Closing of Carbon Cycle by Waste Gasification for Circular Economy Implementation in Poland

Abstract

Domestic coal and waste resources, which are valuable sources of carbon, can support efforts to transform a linear economy into a circular carbon economy. Their use, as an alternative to conventional, imported fossil resources (crude oil, natural gas) for chemical production, provides an opportunity for Poland to solve problems related to competitiveness, security of supply, and sustainable development in various industries. This is important for Poland because it can provide it with a long-term perspective of economic growth and development, taking into account global trends (e.g., the Paris Agreement) and EU legislation. The article presents a concept to support the transformation from linear toward a circular carbon economy under Polish conditions. The carried-out analyses showed that coal, RDF, and plastic waste fuels can be a valuable source of raw material for the development of the chemical industry in Poland. Due to the assumed availability of plastic waste and the loss of carbon in the production process, coal consumption is estimated at 10 million t/yr, both in the medium- and long-term. In case where coal consumption is reduced and an additional source of ‘green hydrogen’ is used, CO2 emissions could be reduced even by 98% by 2050. The presented results show the technical and economic feasibility of the proposed solution and could be the basis for development of the roadmap for transition of the linear to circular economy under Polish condition.

Analyzing Socio-Economic Development and Energy Dynamics Across Polish Voivodeships

“…They can constitute an alternative being used rather than conventional imported fossil raw materials (oil, natural gas) for chemical production, which would give Poland an opportunity to address issues of higher competitiveness, supply's security and sustainable development of different branches of industry. It is crucial in case of Poland as it is a chance for a longlasting perspective of growth and development in economy, following global trends and EU legislation (Sobolewski et al, 2022).…”

On the Thermal Stability of a Counter-Current Fixed-Bed Gasifier

“…In particular, gasification of less calorific fuels (peat, biomass, plastics, and various kind of wastes) has become of considerable importance in the current energy scenario due to both resources protection and climate precaution, specifically CO 2 neutrality (see for the example [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]). Nevertheless, the recycling aspects of the thermal treatment of complex materials for the modern circular economy [8][9][10] are no less important.…”