Characterization of Municipal Solid Waste and Assessment of Its Potential for Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) Valorization

Among the technologies for the recovery of energy from waste, in particular residual municipal solid waste (rMSW), combustion is the most widely used thermo-chemical treatment process associated with thermal and electric power production by a steam cycle, named, shortly, Waste to Energy (WtE). Today, more than 500 WtE plants in the EU, about 400 in China and 76 in the USA are in operation, based on efficient technologies and advanced air pollution control systems. Energy recovery can be accomplished also by means of gasification; however, the presence of impurities together with the atmospheric pressure, at which syngas is normally produced, impose the feeding of syngas to a conventional steam cycle, leading to generally lower performances than WtE. The energy recovered by WtE offsets traditional energy sources such as fossil fuels and related emissions, providing savings in term of climate change. However, the savings obtainable by replacing electricity and/or heat will diminish as the energy systems will hopefully become increasingly renewable. Over this medium–long-term horizon, one possibility is to capture the CO2 from WtE flue gases and to store/use it. From the life cycle assessment perspective, it has been calculated that the introduction of CO2 capture and storage in WtE, despite energy penalties, is able to reduce the impact on climate change. The alternative approach, proposed to contain the emissions of greenhouse gases in the thermal treatment of waste, is using the carbon contained in it to produce commonly used chemical compounds (waste to chemicals). The benefits, in terms of reductions of greenhouse gases, are expected from the possibility of obtaining chemicals that can replace their analogue normally produced from fossil sources. To date, only one WtC demonstration plant is operating by being fed by rMSW-derived waste, and some similar initiatives are planned, but still adequate assurances in terms of robust knowledge of the involved complex processes, above all, if applied to highly inhomogeneous feed streams such as those obtained from rMSW, are not available. Once the several initiatives come to completion, it will enable waste management professionals to assess performance and to begin to consider such a facility in their planning.

Section: Msw and Residual Mswmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…MBT plants typically generate output streams other than combustible fraction [8] such as recyclable metals and organics that can be stabilized and sent to landfills. RDF may comply with technical/legislative stan-dards [9,10] and can be classified as a Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF). However, several studies have shown that the production of SRF or RDF appears justified only for the replacement of fossil fuels in cement kilns, power plants [11][12][13] and blast furnaces [14], rather than for feeding waste combustion plants.…”

Section: Msw and Residual Mswmentioning

confidence: 99%

Energy Recovery from Residual Municipal Solid Waste: State of the Art and Perspectives within the Challenge to Climate Change

Lombardi,

Castaldi

2024

“…The spent activated carbon evaluated was analysed on the basis of the waste catalogue and was classified as hazardous waste under the code 06 13 02*-spent activated carbon. As it is a hazardous waste, it should be managed in accordance with the waste hierarchy [90]. Further handling of this waste depends on the decision of the plant operator, who decides whether to regenerate the coal or transfer it to disposal.…”

Section: Examination Of Spent Activated Carbon Samplementioning

confidence: 99%

Technical and Economic Aspects of Environmentally Sustainable Investment in Terms of the EU Taxonomy

Ciuła,

Generowicz,

Oleksy-Gębczyk

et al. 2024

Removing impurities that occur in landfill gas, from sulphur and silicon compounds, is crucial for the energetic use of biogas in a cogeneration unit for energy purposes. The aim of this study was to analyse the shaped activated carbon, examining its structure and elemental composition as part of the biogas purification. The qualitative study of the purified landfill gas performed in this study showed a significant overshoot of hydrogen sulphide at 304.1 ppm with respect to the gas engine manufacturer’s requirements, while the calculated hydrogen sulphide reduction efficiency was 24.58%. Examination of the surface of the spent carbon and its pores with a scanning microscope revealed a high level of clotting by sulphur compounds, which prevents proper reduction of this compound and reduces the efficiency of the treatment plant. Replacement of the activated carbon bed with a new one showed a hydrogen sulphide value of 7.5 ppm in the purified gas and a calculated reduction efficiency of 97.9%. The results of the study confirmed that continuous monitoring of the quality of the purified gas is necessary to control the adsorption properties of the activated carbon and can be used for the operation of gas engines in cogeneration units. The landfill gas treatment method described in this paper constitutes an environmentally sustainable project within the meaning of the EU regulation on the establishment of a framework to promote and facilitate this type of investment in terms of its financing and operation. The topic of the work fits into three key areas of broad research and implementation activities. The first, technological, is the transition to a low-carbon, sustainable and resource-efficient closed-loop economy; the second, environmental, pollution prevention and control. The third area is economics and finance in terms of making financial products available designed to reduce climate change and reporting on these activities.

“…However, this does not provide a holistic solution to the remaining fraction of the waste. Also, the Integrated Recycling and Compost Plant (IRECOP), Kumasi Compost and Recycling Plant (KCARP) and Accra Compost and Recycling Plant (ACARP) dispose of residual waste at landfills after organic waste and plastics have been recovered [63]. The case study plant being considered in this study has the capacity to use all waste fractions that are practically available to produce various products.…”

Section: The Local Context-the Energy Sector and Hybrid Renewable Ene...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Achieving Techno-Economic Feasibility for Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems through the Production of Energy and Alternative Fuels

Armoo,

Mohammed,

Narra

et al. 2024

Self Cite

In developing countries like Ghana, the conversion of waste into energy is gaining greater interest among policy makers and researchers. The present study investigates the feasibility of producing electricity and/or fuels from a hybrid waste-to-energy pilot plant located in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. The plant integrates three technologies: anaerobic digestion, pyrolysis and solar PV. The plant has the potential to produce both energy and fuels such as green hydrogen, refuse derived fuels, bio-compressed natural gas and compost. Thus, this study compares the financial feasibility of three scenarios—generating electricity and fuels, generating electricity alone and generating fuels alone—by modelling their energy output and financial performance using RETSCREEN expert 6.0.7.55 and Microsoft Excel 2019 softwares. The results indicate that the multiple products of electricity and fuels provide higher investment interest with a Net Present Value in excess of EUR 13 million and a payback period of 12 years compared to the electricity-only model. Also, converting electricity into fuels alone also provides substantial benefits which can be explored. However, the Levelized Cost of Energy, ranging from 0.3 to 0.68 EUR/kWh, is far above the average residential End User tariff. Overall, this study provides an important methodology for assessing the potential products of future projects.