration plants. Through revamping projects and operational improvements in the past decade, the power generation from MSW incineration plants has increased from 3,076 GWh in 2011 to 3,404 GWh in 2021. The overall energy efficiencies thus indicated an increasing trend from 16.65% in 2011 to 18.44% in 2021. On the other hand, the policies and regulatory incentives for promoting energy supply from waste (e.g., solid recovered fuel and recycled fuel oil) and the “Taiwan’s Pathway to Net-Zero Emissions in 2050” were addressed in response to international trends like the “2050 Carbon Neutrality Plan” in Korea and the “2050 Carbon Neutrality Declaration” in Japan. These relevant acts, including Renewable Energy Development Act, have recently revised to echo Taiwan’s sustainable development goals in the waste management sector by 2030.
In the post-pandemic era, the continuous growth in the rate of medical waste generation and the limited capacity of traditional disposal methods have posed a double challenge to society and the environment. Resource-based disposal is considered an efficient approach for solving these problems. Previous studies focused on the methods of medical waste disposal and the behavior of single stakeholders, lacking consideration of cooperation among different stakeholders. This study establishes an evolutionary game model of the resource-based disposal of medical waste to analyze the behavioral decision evolution of governments, medical institutions, and disposal enterprises. This study also explores the influencing factors in the achievement of the symbiotic state and investigates the conditions that participants need to meet. The results show that joint tripartite cooperation can be achieved when the subsidies and penalties from governments are sufficient, as well as the efficiency of resource-based disposal, which can effectively promote the evolution of the three subjects from the state of “partial symbiosis” to the state of “symbiosis”. However, the resource-based classification level cannot directly change the symbiotic state of the system due to the goal of minimizing cost and risk. When evolutionary subjects have reached the state of “symbiosis”, the improvement in the classification level can enhance the willingness of disposal enterprises to choose the resource-based classification strategy. Under such circumstances, governments reduce their corresponding level of intervention. At this time, the whole system is in a more idealized symbiotic state.
The waste-to-energy (WTE) plant has been deployed in 205 cities in China. However, it always faces public resistance to be built because of the great concerns on flue gas pollutants (FGPs). There are limited studies on the socioeconomic heterogeneity analysis and prediction models of WTE capacity/ FGP emission inventories (EIs) based on big data. In this study, the incinerator level emission factors (EFs) in 2020 of PM, SO2, NOx, CO, HCl, dioxins, Hg, Cd + Tl, and Sb + As+ Pb + Cr + Co + Cu + Mn + Ni were calculated based on 322,926 monitoring values of all the 481 WTE plants (1140 processing lines) operating in China, with uncertainties in the range of ±34.70%. The EFs were significantly 45-96% lower than the national standard (GB18485-2014) and had negative relationships with local socioeconomic elements, while WTE capacity and FGP EIs had significantly positive correlations. Gross domestic product, area of built district, and municipal solid waste generation were the main driving forces of WTE capacity. The WTE capacity increased by 150% from 2015 to 2020, while the total emission of PM, SO2, CO, dioxins, Hg, and Sb + As + Pb + Cr + Co + Cu + Mn + Ni decreased by 42.46-88.24%. The artificial neural network models were established to predict WTE capacity and FGP EIs in the city level, with the mean square errors ranging from 0.003 to 0.19 within the model validation limits. This study provides data and model support for the formulation of appropriate WTE plans and a pollutant emission control scheme in different economic regions.
Many countries in Asia-Pacific region have programs in place for clean energy transition aligned with their Nationally Determined Contributions. However, in most of these countries waste-to-energy (WtE) has no major role in the current programs. The study presented in the paper has examined WtE in a circular economy as a solution that can have economic, financial, social, and environmental co-benefits through efficient use of natural resources, reduced emissions, and fostering innovation. The case study involving Sri Lanka has shown that similar countries have the potential to implement WtE projects coupled with appropriate circular economy elements with adequate financial and economic returns. The results show the viability of a centralized incineration plant of 500 tons/day capacity and decentralized biogas facilities of 150–200 tons/day capacity for each of the three districts in the country's Western province. The estimated total power generation capacity from incineration is about 20.3 MW and the annual exported electricity is 129.86 GWh. The estimated power generation capacity of the biogas plants is about 7.16 MW, and the annual exported electricity is about 41.4 GWh. The total amount of compost produced is estimated to be about 43,000 tons/year by processing digestate and 125 tons of recyclable waste expect to be recovered daily. The proposed development plan positively impacts the grid emission factor of the country and the estimated avoided annual GHG emission is about 380,000 tons of CO2. This pioneering case study can be used as a basis for immediate action to solve waste management issues within a circular economy helping similar economies in the Asia Pacific region in their efforts to achieve net zero emission target by the middle of this century.
The advancement of Circular Economy practices has accelerated the development of recovery operations in waste management. Moreover, novel Waste-to-Energy (WtE) plants go well beyond the conventional framework of Combined Heat and Power (CHP) production and have also focused on the recovery of metals or the secondary production of other products. Thus, an integrated methodology needs to be utilised for the holistic assessment of novel WtE plants. The previously introduced 3T Method is a thermodynamic approach that assesses not only the CHP efficiency but also the quality of the recovered materials/products. Nonetheless, this method operates optimally in net energy producing facilities. This study introduces an outranking multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) method that incorporates the 3T method and can be used for the assessment of WtE plants that produce valuable materials (like gasification plants) and biorefineries. The thermodynamic parameters that are used in the 3T Method were integrated in a MCDA tool based on the PROMETHEE-GAIA methods and five WtE plants were analysed. The proposed tool successfully assessed the production of materials from Plant D with Phi flows of 0.4583 and 0.3682 for scenarios 1 & 2, while also evaluating positively the high CHP efficiency of Plant C with Phi flows of 0.0417 and 0.0864, respectively. Overall, the PROMETHEE-GAIA MCDA tool kept most of the positive attributes of the 3T Method, while enhancing at the same time the role of materials in the assessment process. This proposed tool can develop to be a useful method for assessment for biorefineries.
Disposal of hazardous waste is considered to be at the bottom of the waste hierarchy and the final option in the hazardous waste management system. Hazardous waste disposal is technically challenging and selection of the most suitable disposal method is of critical importance to ensure safe disposal and effective isolation of hazardous waste from the biosphere. This chapter provides detailed information on hazardous waste collection, storage, transportation, and disposal techniques such as incineration. Recent technological advancements related to incineration are also discussed.KeywordsHazardous wasteLabelingWaste disposalIncineration
To realize the thermal detoxification of municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) fly ash in a relatively mild environment, molten salts thermal treatment technology was proposed in our previous research, which showed good effects. To investigate the properties of molten salts (NaCl-CaCl2) during cycling reusing, the change of the main components and the physical properties of the used molten salts were estimated. Results showed that the salts in fly ash would dissolve into molten salts. During this process, the concentration of K⁺, SO4²⁻ kept increasing while Cl⁻ was decreased. The changing trend of Na⁺ and Ca²⁺ was dependent on the ratio of Ca/Na in raw fly ash. Ca(OH)2 in fly ash would react with CaCl2 to form CaClOH. Moreover, the introduction of the salt components on the thermal properties of molten salts were also studied. The melting point hardly changed by NaCl, CaSO4, and SiO2. Nevertheless, it was lowered to 431 oC with 15% CaCO3 addition, while increased to 523 oC with 20% KCl. Besides, there were no significant influences on the viscosity, stability, and thermal diffusivity of molten salts. KCl had the greatest influence on the specific heat capacity of molten salt, with an increase of about 20%.
Pyrolysis is a waste conversion technology to solve an increasing plastic waste issue worldwide. Waste plastic pyrolysis fuel from a commercial-scale pyrolysis plant (10 ton/day) was comprehensively investigated using distillation methods by separating the crude pyrolysis fuel to isolate the diesel-like pyrolysis fuel fraction (C9–C25 for fraction 2 + fraction 3, middle distillate). Other fractions were C5–C10 for the light distillate (fraction 1), and >C25 for the heavy distillate (fraction 4). The relationship between the fuel boiling point and liquid vapor temperature were found for designing a scaled-up oil separation process. The diesel grade pyrolysis fuel fraction comprised approximately 70–80% of the crude pyrolysis fuel, wherein it had values of 43–45 MJ/kg, 1–6 cSt, and 12–42 mgKOH/goil. Meanwhile, the elemental ratios of the crude pyrolysis oil improved to 0.1 for O/C and 1.9 for H/C after separation, close to petroleum fuels (0.0 O/C and 1.95 H/C). The highest relative chemical composition was the olefins (46% in fraction 1 and 41% in fraction 2), whereas the paraffin was approximately 15–20% in the light fraction. Finally, the potential CO2 reduction for the plastic waste-to-energy process was evaluated, revealing that a total of 0.26 tCO2/tonwaste of emissions could be avoided during the waste plastic pyrolysis process.
Solid waste management is needed by each region as a response to population growth. Nevertheless, there are still many areas that have not been able to provide ideal facilities for good solid waste management. One solution that can be done is to create a solid waste treatment model that is suitable to be applied in Indonesia. By benchmarking in other countries, doing mathematical calculations using life cycle cost analysis, and validating experts. The step resulted in a suitable model applied in Indonesia, namely Waste to Energy with a financing scheme of 60% for the government and 40% for the private sector, an internal rate of return (IRR) of 33.11% and an assumed repayment period of 5 years 122 days.
Solid waste is the unseen side of the circular economy. Governments need innovative policy to create functional markets to keep waste generated within the supply chain. Transitioning to minimal or no net waste requires innovation to avoid compromising quality of life. This means transfer from the current linear thinking model with large expensive centralized infrastructure to discrete distributed chains of infrastructure and using the circular economy principles. Most developed countries have already initiated prevention of waste. The waste management hierarchy (reuse, recovery, recycling, thermal recycling and disposal) can be optimized by innovation. By creating smaller circular waste pathways closer to the source of waste generation, more expensive end of life solutions can be rightsized due to higher resource recovery rates (from 10% up to 80%). The best-case scenario for National level waste resource waste management is 67% material recycling, 25% thermal recycling, and 8% to sanitary landfills. Through further innovation in product design and business delivery models, the thermal destruction and landfill can be further reduced. Extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes create higher resource recovery efficiency and can be revenue positive to Governments. Through public-private partnership models, these EPR schemes can be digitized to improve the efficiency of circular economy.
Despite remarkable progress in catalytic fast pyrolysis, bio-oil production is far from commercialization because of multi-scale challenges, and major constraints lie with catalysts. This review aims to introduce major constraints of acid catalysts and simultaneously to find out possible solutions for the production of fuel-grade bio-oil in biomass catalytic fast pyrolysis. The catalytic activities of several materials which act as acid catalysts and the impacts of Bronsted and Lewis acid site on the formation of aromatic hydrocarbons are discussed. Considering the complexity of catalytic fast pyrolysis of biomass with acid catalysts, in-depth understandings of cracking, deoxygenation, carbon-carbon coupling, and aromatization for both in-situ and ex-situ configurations are emphasized. The limitation of diffusion along with coke formation, active site poisoning, thermal/hydrothermal deactivation, sintering, and low aromatics in bio-oil are process complexities with solid acid catalysts. The economic viability of large-scale bio-oil production demands progress in catalyst modification or/and developing new catalysts. The potential of different catalyst modification strategies for an adequate amount of acid sites and pore size confinement is discussed. By critically evaluating the challenges and potential of catalyst modification techniques, multi-functional catalysts may be an effective approach for selective conversion of biomass to bio-oil and chemicals through catalytic fast pyrolysis. This review offers a scientific reference for the research and development of catalytic fast pyrolysis of biomass.
Management of solid recovered fuel (SRF) in South Korea is unique from most other countries in that it is based on a single standard. All SRFs are distributed at the same price irrespective of their performance, resulting in utilization problems and a low degree of acceptance among consumers. Moreover, the difficulty of temperature maintenance during transportation, excessive ash content, and the use of inappropriate microwave acid digestion methods pose challenges to SRF reliability. To address these issues, we compared the relevant management statuses in South Korea with those of the international community and reviewed the effects of the transportation temperature, ash content, and microwave acid digestion technique. The moisture, ash, sulfur, and chlorine contents as well as the lower heating values (LHVs) of all the samples from South Korea were found to be below the standard [international] thresholds, and they were barely influenced by the transportation temperature. In addition, 5 g samples were found to be more appropriate for ash content analysis than the 20 g samples used in South Korea, with the former producing smaller standard deviations. The optimal microwave acid digestion conditions were also determined to be a reaction time with nitric acid of >10 min, temperature of 180 °C, and microwave power of 600 W. The results of this study highlight the need for revising the SRF test methods used in South Korea, to boost the market and enhance quality reliability.
In 2006, the U.S. EPA published an inventory of dioxin emissions for the U.S. covering the period from 1987-2000. This paper is an updated inventory of all U.S. dioxin emissions to the atmosphere in the year 2012. The sources of emissions of polychlorinated dibenzodioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), collectively referred to in this paper as "dioxins", were separated into two classes: controlled industrial and open burning sources. Controlled source emissions decreased 95.5% from 14.0kgTEQ in 1987 to 0.6kg in 2012. Open burning source emissions increased 44% from 2.3kgTEQ in 1987 to 3.3kg in 2012. The 2012 dioxin emissions from 53 U.S. waste-to-energy (WTE) power plants were compiled on the basis of detailed data obtained from the two major U.S. WTE companies, representing 84% of the total MSW combusted (27.4million metric tons). The dioxin emissions of all U.S. WTE plants in 2012 were 3.4gTEQ and represented 0.54% of the controlled industrial dioxin emissions, and 0.09% of all dioxin emissions from controlled and open burning sources.
Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
The statistical entropy (SE) function has been applied to waste treatment systems to account for dilution or concentration effects on metals. We later extended it to account for carbon flows, especially in waste management systems involving thermal treatment. Now, a simple lifecycle "net energy" metric - encompassing the "lost energy" that would have been gained when high-calorific materials are landfilled rather than combusted with energy recovery - is introduced to account for additional influxes of carbon when using landfilling as the primary disposal method. When combining net energy calculations and long terms effects of landfilling, waste to energy (WTE) becomes a more attractive option for dealing with non-recycled municipal solid waste (MSW). A greenhouse gas- forcing factor is also introduced to account for the entropy generating effects of methane. When incorporating forcing and lost energy, WTE performs notably better than landfills with respect to entropy generation and carbon.
In low- and middle-income developing countries, the informal (collection and) recycling sector (here abbreviated IRS) is an important, but often unrecognised, part of a city's solid waste and resources management system. Recent evidence shows recycling rates of 20-30% achieved by IRS systems, reducing collection and disposal costs. They play a vital role in the value chain by reprocessing waste into secondary raw materials, providing a livelihood to around 0.5% of urban populations. However, persisting factual and perceived problems are associated with IRS (waste-picking): occupational and public health and safety (H&S), child labour, uncontrolled pollution, untaxed activities, crime and political collusion. Increasingly, incorporating IRS as a legitimate stakeholder and functional part of solid waste management (SWM) is attempted, further building recycling rates in an affordable way while also addressing the negatives. Based on a literature review and a practitioner's workshop, here we develop a systematic framework-or typology-for classifying and analysing possible interventions to promote the integration of IRS in a city's SWM system. Three primary interfaces are identified: between the IRS and the SWM system, the materials and value chain, and society as a whole; underlain by a fourth, which is focused on organisation and empowerment. To maximise the potential for success, IRS integration/inclusion/formalisation initiatives should consider all four categories in a balanced way and pay increased attention to their interdependencies, which are central to success, including specific actions, such as the IRS having access to source separated waste. A novel rapid evaluation and visualisation tool is presented-integration radar (diagram) or InterRa-aimed at illustrating the degree to which a planned or existing intervention considers each of the four categories. The tool is further demonstrated by application to 10 cases around the world, including a step-by-step guide.
Many thousands of people in developing country cities depend on recycling materials from waste for their livelihoods. With the focus of the Millennium Development Goals on poverty reduction, and of waste strategies on improving recycling rates, one of the major challenges in solid waste management in developing countries is how best to work with this informal sector to improve their livelihoods, working conditions and efficiency in recycling.
The general characteristics of informal recycling are reviewed, highlighting both positive and negative aspects. Despite the health and social problems associated with informal recycling, it provides significant economic benefits that need to be retained. Experience shows that it can be highly counterproductive to establish new formal waste recycling systems without taking into account informal systems that already exist. The preferred option is to integrate the informal sector into waste management planning, building on their practices and experience, while working to improve efficiency and the living and working conditions of those involved. Issues associated with integrating informal recycling into the formal waste management sector are discussed
Energy from waste (EfW) for nonrecyclable wastes is a suitable method of waste management and is important for renewable energy production. South Korea currently recycles 57% of household waste and landfills 26%. The remaining 17% is incinerated, mainly for heat production. In this study, the potential for energy production and reduction of corresponding greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from municipal solid waste (MSW) in Korea was estimated without accounting for the lifecycle impact of waste management. The properties of the MSW were established from data available in national-scale waste surveys and reports. The potential of EfW for GHG emission reduction was calculated considering (1) the direct release of anthropogenic carbon, nitrous oxide (N2O), and methane (CH4); and (2) the reduction in indirect GHG emissions by fossil fuel displacement. CH4 emissions from landfilling were also estimated from biogenic carbon in waste. Applying the resulting emission factors to various EfW cases suggests that the current level of GHG emissions is significant but can be substantially reduced by increased use of EfW. A net reduction in GHG emissions can be achieved only by EfW with combined heat and power (CHP).
This work was part of a major study that examined the policy and technology implications of alternatives for managing the municipal solid wastes (MSW) of New York City. At this time, of the 4.1 million metric tons of MSW collected by the City annually, 16.6% are recycled, 12.4% are combusted in Waste-to-Energy (WTE) plants, and the remaining 71% are landfilled. Despite the heterogeneity of organic materials in MSW, the composite molecular structure can be approximated by the organic compound C6H10O4. A formula was derived that allows the prediction of the heating value of MSW as a function of moisture and glass/metal content and compares well with experimentally derived values. The performance of a leading Waste-to-Energy plant that utilises suspension firing of shredded MSW, processes one million tons of MSW per year, and generates a net of 610 kWh/metric ton was examined. The results of this study showed that WTE processing of the MSW reduces fossil fuel consumption and is environmentally superior to landfilling.
The management of infrastructure in Korea has been restricted to simple history management and manual post-maintenance activities after construction. Thus, there has been a lack of an optimum managerial and economic approaches, such as the minimization of the total cost of assets from a life-cycle perspective. Moreover, as Korea׳s National Accounting Standards obligate the reporting of national asset assessment to the National Assembly every year in order to improve management performance measurement of public institutions and transparency of government accounting, the importance of asset management in infrastructures is expected to become increasingly pronounced. Therefore, this study examined the current institutional status on sustainable infrastructure asset management in Korea and focused on the country׳s future policy directivity regarding this subject.
The methodology in this study is as follows. First, since the concept and systems of asset management in domestic infrastructures are insufficient, the concept of asset management, subjects of asset management, and systems in developed nations were examined along with those of Korea. Second, the current status of asset management in domestic and overseas infrastructures was analyzed in order to determine the justification for legal legislation of asset management in developed nations and to inspect the current status and challenges of infrastructure asset management in Korea. Third, sustainable policy directivity for settlement and encouragement of infrastructure asset management was proposed, such as the preparation of the legal basis for an asset management guidance system, the development of a general asset management manual for infrastructures, and the development of an indicator for practical price reassessments.
For more than a decade, South Korea has been ranked first among the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) members in their municipal solid waste (MSW) recycling rate. One of the major contributing factors for its outstanding MSW recycling performance is the volume-based waste fee (VWF) system implemented in 1995. Despite the perceived success of VWF, there has been few research conducted that has sought to demonstrate the success of the policy in an empirical manner. Research conducted currently on VWF in South Korea tends to have limitations in empirical approaches and identifying the intervention effect of VWF on recycling performance. This study attempts to empirically test whether the adoption of VWF positively affected recycling performance in Korea over time. The findings suggest that although there was a dramatic increase of the recycling rate with the introduction of VWF in 1995, Korea's MSW recycling performance settled back again and showed the constant pace after the intervention. No significant differences in recycling rate were found between before and after 1995 period. In conclusion, implications and suggestions for both research and practice are proposed.
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In the history of waste management in Korea, systematic and integrated management started in the middle of the 1980s with the establishment of the Waste Management Law. By enforcing several specialized, discrete acts under this basic law and imposing extended producer responsibility as well as a volume-based garbage rate system based on the concept of polluter payment, waste management has become more effective for both general household waste and industrial hazardous/massive waste. The management mainly involves not only a reduction in waste generation, but also appropriate treatment and maximum recycling of the waste. Recent policy trends have focused on converting wastes into resources, and these have led to the implementation of “waste to energy and resources” and a “sustainable and circulation society” in the present and future plans for waste management. A new law called “Promotion Law for Achieving a Resource Circulation Society” meant to replace the basic law and to create a platform of resource circulation, is currently under review. This law integrates all the existing laws and acts to utilize waste more efficiently as a resource, and it has the potential to significantly reduce the amount of wastes landfilled. Details of the history and background of previous waste management efforts, recent movements and current status, and future pathways for achieving a resource circulation society are introduced. This could promote the establishment of a zero waste society and also extend the life of waste landfill facilities in Korea.
A technical analysis has been completed for a commercial-scale two-stage gasification-combustion system. The CLEERGAS (Covanta Low Emissions Energy Recovery GASification) process consists of partial combustion and gasification of as-received municipal solid waste (MSW) on a moving grate producing syngas followed by full combustion of the generated syngas in an adjoining chamber and boiler. This process has been in operation since 2009 on a modified 330-tonne day(-1) waste-to-energy (WTE) line in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Material balances determined that the syngas composition is 12.8% H2 and 11.4% CO, the heating value of the gas in the gasifier section is 4098 kJ Nm(-3), and an aggregate molecular formula for the waste is C6H14.5O5. The analysis of gas measurements sampled from the Tulsa unit showed that the gasification-combustion mode fully processed the MSW at an excess air input of only 20% as compared to the 80-100% typically found in conventional WTE moving grate plants. Other important attributes of the CLEERGAS gasification-combustion process are that it has operated on a commercial scale for a period of over two years with 93% availability and utilizes a moving grate technology that is currently used in hundreds of WTE plants around the world.
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.
The greenhouse gases (GHGs) generated in municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration are carbon dioxide (CO(2)), methane (CH(4)), and nitrous oxide (N(2)O). In South Korea case, the total of GHGs from the waste incineration facilities has been increasing at an annual rate 10%. In these view, waste incineration facilities should consider to reduce GHG emissions. This study is designed to estimate the N(2)O emission factors from MSW incineration plants, and calculate the N(2)O emissions based on these factors. The three MSW incinerators examined in this study were either stoker or both stoker and rotary kiln facilities. The N(2)O concentrations from the MSW incinerators were measured using gas chromatography-electron capture detection (GC-ECD) equipment. The average of the N(2)O emission factors for the M01 plant, M02 plant, and M03 plant are 71, 75, and 153g-N(2)O/ton-waste, respectively. These results showed a significant difference from the default values of the intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC), while approaching those values derived in Japan and Germany. Furthermore, comparing the results of this study to the Korea Energy Economics Institute (KEEI) (2007) data on waste incineration, N(2)O emissions from MSW incineration comprised 19% of the total N(2)O emissions.
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