An Efficient Waste-To-Energy Model in Isolated Environments. Case Study: La Gomera (Canary Islands)

Abstract

Municipal solid waste (MSW) management is a controversial aspect of isolated environments, not only because the production of waste grows exponentially, but also because in these isolated regions the difficulties are accentuated in comparison with the mainland territories. The limitation of space, the technology of scale and the peaks of generation due to existing tourism, are clear examples of the barriers that must be overcome. This research studies the potential of MSW recovery on the island of La Gomera (Canary Islands) as an alternative to landfill deposition, being an additional energy source for heat and electricity. Likewise, the possibility of carrying out the landfill mining located in the El Revolcadero environmental complex is explored. The methodology followed consists, first of all, on estimating the annual amount of MSW and waste deposited in the landfill. Second, the characterization of representative samples of each municipality is carried out. Third, according to these characteristics, the thermal treatment is chosen and, finally, the energy generated is evaluated. The results are encouraging, and many advantages are derived from this model. The annual recycling figure increases by about 5000 tons per year, the percentage of renewable energy from waste reaches 35.5% (most installed capacity is diesel), and greenhouse gases (GHG) are reduced by more than half. To overcome the challenges in the integral management of MSW, it is necessary to move from a linear economy to a circular economy that takes into account the priorities established by the European Union to solve the problem of these isolated environments in terms of energy.Union and the Spanish legal framework regarding the priorities of waste management: reducing combined municipal solid waste and increasing the selective collection of recyclable materials [6,7].There are many technological options available to reduce the waste generated [8]. The most usual procedures require thermal treatment (incineration, pyrolysis, gasification or plasma). However, other technologies have also been explored. Those based on anaerobic digestion and others that value waste, 'valorizing' it as an alternative fuel in thermal power generation installations. One of the most commonly considered options to reduce MSW is incineration or combustion. Indeed, one of the arguments used to seek support for incineration is that it generates energy that is presented as renewable. Poletto and Da Silva [9] argue that the controlled combustion of MSW is a definitive solution to the problem, when carried out in facilities with adequate air-pollution control devices. However, the reality is that it is necessary to attend to factors other than just air pollution, for example: impacts on water, soils, landscape, ecosystems and the urban areas themselves. In this context, sustainability consists of the evaluation of the environmental, economic and social impacts of the available waste treatment options [10]. In this sense, Cucchiella et al. [11] analyze a specific case in the ...

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“…In order to achieve the aims of this study, information was collected from tourists from 18 European countries who have visited the Canary Islands. This is presented as an appropriate destination to study sustainability [70][71][72][73].…”

“…The Canary Islands are highly relevant as a place of research, due to steady discussions about tourism development and growth [68] and the islands' character as an experimental zone for sustainable tourism in the context of an overflowing capacity of tourism growth [69]. Thus, sustainability in the Canary Islands destination has been the subject of a great amount of recent studies [70][71][72][73].…”

Circular Economy and Economic Development in the European Union: A Review and Bibliometric Analysis

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Determining critical risk factors affecting public‐private partnership waste‐to‐energy incineration projects in China

“…However, landfill as the dominant MSW treatment method in China occupies a large amount of land resources, contrary to China's sustainable development goals. Waste‐to‐energy (WTE) technology can contribute positively to the power supply, given its advantage of low‐carbon content, reduce the consumption of land resources and recover energy . As a result, waste incineration is considered the most effective way to dispose of MSW and plays an important role in China's sustainable development strategy .…”

“…(WTE) technology can contribute positively to the power supply, given its advantage of low-carbon content, reduce the consumption of land resources and recover energy. 1,2 As a result, waste incineration is considered the most effective way to dispose of MSW and plays an important role in China's sustainable development strategy. 3 As shown in Figure 1, incinerated MSW increased from 3.7 million tons in 2003 to 84.63 million tons in 2017, and the number of incineration plants increased from 47 to 286 during the same period.…”