WMW 20061101 Nov 2006

INTERNATIONAL SOLID WASTE ASSOCIATION
management world
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Promoting sustainable waste management worldwide
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WMW
Machines to master
construction waste
Combating illegal
WEEE trade
New on batteries:
EU and the US
New on batteries:
EU and the US
WMW SPECIAL:
Thermal treatment and
waste-to-energy
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Contents | Zoom in | Zoom out Search Issue | Next Page For navigation instructions please click here
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Contents
NOV E MBE R DE C E MBE R 2 0 0 6
REGULARS
Editorial
From the Publishers
Comment by Nigel Pritchard
News A round-up of news from around the world
ISWA information
Diary
Index to advertisers
THERMAL TREATMENT AND WTE SPECIAL
The efficiency question the X factor for waste-to-energy in Europe
The ECs new energy efficiency criteria would effectively classify many of Europes existing
waste-to-energy plants as disposal plants. How would this affect the WTE industry?
BY ELLA STENGLER
Future conditional the role of MBT in recovering energy from waste
The future of MBT will largely depend on the further development of technologies that can use the
energy-rich RDF by-product
BY PATRICK WHEELER
New generation America re-ignites interest in waste-to-energy
The US is building new WTE capacity for the first time in a decade. What has made America turn to
waste-to-energy again?
BY TED MICHAELS
Steam goes on-stream a new solution for waste treatment in the UK?
Historically used in sterilization procedures, steam technology is now attracting growing interest in the UK
for the treatment of municipal solid waste
BY GUY ROBINSON
Plasma progress low-cost operation and clean energy at long last?
A new plasma gasification technology claims to deliver high electricity output while incurring low capital
cost. Can this push the plasma market forward?
BY ROD BRYDEN
Fluidized bed drying a necessary step for sludge usage
Chinese wastewater treatment plants are taking advantage of the benefits of sludge drying
BY KLAUS STANKE, JUERGEN GEYER AND YAN XU
Precious joules whats in store for the thermal treatment market in
western Europe
Thermal treatment remains a strong market, but market competition will bear on its long-term prospects
BY CHRIS HADLEY
Thermal treatment and WTE news
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Cover photograph:
The Baltimore Refuse Energy
Systems Company in
Maryland. New US legislation
is expected to give a fresh
push for the waste-to-energy
industry (article p. 31). PHOTO:
WHEELABORATOR TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Cover photograph:,
Thermal Treatment and WTE
Special, p. 17
The Twence plant in the
Netherlands is responding to
the ECs new energy efficiency
criteria for WTE plants
(article p. 19). PHOTO: CEWEP CONTINUED ...
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Contents
NOV E MBE R DE C E MBE R 2 0 0 6
FEATURES
Discharged and ready to go the recycling and collection of portable
batteries in Europe
The ECs recently adopted Batteries Directive will require Member States to measure up to its recycling,
treatment and disposal requirements
BY EMMANUEL BEAUREPAIRE
Positive connections rechargeable battery recycling in the US
An organization is helping American retailers and consumers to recycle their rechargeable batteries
BY RALPH MILLARD
Trade troubles exposing loopholes in the global movement of WEEE
Better safeguards are needed against the illegal export of purportedly reusable WEEE to developing
countries for unsafe materials reclamation
BY JEFF COOPER
Capturing public imagination a lesson on compost for the community
A UK compost operator has started a campaign to raise awareness of the benefits of compost
BY DEBORAH GRAY
Buried treasure South Korea uncovers the appeal of landfill gas
A number of projects in South Korea reveal the promise of landfill gas for energy generation
BY CHRISTINA LARNEY, MARK HEIL AND GYUNGAE HA
A meeting of minds the growth of recycling is bringing operators and
manufacturers together
UK manufacturers from different sectors of the waste collection and transport business are upping their
communication with one another, as seen at the RWM06 exhibition
BY MALCOLM BATES
Compact concept comes of age how specialist manufacturers have
helped create a new market in materials recycling
Compact machines have allowed on-site recycling to become a key part of the waste and
recycling industry
BY MALCOLM BATES
ON THE JOB
Master of disaster
Earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis Martin Bjerregaard heads the launch of a new international NGO for
disaster waste management
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EDI TORI AL November December 2006 WASTE MANAGEMENT WORLD
6
A
t the ISWA Annual Congress in Copenhagen, ISWA members from Turkey,
Bulgaria, Argentina and Brazil presented the waste management problems of
their respective countries at a seminar. The main conclusion was that these
countries and countries in similar economic conditions in most cases face the same
kind of problems. The predominant waste disposal method is landfilling, either in the
form of merely dumping the waste wherever convenient or different degrees of
controlled or sanitary landfilling, although progress has been made in other treatment
or disposal methods. In the best cases, waste management plans have been introduced.
But in the worst cases, nothing much has been done, and implementation and
enforcement of plans and regulations are still severe problems in these countries.
Uncontrolled landfilling will eventually harm the environment damaging
groundwater and causing infections, for instance. This is often accompanied by the issue
of human scavengers living off, and on, the dumps and landfills.
Professor Gnay Kocasoy from Turkey concluded the seminar by showing a series of
slides with pictures of waste dumps from a number of countries in the poorer parts of the
world and the appalling conditions
the scavengers have to live and
work under. Pictures like these say
more than any number of words
can, and stress the need for action.
The first step to solving these
problems apart from obvious
matters such as finding funding and getting political support is to create awareness
of the problems and provide education and training.
ISWAs new President Niels Jrn Hahn emphasized this when he presented his
programme at the ISWA General Assembly. He stressed that ISWA will be focused on the
needs for training and education in the developing countries facing environmental
challenges and that ISWA will provide such training and education. ISWA has the tools
to carry out this part of the programme in the form of training courses, seminars and
the International Waste Manager programme and ISWA will use them to further the
education and training goal.
Suzanne Arup Veltz is Managing Director of ISWA.
This article is on-line. Please visit www.waste-management-world.com
Editorial
Continuing problems with uncontrolled landfilling in
developing countries highlight the need for education
and training, says Suzanne Arup Veltz
ISWA Annual Congress
2428 September 2007 Amsterdam, the Netherlands
The first step is to create awareness of
the problems and provide education
and training
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N
ever before has the subject of future energy supply been so
visible in the media and as a matter of public concern. The
debate is fuelled by a whole range of factors concern for the
global climate, ensuring secure supplies of oil and other fossil fuels, the
need to protect energy infrastructure against possible attack, the high
price of oil. And every now and again, one or other technology is
presented by its proponents as the solution that could hold all the
answers. Hydrogen perhaps, or nuclear power, or clean coal.
Of course there is no single magic answer. Rather, an intelligent mix of
energy-saving and energy-producing solutions are the way forward.
And while it is important for governments to fund research into new,
future energy technologies, it is rather more important for them to
tackle issues of planning and implementation right now. This can be
tough, and may risk votes think of the issues of siting new power
lines, or wind farms, or energy-from-waste plants so needs the right
level of public education behind it to ease acceptance.
As the waste industry is increasingly aware, the waste streams it
handles are not waste at all, but a materials and energy resource. This
issue of Waste Management World contains our annual Special on
waste-to-energy and thermal treatment. It highlights a range of
technologies and good-practice solutions for thermally treating waste
and using non-recyclables to generate electricity and/or usable heat.
With energy so visibly on the agenda, its important to highlight the
contribution to the mix that can come from the waste sector.
Jackie Jones
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
P.S. All new WMW articles are now available on our website,
www.waste-management-world.com. Here you can also subscribe to
the print version or our new electronic version, change your
subscription details, or sign up for our e-newsletter.
From the Publishers
ISSN 1476-1394
The magazine for ISWA members
EDITOR: Suzanne Arup Veltz, ISWA General Secretariat
GROUP PUBLISHER: David McConnell
PUBLISHER EMERITUS: Edward Milford
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR: Jackie Jones
COMMISSIONING EDITOR: Guy Robinson
PRODUCTION EDITOR: Monique Tsang
TRANSPORT CORRESPONDENT: Malcolm Bates
DESIGN: Paul Cooper Design
PRODUCTION MANAGER: John Perkins
PRODUCTION CONTROLLER: Julie Challinor
SALES MANAGERS: Terry Ash, James Walden
ADVERTISING: for information on advertising,
please contact Terry Ash or James Walden at
PennWell Corp. on +44 20 7387 8558 or
wmw@jxj.com
EDITORIAL/NEWS CONTACT:
Guy Robinson, e-mail: wmw@jxj.com
Published for the International Solid Waste
Association, Vesterbrogade 74, 3rd floor,
DK-1620 Copenhagen V, Denmark
Tel: +45 32 96 15 88
Fax: +45 32 96 15 84
web: www.iswa.org
Published by PennWell Corporation,
812 Camden High Street, London NW1 0JH, UK
Tel: +44 20 7387 8558
Fax: +44 20 7387 8998
e-mail: wmw@jxj.com
web: www.waste-management-world.com
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE/PRESS RELEASES:
Please send to Waste Management World at
wmw@jxj.com
2006 International Solid Waste Association. All rights
reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any
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the Publishers. While every attempt is made to ensure the
accuracy of the information contained in this magazine, neither
the Publishers, Editors nor the authors accept any liability for
errors or omissions. Opinions expressed in this publication are
not necessarily those of the Publishers or Editor.
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n an environment where legislation and regulations
surrounding waste management are complex, evolving and
divergent, is it now time to set up a national strategic waste
board to co-ordinate policy and ensure a consistent approach
across England for dealing with waste and recycling?
I asked the question at a recent meeting of the Waste Action
Forum (WAF) in Westminster, London and the response I received
back from delegates was an emphatic yes a view that I share.
The subject of the regulatory disconnection that exists in
England was a key topic at the Forum, and was discussed in detail.
When surveyed, representatives from local authorities, industry
and retailers came out strongly in favour of central co-ordination
and the need for a consistent approach across the country for
dealing with waste and recycling.
A disconnected structure has evolved around the waste
industry as it has grown over the years, and this is the root cause
of many problems that we experience today. As a top level
example, the DTI (Department of Trade and Industry) is the
supporter of the waste industry, there to create the conditions to
help it flourish, but Defra (Department of Environment, Food
and Rural Affairs) dictates the policy under which it operates.
This is further confused by the regulation of the industry being
driven by several areas including the European Union, Defra, the
Environment Agency and local authorities.
You would be hard pushed to find any other industry in
England that operates in such a disconnected and disparate way.
This result of this structure has led to different priorities and
interpretations of regulations, resulting in inconsistencies in
approach and judgement.
Many problems it has caused are already well documented,
such as different recycling targets being set for industry and local
authorities, which result in these groups effectively working
against each other.
Lack of foresight is also evident in glass recycling. Funding
from Defra has led to local authorities substantially increasing
kerbside collections. Because local authorities recycling targets
are set by weight (and glass is a heavy material), they have rapidly
been introducing kerbside glass collection schemes to help meet
these targets. Collection methods have been left to local
authorities to decide and this has resulted in a huge swing towards
mixed-colour glass collection.
The rush towards mixed glass collection has created a major
issue for glass container recyclers. Mixed glass collections contain
on average 50% green glass while UK food and drink
Comment
The importance of integrated waste planning is becoming increasingly
clear. So has the time come for England to introduce a national strategic
waste board? As the UK prepares to publish a new waste strategy, it is
important to look at the bigger picture, writes Nigel Pritchard
COMMENT November December 2006 WASTE MANAGEMENT WORLD
8
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COMMENT WASTE MANAGEMENT WORLD November December 2006
9
manufacturers use predominantly clear and amber glass. Long-
established bring systems, which provide colour-separated glass,
are also affected and are now in decline.
The glass industry is now faced with an excess of green glass
and a dearth of the much more valued amber and clear glass.
We also have local authorities and other government bodies
working at different geographic levels, some locally, some
regionally and others nationally. This leads to different
interpretations of legislation and policy, and consequently
different ways of working across the country.
There are many areas where greater strategic control and a
centralized focus could deliver substantial benefits to reduce costs,
improve infrastructure, increase efficiency and enhance service
provision.
Adopting a consistent approach to planning approvals across
the country for recycling and disposal facilities would give greater
clarity to people involved in setting up infrastructure and enable
them to act with greater certainty. Planning approvals are
currently handled locally by departments that rarely have a
complete understanding of the legislative and economic
framework under which the industry operates. This has the
potential to undermine the progress of the industry in meeting
waste and recycling targets.
Standardizing the way different local authorities collect and
process waste would help improve public understanding of how we
deal with waste and lead to more efficient services. Through
centrally co-ordinating procurement of contractors, equipment
and services, there is the huge potential to save costs.
UK government also needs to think more inclusively about
how it views waste. Currently there is great focus on collecting and
reprocessing household waste the minority fraction of the total
waste we produce in England. This should be broadened out to
encompass both commercial and industrial waste.
There also needs to be greater emphasis on encouraging
manufacturers to view reprocessed waste as a resource rather than
a residue. A lot of work is already being done in this area, but it is
not just about finding new markets through technology and
innovation. Using reprocessed materials needs to be
commercially viable for companies, and this is a key factor that
needs to be addressed before companies will consider designing
in recyclable materials into their products.
The waste management industry is complex and these are just
a few of the issues that could be improved by setting up a national
strategic waste board. Much of this, I hope, has already been
considered within the UK governments Waste Strategy Review
for England. It is important that government continues to hear
from and listens carefully to the needs and experiences of
people that work at the sharp end of managing waste.
Part of the role of the WAF is to influence UK government
thinking on its waste strategy for England. In our view, the
structure of the waste industry needs to be completely overhauled.
The time is now right to set up a central body to co-ordinate how
we deal with waste and recycling in England.
NIGEL PRITCHARD is a Director of Ardagh Glass, based in the
UK, and is Chair of the Waste Action Forum.
e-mail: nigel.pritchard@ardaghglass.com
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NEWS November December 2006 WASTE MANAGEMENT WORLD
10
EC CONFIRMS ITS POSITION ON
HAZARDOUS WASTE AS THE
IVORY COAST SHIPS OUT
Environment Commissioner Stavros
Dimas has welcomed the Environment
Councils conclusions on hazardous
waste movements, which set out the EUs
negotiating position for the eighth
conference of parties to the Basel
Convention (being held in Nairobi from
27 November to 1 December).
Discussions on transboundary
movements of hazardous wastes and
their disposal have come to the fore in
light of the recent incident of hazardous
waste dumping in Ivory Coast, which
killed 10 people and led tens of
thousands to seek hospital treatment.
Planet Ark has reported that tonnes of
the toxic waste are being shipped out of
the West African country in 140 sealed
containers, bound for a treatment plant
operated by Tredi International in France.
The report also states that a Dutch
lawyer representing victims of the toxic
waste demanded Trafigura, the oil-
trading company that chartered the
tanker, to pay 10 million as an advance
on potential future damages and said the
company would face court action if it did
not pay within two weeks. The lawyer,
Bob van der Goen, said Trafigura should
have known Ivory Coast did not have the
necessary facilities to process the waste.
DIVERSION INCREASING IN THE
UK AND US
The UK Governments target to recycle
and compost 25% of household waste in
England by 2005/06 has been exceeded,
according to provisional figures published
by Defra (the Department for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs).
They show households in England
recycled 27% of their waste during
2005/06, 4% more than in the previous
year.
At the same time, the US EPA has
announced that Americans are recycling
more and throwing away less. At the
National Recycling Coalition Conference
in Atlanta, EPA Administrator Stephen L.
Johnson announced that the US recycled
32% of its waste in 2005. Including
composting, Americans recycled
79 million US tons (72 million metric
tonnes), representing a 2% increase from
2004 and a significant jump from 16% in
1990. An executive summary of the US
EPA report is available at
http://www.epa.gov/msw/msw99.htm
PLASMA TREATMENT IN
MALAYSIA
The Malaysian National News Agency
has reported that Octagon Consolidated
Bhd expects its waste-to-energy plant to
help the Malaysian Government save
MYR 51 million (about 11 million) a
year in gas subsidy for power generation.
In a statement, Octagon said the MYR
612 million (132 million) project would
be financed by subsidiary Melaka Waste
to Energy Sdn Bhd (MEtE).
The 45 MW plant uses plasma
technology and will export 35 MW of the
power generated to the national grid. It
will help the Government save
MYR 51 million based on replacing the
35 MW with renewable energy at current
subsidy levels, said MWtE Managing
Director, Siti Fatimah Mohd Shariff.
Siti Fatimah said the plant would be
able to process 1200 tonnes of municipal
solid wastes per day to generate 45 MW
of power, of which 35 MW will be
exported to the grid when fully
commissioned in 2009.
EBRA WELCOMES THE NEW
BATTERIES DIRECTIVE
EBRA (the European Battery Recycling
Association) welcomes the new European
Batteries Directive but considers the
recycling capacities that already exist
would allow a faster implementation of
the various targets.
After the publication of the Directive in
the Official Journal of the EC on
26 September 2006, EBRA members are
ready to proactively help all relevant
stakeholders in implementing the targets,
particularly in defining the method of
calculating the recycling efficiency which,
in order to ensure a level playing field for
the recycling industry, should be done
before the deadline of transposition of
the Directive into National Law. For more
information, see the article on page 61.
RECYCLING COALITION CALLS
FOR MORATORIUM ON PLA
BOTTLES
A coalition of citizen and recycling
organizations and local recyclers has
challenged NatureWorks plans to push
the use of its new bio-based plastic,
polylactic acid or PLA, in bottles. It called
on NatureWorks to agree to a
moratorium on any further expansion of
PLA in bottles until the bio-resins
recyclability has been demonstrated.
The members of the coalition are
Eco-Cycle, Eureka Recycling, Ecology
Center, The Plastic Redesign Project, the
Institute for Local Self-Reliance, the
Center for a Competitive Waste Industry
and the GrassRoots Recycling Network.
NatureWorks, a subsidiary of Cargill,
has commercialized a new type of plastic
resin made from corn, and claims PLA
has preferable end-of-life advantages
because, being bio-based, it is
compostable. NatureWorks also claims
that PLA can be physically recycled or
chemically converted back into PLA. The
coalition emphasized its support for
News
Send your news to WASTE MANAGEMENT WORLD e-mail: wmw@jxj.com
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bio-based resins for compostable food
serviceware. However, it questioned the
economic viability of recycling or
composting PLA bottles. The coalition
also raised concerns that PLA bottles in
large numbers could harm the economics
of PET bottle recycling.
DELL EXPANDS ITS GLOBAL
RECYCLING PROGRAMME
Dell will begin providing recycling
services to business customers in
mainland China and Hong Kong
immediately, the companys CEO Kevin
Rollins has announced.
We want to make recycling easy for
our customers in China, and Dell is
committed to recycling what we make
and sell, Mr Rollins said. We encourage
every manufacturer in our industry to
join us in providing responsible recycling
in China.
This announcement follows closely on
the heels of Dells offer for home pick-up
in the US of used Dell-branded
computers and peripheral equipment at
no charge. The service is not tied to a
replacement purchase. Consumers
entering a product identification number
on-line will be able to print a pre-paid
shipping label and an opportunity to
schedule home pick-up for shipping the
used computer.
We want to make recycling easy and
free for consumers, and are committed to
recycling what we make and sell, said
Eric Gates, Dells worldwide manager of
asset recovery services.
VEOLIA EXPANDING IN CHINA
Veolia Environmental Services has won a
concession agreement to partner a
Chinese environmental services company
in operating hazardous waste treatment
centres in the cities of Qingdao and
Jinan. The two cities lie in the eastern
Chinese province of Shandong and have
a total population of 40 million people.
The concession was awarded by the
Shandong Environmental Protection
Administration and will run for a period
of 50 years, covering the design,
construction and operation of the two
treatment centres.
The two centres are part of a network
of 31 hazardous waste treatment facilities
chosen under a master plan put in place
by the Chinese Environmental Protection
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superior wheel cleaning system guarantee the best possible use of valuable disposal site areas. The BC 1172 RB weights in at 55 tonnes and flattens
everything in sight. Even with high volumes of waste, it doesnt throw in the towel. Efficient hydrostatic drive reduces fuel consumption, while wire
cutters and dual scraper bars keep wheels clean for optimum compaction results. The special oscillating articulated joint keeps all four wheels on the
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in brief
EC proposes ban on EU mercury exports
The European Commission has proposed
legislation to ban all European Union exports
of mercury from 2011. The ban forms a key
part of the EUs strategy for reducing global
exposure to mercury.
DEP Awards $4.5 million to support
local recycling programmes
New Jersey Department of Environmental
Protection Commissioner Lisa P. Jackson has
announced US$4.5 million in grants to
counties and municipalities to support local
recycling programmes. New Jerseys
recycling industry employs more than
27,000 people in New Jersey with total
receipts valued at $5.9 billion annually.
Bring your own bottle
According to the newsletter Japan for
Sustainability, more and more of the countrys
coffee shops are now providing coffee or tea
service at discount rates when people bring
their own drink containers to the shops. With
public environmental awareness growing, the
service is drawing attention as a new healthy
lifestyle, in contrast to the disposable lifestyle
that relies on drinks in PET bottles.
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Administration. The two projects will
begin in late 2006, with Veolia
Environmental Services holding a 66%
stake in each joint venture.
FEAD ANNUAL CONFERENCE
2006
On 26 October 2006 the FEAD President
welcomed more than 100 participants to
the FEAD Annual Conference, hosted and
organized in the framework of the
Entsorga-Enteco fair in Cologne.
Peter J. Kneissl announced his
resignation as President for family
reasons. The participants were welcomed
by Michael Averill as newly appointed
President. In addition, the Presidents
from several FEAD Member Associations
held a panel discussion on the impacts of
the Revision of the Waste Framework
Directive on the sector.
For example, Pentti Rantala, the
President of Finnish member association
(JLY), called for a flexible hierarchy, while
Pierre Rellet, President of French member
association (FNADE), explained that the
major risk for the sector is a wide
declassification of waste.
All presentations are available
on the FEAD website: www.fead.be. Next
years FEAD annual conference will take
place on 1819 October 2007 in
Athens, Greece.
UK COMPOSTING: THRIVING BUT
STILL A LONG WAY TO GO
A survey The State of Composting and
Biological Waste Treatment in the UK
2004/05 indicates that composting across
the UK grew substantially, increasing
from 1.97 million tonnes (Mt) in 2003/04
to 2.67 Mt in 2004/05, representing a 35%
increase, 2.6 times the amount of waste
composted in 2000/01.
The survey, carried out by M.E.L. Ltd
for the Composting Association and
funded by the Environment Agency and
WRAP (the Waste & Resources Action
Programme), clearly shows that the
composting and biological waste
treatment industry has an important role
to play in helping the UK move towards
greater sustainability.
Jane Gilbert, Chief Executive of the
Composting Association, commented:
We are extremely pleased to see the
positive progress the composting
industry has made over the last few
years There is still, however, room for
development. The survey shows that
there is going to be a major capacity
shortfall for composting in the UK,
Waste-
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To see our
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ISWA INTERNATIONAL WASTE MANAGER SHOWCASES
AT COPENHAGEN CONGRESS
ISWAs vision to develop a global certification programme for professional waste
managers took a major leap forward at its Annual Congress in Copenhagen in
October. Both outgoing president NC Vasuki and new president Niels Jrn Hahn
highlighted the programme in their speeches to the Congress while US Engineer
Richard Watson had his certificate presented to him by the President at the closing
ceremony. Indian waste manager Shubhangi Wankhede (see photo) also had her
certificate presented at another Congress event.
The ISWA International Waste Manager programme is designed to provide an
internationally recognized certification for individual professional waste managers
based on their academic achievements and their
practical work experience. The certification is
awarded at three levels Intermediate, Advanced and
International depending on how applicants meet the
ISWA criteria.
ISWA is already in discussions with UNEP and
hopes that other international bodies such as the
World Bank will see the benefits of this programme in
raising professional standards of waste management
throughout the world. During discussions in
Copenhagen, some countries suggested it could
become their main certification programme to ensure
knowledge and competence amongst their waste
managers.
Full details of the programme are contained on the
ISWA website www.iswa.org, and further information
may be obtained by contacting Helena Bergman at
hb@iswa.dk.
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A|ways re||ab|e
At Cummins Power Generation, our reputation for
reliability comes from more than our products. lt's
also earned by every person who touches your
power system solution. From application engineering
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distributor support, you can expect excellence from
us every time. And you can depend upon the energy
of our people to provide on-site power whenever,
however and wherever you need it.
To see our rellablllty ln aotlon,
read our oustomers storles at
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especially for the in-vessel plants needed
to treat catering waste. Unless a number
of new facilities are built soon, this
country will not be able to meet the
binding targets set for it by the EU
Landfill Directive.
We would call on the Government to
take a good look at the work being done
in this area, to support composters who
want to build new sites and to help
existing composters who want to expand
their operations.
The State of Composting in the UK
2004/5 is free to download from the
Composting Associations website
www.compost.org.uk.
100,000TH LOADALL ROLLS OF
JCB LINE
JCB celebrated the production of its
100,000th Loadall telescopic handler as
the company concluded 9 million
(13.5 million) worth of investment to
significantly expand global
manufacturing of the machine.
The first Loadall the JCB 520 went
into production in 1977. In the first full
year of manufacture, fewer than 300 of
the machines were made by just a
handful of employees.
Almost 700 people now work in the
Loadall Business Unit and today they
were joined by JCB Chairman Sir
Anthony Bamford in celebrating the
production milestone.
VOLUNTARY ACTION IN US
INDUSTRY
Sixty-one organizations have contributed
significant efforts in reducing and
recycling materials, and reducing or
eliminating priority chemicals in products
and waste, including lead, mercury and
cadmium. The organizations, including
VICTAM
International2007
Visit...
8 1 0 Ma y 2 0 0 7 J a a r b e u r s Ha l l s , Ut r e c h t , Th e Ne t h e r l a n d s
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Visitors to the exhibition will find the worlds foremost companies supplying
equipment, technology and systems used in biomass processing for use as an
alternative energy source, including services and technology to facilitate organic
waste re-cycling.
Supporting conference:
Pellets for bio-energy: addressing the challenges
Organised by AEBIOM (European Biomass Association) 10 May 2007
For conference programme & delegate registration, travel & accommodation or
visitor information contact:
Email: expo@victam.com Website: www.victam.com
Tel: ++ 31 33 246 4404 Fax: ++ 31 33 246 4706
MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS
VEOLIA ENVIRONNEMENT COMPLETES
CLEANAWAY ACQUISITION
Veolia Environmental Services has completed
the acquisition of Cleanaway UK. The deal was
completed on 28 September 2006 with an
enterprise value of 589 million (880 million)
and followed approval by the EU competition
authorities.
The combined business will have 2006 pro-forma revenues above 1.1 billion
(1.6 billion) and employ more than 13,000 people.
WHI CAPITAL PARTNERS ACQUIRES CONTAINER RECYCLING ALLIANCE
WHI Capital Partners has acquired the Container Recycling Alliance, the glass
recycling division of Waste Management, Inc.
CRA operates eight glass recycling facilities throughout the US. Employing
approximately 150 people and processing roughly 500,000 tonnes of glass per year,
CRA is the second-largest operator of glass recycling facilities in the United States.
WHI Capital Partners is a Chicago-based private equity firm that invests in leading
niche manufacturing, value-added distribution and specialty service companies with
revenues of $10100 million.
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utilities, schools, electronic and chemical
companies, and consumer product
manufacturers, among others, are
members of the US Environmental
Protection Agencys National Partnership
for Environmental Priorities or WasteWise
programmes.
These organizations and their
representatives truly exemplify the best in
voluntary efforts, said Susan Bodine,
assistant administrator for the Office of
Solid Waste and Emergency Response.
They have made significant contributions
to environmental sustainability and set an
example to inspire others.
AMERICAN BEVERAGE
ASSOCIATION JOINS NATIONAL
RECYCLING PARTNERSHIP
The American Beverage Association
(ABA) has joined as a founding member
of the National Recycling Partnership,
created to reinvigorate recycling in
America. This partnership which
includes the National Recycling Coalition,
the US Environmental Protection Agency,
the American Beverage Association, the
Food Marketing Institute, the Grocery
Manufacturers Association and the
International Bottled Water Association
aims to revive consumers interest in
recycling by educating them on what,
how and why to recycle.
A top priority for the National
Recycling Partnership coalition will be
the development and dissemination of
consumer-friendly recycling icons as well
as accurate and standardized recycling
terminology for use in product labelling
and advertising.
WEEE DISPOSAL IN ILLINOIS, US
Rod R. Blagojevich, Governor of Illinois,
has signed an Executive Order directing
state government to recycle electronic
equipment when it reaches the
end of its usable life. The Executive
Order will require all state agencies,
boards, and commissions under the
Governors control to recycle or dispose
of obsolete electronic equipment
in an environmentally responsible
manner.
By directing state agencies to be
more responsible with potentially toxic
electronic waste, we can ensure that
state government is doing what it can to
keep our land and water clean, and
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in brief
WASTECON success in North Carolina
WASTECON 2006 in the US was hailed as a
success by SWANA Executive Director and
CEO, John Skinner, PhD. The show floor was
well attended, the technical sessions and
training events were full, and the various
networking events successfully brought
thousands of solid waste professionals
together. This year there were over 3500
registrants with attendance 20% higher than
last year. WASTECON 2007 will take place in
Reno, Nevada, 1618 October 2007.
Hydrogen production from waste
The London Hydrogen Partnership (LHP) has
published a report focusing on the potential
for hydrogen production from waste within
London, in particular looking at using this as a
vehicle fuel. LHP stated that the use of waste
as a source of energy, as part of an
integrated waste management strategy, is of
considerable interest, particularly in cities
that produce a lot of waste but generally have
few other renewable resources. For a copy of
the report, visit: http://www.lhp.org.uk
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people safe, said Gov. Blagojevich. But state government is
just a small part of a bigger problem. Industries and
households across Illinois also dispose of outdated or broken
electronic equipment. We should make sure they are not
putting the public in harms way when they dispose of their
electronics. I will urge the General Assembly to build on the
efforts of my administration by adopting statewide electronics
recycling legislation.
NEW EVENT OFF TO A GOOD START
Metalriciclo attracted more than 100 exhibitors active in the
recovery and recycling of ferrous and non-ferrous metals
sector. 3877 visitors and approximately 500 participants
attended the eight conference sessions, which ran
1416 September 2006 in the Garda Exhibition Centre in
Montichiari, Brescia, Italy.
Mario Bertoli, President of Edimet, commented: The 2007
edition will see an expansion into the energy sector, again in
relation to the recovery and recycling of metal scrap, and part
of the exhibition area and specific conferences will be
dedicated to the topic. Metalriciclo 2007 is scheduled to take
place 1315 September 2007 at the same venue.
GREEN DVD IS IN THE CAN
South Wales design agency Stills has joined forces with global
metals firm Corus to help educate children about the need to
recycle. Anglo-Dutch steelmaker Corus, currently the subject of
the multi-million take-over bid, appointed Cardiff-based design
agency Stills Design to produce the nine-minute film Kids in
charge which features school children explaining the
importance of recycling steel cans.
Over 15,000 copies of the free film, which is aimed at
encouraging ecological responsibility among children, have
been distributed so far. Last year around 13 billion steel cans
were produced in the UK. Of these, only 3 billion were
recycled.
STEEL PACKAGING RECYCLING: A GROWING
SUCCESS THROUGHOUT EUROPE
Over 2.3 million tonnes of steel packaging were recycled in
Europe last year. This represents an average recycling rate of
63% in the EU-25, an increase of 6% in recycled tonnage
compared with 2004.
For the first time, recycling data gathered by APEAL (the
association of European producers of steel for packaging)
covers 30 countries, namely the EU-25 as well as Romania,
Bulgaria, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey and provides a full
picture of the recycling performance of steel packaging.
Growing recycling rates are being achieved throughout Europe
with recycling rates reaching up to 92% in Belgium.
ISRI TACKLING SCRAP THEFT
The National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) and the
Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) has announced
that the two organizations are partnering in an effort to
address the issue of metals theft across the nation. Soon after
this announcement was made, ISRI published a list of
recommended practices for scrap dealers to decrease their
chances of accepting stolen metals. The document titled
Recommended Practices and Procedures for Minimizing the
Risks of Purchasing Stolen Scrap Materials can be found at
www.isri.org/theftpractices.
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700M FOR UK COMMUNITY PROJECTS
More than 700 million (about 1 billion) has been given to
local community, social and environmental projects by
companies operating landfill sites, thanks to a UK tax scheme
that has just celebrated its 10th anniversary.
The Landfill Communities Fund (formerly the Landfill Tax
Credit Scheme) was introduced by the government to help offset
the effects of landfill on local communities across the UK.
Landfill Tax is a tax on waste, and the Landfill Communities
Fund is a way of giving a slice of the money that would have
been due in tax to local community, social and environmental
schemes instead.
Financial Secretary of the Treasury John Healey said: The
700 million distributed by the scheme has funded more than
19,000 community projects across the UK to improve public
amenities and parks, run biodiversity projects and restore
community buildings. From a few hundred pounds to help
renovate a village hall, to a few thousand to help establish a
local nature reserve, the landfill communities scheme has
helped make a real difference in neighbourhoods across
the UK.
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Thermo
treatment and
waste-to-energy
Thermal
treatment and
waste-to-energy
SPECIAL
NOVEMBERDECEMBER 2006
policy
market outlook
improving output
steam treatment
RDF
plasma gasification
sludge drying
product news
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First integrated waste
treatment facility in Qatar.
The most recent contract awarded
to Keppel Integrated Engineering,
the parent company of Keppel Seghers,
is for an integrated solid waste treatment
facility in Qatar, the rst in the Middle East.
The contract covers the Engineering, Pro-
curement and Construction (EPC) as well as
the Operation and Maintenance of this facility for
20 years.
The installation is expected to be operational in 2009
and will have an initial capacity to treat over 1,550
tonnes of waste per day.
The integrated facility will comprise waste sorting and
recycling facilities, an anaerobic composting plant and a
1,000 tonnes per day WTE installation, which will be the
heart of the facility.
Phone +32 (0)3 880 77 00 - info@keppelseghers.com - www.keppelseghers.com
Keppel Seghers brings Waste-to-Energy
power plants to Qatar and Finland.
A sustainable source of renewable energy.
Keppel Seghers is a leading supplier of WTE plants. Our technical leadership is
underpinned by a reputation for reliability and effectiveness. Our technology complies with
the severest legislation on emissions anywhere in the world.
Our range of technology solutions maximises the value of waste streams and
minimises the environmental impact, preserving the land we live on and the
air we breath, both for current and future generations.
Keppel Seghers builds Finland's first new WTE plant.
Keppel Seghers is currently building the Kotka WTE
installation in Finland. This new WTE facility was
awarded by Kotkan Energia Oy and will have
a throughput of 12.8 tonnes per hour of
municipal solid waste.
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WASTE MANAGEMENT WORLD November December 2006 THERMAL TREATMENT AND WTE SPECI AL
19
Waste-to-energy
O
n 21 December 2005, the European Commission
proposed a review of the 1975 Waste Framework
Directive. As part of this revision, the Commission
wants to clarify the definition of recovery and disposal. The
principle of replacement of resources remains decisive when
defining recovery; recovery operations should serve a useful
purpose in replacing (whether in the plant or in the wider
economy) other resources that would
have been used to fulfil that function.
In a case in 2003,
1
the European Court
of Justice considered only the boundaries
of a plant itself and thus stigmatized a
municipal waste incineration plant as a
disposal operation. However, substitution
is now assessed from an economic perspective, enabling waste-
to-energy (WTE) plants to be classified as energy recovery
facilities if the energy efficiency criteria described in Annex II of
the Waste Framework Directive (see box) are fulfilled.
What does this mean in practice?
The Confederation of European Waste-to-Energy Plants
(CEWEP) welcomes the Commissions approach in principle.
However, CEWEP is concerned about the energy efficiency
factor proposed by the Commission.
An energy efficiency factor of 0.6, which has been proposed
by the Commission, is too high for most existing plants.
A threshold of 0.5 would be sufficient, with a further reduction
of 0.1 for small plants and plants that produce electricity only
due to a lack of demand for heat.
A factor of 0.6 would disadvantage smaller plants as they
generally need the same energy for operation as larger plants,
but have a lower throughput. It should be noted, at this point,
that the public tend to prefer smaller plants in order to reduce
the distance waste is transported.
Southern European WTE plants have little or no demand
for the heat they produce and, as a result, an efficiency factor
larger than 0.5 would discriminate against plants in these
climates. This is not the case in northern Europe, particularly in
Scandinavian countries, where extensive infrastructure for
district heating exists.
High energy efficiency can only be realized under local
conditions where there is a demand and an economically viable
market for the kind of additional energy produced. For district
heating, the infrastructure and access to the grid are very
important because heat, unlike electricity, cannot be
transported long distances.
Therefore, it is necessary for the consumers for the heat to
be close to the plant. But due to a lack of public acceptance,
WTE plants have quite often been forced to be constructed away
from urban areas and far away from potential consumers.
The efficiency question
The X factor for waste-to-energy in Europe
by Ella Stengler
The European Commission is seeking to examine the
energy efficiency of waste-to-energy plants in order to
classify them as either recovery or disposal. Under the
new criteria, many of Europes existing plants would
be deemed disposal. Yet how realistic is this criteria,
and what would it mean for the waste-to-energy
industry?
MAIN PHOTO The Twence WTE plant in Hengelo, the Netherlands, will put in extra
investment to improve its energy efficiency
An energy efficiency factor of 0.6,
as proposed by the Commission, is too
high for most existing plants
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Problems with dioxines
and heavy metals?
The answer is:
D-50416 Cologne
Tel: 0049/221-480-222 74 Fax: 0049/221-480-13 69
rbb_ind@rwe.com
.
www.hok.de
THERMAL TREATMENT AND WTE SPECI AL November December 2006 WASTE MANAGEMENT WORLD
20
CEWEP hopes that this attitude will change in the future,
bearing in mind that fears about harmful emissions can be
dispelled. Modern WTE plants operate with minimal
emissions,
2
complying with the strict emission limit values laid
down in the Waste Incineration Directive (2000/76/EC).
WTE plants should be located in areas where they
can deliver the heat generated from the waste to their
neighbourhood. In addition, district heating networks
should be improved. If this happens, the energy efficiency
threshold can be higher for future
plants, but should be reasonable for
existing plants (0.5 rather than 0.6).
WTE efficiency in Europe
CEWEP has assessed the energy
efficiency of 97 of its member WTE
plants.
3
The plants investigated offered
a combined capacity of 24 million
tonnes of municipal solid waste (MSW), representing 27% of the
total number of WTE plants in the EU and 49% of the EUs
WTE capacity.
Although it can be assumed that the most efficient WTE
plants in Europe participated in CEWEPs investigation, only
67 WTE plants achieved the energy efficiency threshold of 0.6
proposed by the Commission. This is not a large proportion,
bearing in mind that there are about 420 plants in the whole of
Europe and 359 in the EU.
An energy efficiency threshold of 0.5 instead of 0.6 could be
achieved by a further 18 WTE plants (i.e. a total of 85 plants)
out of the 97 plants investigated by CEWEP.
What does it cost to improve energy efficiency?
In the majority of cases, an increase in energy efficiency rates
will be combined with medium or high levels of investment.
At present, the Twence WTE plant in the Netherlands
combusts 300,000 tonnes of MSW per year. The plant
generates about 200,000 MWh/year of electricity, of which
163,000 MWh/year is fed into the grid, supplying around
50,000 households with electricity.
The plant currently has an average energy efficiency
performance. To improve the efficiency of the plant to above
average, it would be necessary to invest 13 million. This would
increase the heat supply by 200,000 MWh/year.
Although generalization is difficult due to the different
situations and locations of WTE plants, it can be estimated that
1020 million investment is necessary to improve energy
efficiency by 0.1 point, explains Jan Rooijakkers, Managing
Energy efficiency
The energy efficiency formula takes into account the energy
generated by the plant and puts it in relation to the calorific
value of the municipal waste. The energy introduced into the
process from outside (such as fossil fuels or electricity) is
subtracted. The energy efficiency can be improved by, for
instance, reducing the input of fossil fuels.
According to the Commissions R1 formula, the energy
efficiency for WTE plants is calculated as follows:
E
p
is the annual energy produced as heat or electricity in
GJ/year. It is calculated with energy in the form of
electricity multiplied by 2.6 and heat produced for
commercial use multiplied by 1.1.
E
f
is the annual energy input to the system in GJ/year
from fuels contributing to the production of steam.
E
w
is the annual energy in GJ/year contained in the
treated waste calculated using the lowest net calorific
value of the waste.
E
i
is the annual energy imported in GJ/year,
excluding E
w
and E
f
.
NB: For thermodynamic reasons, Ef must be deleted in the
nominator of the equation as it is included twice in the
nominator and the denominator.
energy efficiency =
E
p
(E
f
+ E
i
)
0.97 x (E
w
+ E
f
)
The efficiency factor should consider
regional conditions such as climates
with little or no need for district heating
and access to the grid
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that runs on energy, financial consequences related to failures
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management is, therefore, essential.
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22
Director of Twence. Naturally, this is providing that the plant
has already invested in the basics in order to recover energy
through the combustion of waste.
Twence is going to undertake this extra investment in
energy efficiency for the two existing lines. Furthermore,
Twence is going to build an additional third line aiming at an
energy efficiency rate of 0.8. However, improvement is more
difficult from an already high level than from a low level, Jan
Rooijakkers points out.
Dutch MEP Dorette Corbey, who is the shadow Rapporteur
for the Waste Framework Directive for the Socialists in the
European Parliament, visited the Twence plant on 31 August
2006. She stated: The recovery of energy from waste is
sustainable, naturally under the condition that the plant in
question complies with the highest environmental standards. In
this respect, a high ambition for the waste sector is necessary
and should be stimulated by European policy. We will support
this via the revision of the Waste Framework Directive.
How do efficient WTE plants help to protect
the environment?
In brief, state-of-the-art WTE plants contribute to the reduction
of carbon dioxide (CO
2
) emissions and help to ensure security
of energy supply.
Using energy from waste rather than energy from power
and/or heating plants, fossil CO
2
emissions could potentially be
reduced by 6001200 kg/MWh electricity and 250600 kg/MWh
heat (depending on the kind of primary fuel mix for electricity
or heat/district heat production, and assuming that the energy
is used as basic supply).
3
Creating incentives to boost energy efficiency in WTE plants
would therefore support climate protection by further replacing
the combustion of primary (fossil) fuels. In addition, energy
recovery status for efficient WTE plants would support the aims
of the Landfill Directive (1999/31/EC) that is, diverting waste
from landfills. Through the generation of energy from waste,
which would otherwise be landfilled, WTE plants help to protect
climate by reducing the production of methane from landfills.
These benefits were highlighted by the Commission when
asked by the European Parliaments Environment Committee to
outline the impacts of their proposal to use an energy efficiency
threshold to distinguish between municipal solid waste
incinerators (MSWIs) that are disposal installations from those
that are recovery installations (WTE plants).
Commissioner of the Environment, Stavros Dimas,
commented as follows in his response letter (dated 24 August
2006). According to the Commission, its proposal will have the
effect of classifying only the most energy-efficient existing
MSWI as recovery installations. This will be a strong incentive
for increasing the energy efficiency of future MSWI and will
thereby contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions
associated with the production of energy. It will also facilitate the
move away from massive landfilling of waste which is a current
practice in many Members States.
In addition, Stavros Dimas supported the view that recycling
and WTE go hand-in-hand: As shown by the statistics reported
by the Member States, increases in incineration of municipal
waste with energy recovery do not correlate with low recycling
rates. It is therefore unlikely that the proposal would negatively
affect recycling levels.
This view is supported by CEWEP country reports (available
from its website at www.cewep.eu), which show that countries
with high recycling levels also have high levels of WTE.
Why does it matter if it is recovery and not
disposal?
According to the waste hierarchy, recovery has priority over
disposal. Consequently, it would be counterproductive for
European environment policy, which aims to divert waste from
landfills, to give WTE plants the same classification as landfills
disposal.
In addition, we need to get the balance right. Currently we
have the curious situation in which industrial plants that co-
incinerate waste qualify for energy recovery status but do not
have to comply with the same strict emissions limit values placed
Excluding WTE plants from
recovery status would
discourage future investment
ABOVE In order to be considered recovery operation, many existing WTE plants
would need to invest in technologies to achieve higher energy efficiency
FACING PAGE Dutch MEP Dorette Corbey (right) said that high-efficiency WTE
plants deserve political recognition of their recovery status. PHOTO: TWENCE
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23
Waste-to-energy
on the WTE industry. The energy demands of the flue gas
cleaning systems in WTE plants that secure low emissions must
also be taken into account when considering plant efficiency.
One should also note the potential impact of this point on
the long-term security of waste treatment. Excluding WTE
plants from recovery status would discourage future investment
and consequently lead to greater dependency not only on
landfills but also on industrial co-incineration plants. And how
will waste be handled if, for example, the construction market
(with its cement kilns) is depressed? Would we turn to landfilling
once again?
In the long-term, only WTE plants can give security to treat
MSW permanently in an environmentally sound way.
Conclusions
In its impact assessment on the energy efficiency threshold for
WTE plants, the Commission concludes by pointing out:
The most significant impact of the Commission proposal is
on future investments. The ambitious energy efficiency
benchmark will make investment in facilities
environmentally more demanding and will improve the
environmental impact of incineration.
Future investment in more energy-efficient techniques will
be encouraged because decision-makers and operators will
seek to reach the recovery status. This is consistent with the
Community policy on energy efficiency and will spread good
practices developed mainly in the northern regions of the
EU to the rest of the EU.
Greenhouse gas emissions will be decreased through the
production of electricity and heat.
Innovation will be encouraged giving a first mover
advantage to European industry that is likely to result in
future technology export opportunities.
Clearly it is up to the WTE plant operators to improve their
energy efficiency and thereby help to fulfil European
environment policy aims. However, it is now up to the decision-
makers to set a clear course, by providing incentives for
investment in this sector and supporting the production of
energy from waste. In this regard, energy recovery status for
WTE plants under realistic conditions is essential.
Dr Ella Stengler is Managing Director of Confederation of European
Waste-to-Energy Plants (CEWEP), based in Brussels.
e-mail: ella.stengler@cewep.eu
Notes
1. Judgment of the Court of 13 February 2003 in Case C-458/00:
Commission of the European Communities v Grand Duchy of
Luxembourg. Official Journal of the European Union, C83, p.2,
5 April 2003.
2. Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation
and Nuclear Safety, Waste Incineration a potential danger?
September 2005.
www.bmu.de/english/waste_management/downloads/
doc/35950.php
3. CEWEP Energy Report by Dieter Reimann,
www.cewep.eu/studies/art131,223.html
Nay g1o, zoo)
Bremen Exhibition Center, Germany
www.wte-expo.com
Hotline: +qg (o) z8 oz-g q8 q8 qo
Reserve your exhibition space now!
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25
Waste-to-energy
W
aste has huge potential for energy generation. For
example, it has been estimated that waste could
supply up to 15% of the UKs electricity demand.
1
It is likely that this figure will be similar in other developed
countries.
While conventional incineration technologies are seen as the
main option for generating energy from waste, these may not
always be appropriate. Balance analyses of the inherent energy
released by the combustion of waste and the embedded energy
released through recycling demonstrate the rationale for
optimizing recycling of certain waste materials.
Consequently, mechanicalbiological treatment (MBT)
can be one option for improving the conservation of resources
and energy in waste management systems. Mechanical
biological treatment enhances the conservation of embedded
energy through recycling and allows potentially more
efficient combustion or conversion of refuse-derived fuel (RDF).
In order to assess the potential role for MBT
in waste management, International Energy
Agency (IEA) Bioenergy Task 36 (Energy
Recovery from Municipal Solid Waste) decided
to evaluate MBT systems around the world and
compile a database of facilities. This article includes findings
from this research and reviews some of the key issues for the
technology.
The current status of MBT
MBT encompasses a wide range of technologies aiming to
process solid waste by a mixture of mechanical and biological
separation. It also enables metals and other dry recyclables to be
recovered. There are five main types of MBT process:
incorporating anaerobic digestion to generate biogas for
electricity production. Anaerobic digestion also generates a
digestate to be discharged or to be dewatered, producing a
compost product
producing an RDF product
producing a compost product and/or a stabilized material
for landfilling as well as a RDF product
producing a compost product
stabilizing waste prior to landfill.
MBT is not a new technology; mechanical sorting and biological
treatment processes have been applied for many years in
municipal waste management. The number of MBT plants in
operation or under construction has risen from 13 in 1980 to
approximately 170 in 2005.
2
Worldwide, Germany has the
largest number of MBT plants, followed by Italy and Spain. The
total capacity of these plants is over 15 million tonnes per year,
and the capacities range from under 10,000 tonnes per year to
300,000 tonnes per year.
2
Figure 1 shows the increase in the number of plants in
operation or under construction from 1976 to 2005. Figure 2
presents the capacity of plants by country.
Juniper Consultancy Services Ltd reviewed 27 MBT
technology providers, of which 15 have at least one commercial
reference plant. Thus, the Juniper review concluded that there
Future conditional
The role of MBT in recovering energy from waste
by Patrick Wheeler
Mechanicalbiological treatment (MBT) produces
energy-rich refuse-derived fuels which can be
combusted for their energy value. Yet despite its
potential role in helping to solve todays energy
needs, its future rests in the balance. Within IEAs
Bioenergy Task 36, the MBT project which concludes
this year investigates the challenges ahead.
MAIN PHOTO An MBT plant in Groningen, the Netherlands. In order for MBT to be
more attractive to more developers, the barriers to its uptake must be addressed
early on. PHOTO: GRONTMIJ
MBT enhances the conservation of
embedded energy through recycling
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26
Future conditional
are sufficient MBT suppliers with a track record to provide a
solid industry base for the development of this waste
management option
3
.
Typical examples of well established processes include the
following (this list is not intended to be comprehensive):
the Horstmann process, which produces RDF and compost
products and/or stabilized waste for landfilling
the Eco-Deco process which principally produces an RDF
product. The total capacity of Eco-Deco plants installed in
Italy and Spain is over 750,000 tonnes/year, and three
plants planned for the UK (two are under construction)
will have a total capacity of over 400,000 tonnes/year.
the 3R-UR process at Eastern Creek, Sydney, Australia,
which relies on energy recovery from anaerobic digestion
and has a current capacity of 175,000 tonnes/year.
In addition, there are other processes that deliver similar
process objectives to MBT. This includes mechanical separation
or autoclaves (steam treatment) which do not have a biological
component but provide RDF and diversion from landfill in a
way similar to MBT. (For more information see page 37.)
The challenges for MBT
Although a significant number of MBT processes have been
developed and a large number of commercial plants have been
constructed, the potential for future plants will depend on a
number of commercial and technical challenges, particularly
the availability of markets and/or uses for the products that
MBT facilities generate.
Approaches for using MBT plants to recover energy may
involve anaerobic digestion, the use of the RDF product as a
secondary fuel in an industrial facility, and the use in dedicated
combustion facilities.
Anaerobic digestion to recover energy
Anaerobic digestion systems can recover substantial energy from
the biodegradable fractions of the waste. The amount of energy
potentially to be derived from waste is dependant on the
feedstock composition and the process configuration. The
export energy to be derived may vary between 0 and 100 kWh
of electricity per tonne of waste input with additional heat
energy available that may find use in heating schemes.
Use of RDF as secondary fuel in industrial facilities
The use of RDF in an industrial combustion facility as a
replacement for other fuels may be constrained by waste-specific
World energy markets and waste
In 2004, world total primary energy supply was 11,059 Mtoe
(million tonnes oil equivalent), of which 10.6% was supplied
by combustible renewables and waste sector. While this
sector has experienced slight growth since 1973, in fact the
proportion of energy supplied in this way has decreased
compared with other sectors. In 1973, 11.2% of our primary
energy came from combustible renewables and the waste
sector.
World electricity generation in 2004 was 17,450 TWh, of
which 2.1% was powered by other sources geothermal,
solar, wind, combustible renewables and waste. This
compares to 0.7% in 1973, indicating that we are relying
increasingly on renewables and waste for electricity
generation.
Current estimates suggest that although the worldwide
energy supply through combustible renewables and waste
will increase slightly, there are no significant changes
expected in future years in proportion to the world total
primary energy supply see Figure A.
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Coal Oil Gas Nuclear Hydro Other
F
u
e
l
s
h
a
r
e
(
%
)
2010
(12,200 Mtoe)
2030
(16,500 Mtoe)
FIGURE A. Outlook for the world total primary energy supply
(other includes combustible renewables and waste, geothermal, wind
and tidal energy). SOURCE: KEY WORLD ENERGY STATISTICS IEA (2006)
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
1
9
7
6
1
9
7
8
1
9
8
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1
9
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9
8
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9
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a
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e
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e
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a
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a
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Operational Under construction
0
FIGURE 1. Total number of MBT plants in operation or under
construction. SOURCE: TASK 36, 2005 FIGURE 2. Capacity of plants in each country. SOURCE: TASK 36, 2005
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27
Waste-to-energy
legislation (such as the Waste Incineration Directive in the
EU). There are also a number of technical issues; for example,
RDF has a lower carbon content than coal requiring altered
air-injection patterns, and the higher levels of alkali metals
can result in higher levels of fouling and corrosion. One
common use for RDF is in cement kilns, but as the chlorine
content can affect the quality of the cement product, the
cement industry has set limits for the maximum chlorine
content of the RDF product, and some plants have not been
able to meet this limit.
The calorific value of RDF varies with the process
type. The RDF material may be similar in composition to the
input waste, the only difference
being that it has been dried or
have some inerts removed at
1012 MJ/kg. Or it may also
consist of a highly refined
plastics-rich fuel product with a
calorific value up to 20 MJ/kg.
Generally it is important to analyse the material
characteristics of the RDF product in relation to the
requirements of the co-combustion facility. The MBT process
needs to be improved and refined in order to produce the
quality of RDF that will be accepted by the market. Examples
of German MBT plants (such as MBT Ennigerloh) indicate
that a close co-operation with the industrial facility is
beneficial for improving RDF quality and securing a market
for the RDF material.
4
Dedicated combustion facilities for RDF
Dedicated combustion facilities can either burn the RDF
directly or further process it using advanced thermal treatment
technologies such as gasification or pyrolysis. The technical
issues for direct combustion of RDF will be similar to those for
combustion in an industrial facility. Gasification technologies
are well established for processing some biomass and waste
materials such as wood, but there are currently few commercially
operating plants that treat municipal wastes. RDF is more
homogeneous than municipal waste as the material has gone
through a mechanical sorting and pre-treatment process. The
combined costs for the MBT plant and the dedicated thermal
treatment facility mean that this is likely to be a much less
economically attractive option than conventional waste-to-
energy (WTE) systems. However, due to local political,
legislative or structural circumstances, the MBT process with a
dedicated combustion facility may still be more appropriate to a
particular location.
The efficiency of combustion and energy conversion will
vary with the combustion plant, with dedicated incinerators
achieving efficiencies of around 20%. However, co-combustion
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EMISSIONS
MEASUREMENT
Meet us at the Pollutec 2006
exhibition in Lyon, stand
AH 158
DRY ADIOX DIOXIN ABSORBER AT TEKNISKA VERKEN IN
LINKPING, SWEDEN
There are sufficient MBT suppliers
with a track record to provide a solid
industry base
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Future conditional
in power plants will give much higher efficiencies similar to
those achieved with the primary fuel.
The challenge to securing a market for products
The RDF material produced by an MBT process will have to
compete with other renewable or non-fossil fuels such as tyres,
biomass products and energy crops. Potential users may view
fuels with a high renewable content as a more attractive fuel.
However, the RDF produced by many
MBT processes will have a high
plastics content diluting the
renewable content, and thus would
complicate the accounting of CO
2
benefits or may not count as a
renewable fuel under some
regulatory systems. In contrast, the RDF produced by steam
treatment (autoclave) will have a much higher biomass content
(the material treated contains less plastic); thus this type of
process, once it is fully developed, may be able to produce a
more marketable RDF material than those that are currently
being generated through MBT.
Learning from German experience
In Germany, MBT plants were generally able to identify markets
(cement kilns and power stations) for their RDF product.
However, since June 2005, landfilling of untreated waste is
prohibited due to the implementation of the Landfill Directive
(1999/31/EC). Household waste and commercial waste must be
either pre-treated at an MBT facility or disposed through
incineration. The calorific value of the commercial waste
delivered to incineration usually exceeds the specification of
1012 MJ/kg set at many incineration plants. Consequently, the
throughput of the incineration plant is reduced and the
commercial waste exceeding the available capacity is currently
stored at the facilities. As a result, there is insufficient capacity
for thermal treatment in Germany which enhances the
challenge to secure markets for the RDF material. Furthermore,
it is likely to increase the market price for the RDF.
The German challenge clearly shows that MBT facilities
must remain flexible in the RDF process and improve the RDF
product as required. Furthermore, the increasing gate fee for
incineration demonstrates the importance of the capacity
balance between MBT treatment and incineration. Both
treatment and disposal options are required for a balanced
integrated waste management system.
Compost
The original concept for MBT was to develop processes that
reduce the biodegradable content of residual waste by
MBT facilities must remain flexible in the
RDF process and improve the RDF
product as required
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Waste-to-energy
stabilizing it through the use of a biological process so that the
material could be landfilled with lower environmental impacts.
MBT processes may also produce a compost material from the
mixed residual waste input which is likely to have higher levels
of contamination (glass, metal, plastics) and lower nutrient
levels than products generated from source-separated
feedstocks. Thus, while there may be opportunities to use the
compost as a soil improver, it will be very difficult for it to
compete with the compost produced from source-separated
materials in many of the current markets for waste-derived
compost products. Most of the compost material being
produced by MBT plants is currently being landfilled, although
some is being used in a number of countries (for example,
Australia, Spain and Israel). However, the use of compost from
mixed residual waste depends entirely on the legislation
implemented in the various countries.
Dry recyclables
MBT plants can also recover dry recyclable materials including
ferrous and non-ferrous metals, glass and a mixed polymer
plastics product. These products will have to compete with
source-separated materials in securing a market; while the glass
product may well be suitable for use in aggregate substitute
applications, markets for the mixed polymer product are
currently limited.
The future for MBT
Conventional waste-to-energy will continue to have a key role to
play in treating residual wastes. MBT-type processes may
complement WTE systems and offer a number of potential
benefits, but they face considerable challenges in realizing
these. Factors that make MBT attractive include the following:
MBT plants have the potential to operate economically at
lower scale and thus have the ability to process waste
locally, producing a RDF product that can be burnt in
more remote combustion facilities.
The RDF product may be more suitable for heat recovery
and electricity generation as the scale may match the
smaller heat demands for individual projects in areas
without district heating networks.
MBT integrated with anaerobic digestion offers the
potential for additional renewable energy recovery.
The potential to recover additional recyclables and to
conserve the embedded energy contained in these
materials is beneficial in terms of resource efficiency.
Although MBT is a waste treatment process, the public
perception is generally better than that for an WTE
incineration facility.
However, a number of factors can make MBT unattractive:
The overall amount of energy, as electricity, which can be
recovered using a MBT process is likely to be lower than
that from using conventional EfW incineration process.
Lack of markets for the RDF and compost products can be
a barrier for the commercial liability of the MBT facility.
Processes which might produce a more marketable (higher
biomass content) RDF product (such as autoclaving) are
still being developed and may provide some competition
for MBT in future.
The poor public perception of facilities combusting waste-
derived fuels can be a barrier to getting permits to operate.
Greater landfill capacity will be required for process rejects
(and for any products that cannot be marketed or used).
Some MBT technologies are well established, and while markets
have been found for the RDF products in previous years, the
current market capacity is limited. A large potential market for
RDF is its use in power stations, but unless co-firing solutions
can be further developed successfully (both commercially and
technically), the capacity for using RDF products to generate
electricity may well be restricted to either MBT plants which
incorporate an anaerobic digestion facility or a dedicated
thermal conversion facility. There will be limited opportunities
to recover heat at these plants as waste facilities are often sited
away from other industry and housing due to concerns over
odour and emissions. Additional development work could be
conducted to produce better-quality compost products and
develop suitable markets for them, and to improve the quality
and range of other recyclates to enhance the conservation of
embedded energy. Otherwise, the future role of MBT may well
be just to treat small local arisings of waste in order to recover
recyclables and stabilize the remaining waste prior to landfill.
Patrick Wheeler is Deputy Task Leader of IEA Bioenergy Task 36.
Research for this article has been made possible with contribution
from Nicole Jaitner and Jim Poll, both of AEA Energy &
Environment, UK.
e-mail: patrick.wheeler@aeat.co.uk
Notes
1. Quantification of the Potential Energy from Residuals (EfR) in
the UK. Report by Oakdene Hollins for The Institution of
Civil Engineers and The Renewable Power Association, March
2005.
2. Data collated by Task 36 of IEA Bioenergy, 2005.
www.ieabioenergytask36.org/
3. Mechanical Biological Treatment: A Guide for Decision
Makers, Processes, Policies and Markets. Juniper Consultancy
Services Ltd., 2005.
4. Solid replacement Fuels (SRF) for use in co-incineration
plants. H. Baier, Ecowest GmbH, Ennigerloh, Germany.
Zement-Kalk-Gips International, No 3-2006 (Volume 59).
Further development of
co-firing can increase the
use of RDF for electricity
generation
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i n f o @ i n d a v e r . b e
Tuning in to sustainable waste management
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Waste-to-energy
W
aste-to-energy (WTE) in the United States has had its
ups and downs over the past two decades and it
appears that the tide is about to turn once more. With
high energy prices and an increasing demand for disposal
capacity, communities are once again turning to WTE to meet
their disposal needs while producing energy with minimal
environmental impact.
The first new WTE capacity in a decade is under construction
in Fort Myers, Florida. The existing 1089-metric-tonne-per-day
Lee County Solid Waste Resource Recovery Facility has broken
ground on a 578 tonne-per-day expansion unit. Facilities in
Florida, Pennsylvania, Maryland,
Minnesota and other locations are
also considering expanding existing
installed capacity. In addition, new
projects, or greenfield facilities, are
actively being considered in Maryland, Hawaii, California and
elsewhere. After focusing for the past 10 years on superior
operations rather than growth, these opportunities are the
beginning of a new chapter for WTE in the United States. This
article discusses the factors that have put WTE in the United
States on the verge of a renaissance.
WTE is renewable energy
There perhaps has never been a more resounding need for
renewable energy in the United States than there is today. The
call for renewable energy has been heard loud and clear as a
result of the demand for energy independence and the growing
environmental concerns associated with fossil-fuel use. Most
importantly, the rising cost of energy in the United States has
led both political parties to embrace renewable energy as a
contributing solution to the current problem.
On 8 August 2005, President Bush signed into law the
Energy Policy Act of 2005, which recognized waste-to-energy as
renewable in two important ways: by its inclusion in the
renewable energy production tax credit (PTC) and in the
renewable purchasing requirements for federal agencies.
The new law extended for two years the period in which new
WTE projects could qualify for the Section 45 renewable energy
PTC and increased the payout to eligible projects from five to
ten years. Under the new law, a WTE plant that is placed in
service prior to 31 December 2007 will receive a tax credit of 1
US cent/kWh for electricity produced by that plant, for a period
of 10 years. The law also provided a key incentive to expand
existing facilities by allowing the tax credit to apply to electricity
produced by the additional capacity of a new unit or boiler.
In addition, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 created a
requirement for the federal government to purchase 7.5% of its
electricity from renewable sources by 2013 and included WTE as
a renewable resource that will count toward that requirement.
This provides additional financial opportunities for the WTE
industry to benefit from its production of renewable energy or
through the sales of its renewable energy credits. WTE providers
in the past have sold renewable energy credits to US military
installations, the United States Coast Guard and National
New generation
America re-ignites interest in waste-to-energy
by Ted Michaels
For the first time in a decade, new waste-to-energy
capacity is being added in the US. Waste-to-energy
may well be getting a homecoming here, as
renewable energy legislation, increasing commitment
to reduce emissions, and increasing recognition of its
greenhouse gas benefits are beginning to turn the
scales for the technology.
The Energy Policy Act of 2005
recognized waste-to-energy as renewable
MAIN PHOTO The Baltimore Refuse Energy Systems Company in Baltimore,
Maryland. The importance of WTE in the US energy market is set to rise as it is
considered a form of renewable energy. PHOTO: WHEELABRATOR TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
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New generation
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) through a
competitive bidding process. This new statutory requirement
will ensure that the federal government remains an active
participant in the renewable energy market and that WTE can
participate in that market.
Environmental excellence
The WTE industry in the United States has created growth
opportunities through its commitment to emissions reductions
that have been documented by the US Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA).
The EPA required municipal waste combustors to comply
with Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT)
standards by the year 2000. In order to meet the standards,
many WTE operators retrofitted their
plants with modern air pollution control
equipment. This required significant
investment of resources, as local
governments and the industry spent
approximately US$1 billion to bring them
into compliance with the new standards.
Facilities have relied largely on a combination of scrubbers,
carbon injection, selective non-catalytic reduction, and either
fabric filters or electrostatic precipitators to meet the strict
standards set by the EPA.
All this investment resulted in significant emissions
reductions. Proud of its accomplishments, the WTE industry
provided the EPA with the most robust database of emissions
data that the agency had ever received from any industry.
Through analysis of the compliance data, the EPA determined
in 2002 that nationwide emissions of dioxin by WTE plants were
reduced by more than 99% from 1990 levels. Mercury was
reduced by more than 95%. Lead, cadmium, hydrochloric acid,
and particulate matter were all reduced by 90% or more. These
accomplishments led the EPA to conclude in 2003 that the WTE
industry produces electricity with less environmental impact
than almost any other source of electricity.
The emissions control upgrades made by the industry were
so successful that most plants far exceeded the standards. Far
from letting anyone rest on their laurels, the Clean Air Act
requires the EPA to review and revise the emission standards
for waste-to-energy every five years. On 10 May 2006, the EPA
published revisions to the MACT standards which tightened
the legal limits even further. In many instances, the standards
were tightened to reflect the actual superior performance of
existing plants.
Because the siting of any energy facility in the US is so
difficult, it is tremendously important that WTE plants lead
through environmental excellence. While there will always be
opponents to constructing any type of facility in any community,
compliance with strict standards will lead to growth of waste-to-
energy in the US by providing more comfort to the
communities in which these facilities are needed. Stellar
environmental performance will also overcome the rhetoric and
fear relied upon by groups that oppose WTE for purely political
reasons with no reliance upon fact.
Combating global warming
Numerous studies have also shown that the use of WTE
technology prevents the release of greenhouse gases by
reducing the amount of waste that is landfilled and by reducing
the amount of electricity that is generated using non-renewable
fuels. Since the amount of greenhouse gases avoided far
outweighs carbon dioxide emissions, waste-to-energy is a net
negative emitter of greenhouse gas. As such, waste-to-energy is
a key contributor to reducing the amount of greenhouse gases
entering the atmosphere and can play a vital role in a political
environment that is increasingly attentive to climate change.
Despite the non-participation of the US in the Kyoto
Protocol, changes are occurring in the US on the state, regional
and national levels. These could create incentives for WTE,
through the demand for energy from non-fossil energy sources
that reduce or avoid greenhouse gas releases.
Congress has paid increasing attention to climate change
issues and shows no signs of retreating. Senators John McCain
and Joe Lieberman have championed the Climate
Stewardship Act that would establish a national greenhouse
gas cap-and-trade programme for the electricity generation,
transportation, industrial and commercial economic sectors in
order to reduce releases of greenhouse gases to year 2000
Where WTE stands in the US
There are 89 waste-to-energy plants operating in the United
States, which together dispose of more than 81,000 metric
tonnes of waste each day while generating approximately
17 million kWh of electricity per year enough clean energy
to supply electricity to about 2.3 million homes. Roughly
one-third of the facilities also export steam for sale, which is
used for a variety of industrial purposes and heating and air
conditioning (see Figure A).
States with operating plants
CT
DE
IL IN
IA
KY
ME
MD
MA
MI
MN
MO
NH
NJ
NY
OH
PA
RI
VT
AL
AR
FL
GA
LA
MS
NC
SC
TN
TX
VA
WV
WI
AZ
CA CO
ID
KS
MT
NE
NV
NM
ND
OK
OR
SD
UT
WA
WY
HI
AK
South: 21 plants
26,567 tonnes/day
Northeast: 42 plants
48,773 tonnes/day
Midwest: 17 plants
10,223 tonnes/day
West: 9 plants
7153 tonnes/day
FIGURE A. WTE plants operating in the US. SOURCE: INTEGRATED WASTE
SERVICES ASSOCIATION, 2004
WTE produces electricity with less
environmental impact than almost any
other source of electricity
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New generation
levels by 2010. While this proposal has failed on the Senate
floor three times, its sponsors are determined to force
Congress to take action on this issue. As further proof that the
political landscape is changing, corporate leaders are calling
for regulation of carbon dioxide. Jim Rogers, President and
CEO of Duke Energy Corporation one of Americas largest
electricity providers has acknowledged that mandatory
carbon dioxide controls are inevitable and that Duke Energy
supports mandatory carbon controls in order to reduce the
regulatory uncertainty.
Individual states are beginning to take action, which has
attracted national attention. California Governor Arnold
Schwarzenegger recently signed an agreement with the United
Kingdom to share expertise, ideas and business strategies to
respond to climate change. In addition, the California
legislature has approved a statewide cap-and-trade
programme designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to
year 1990 levels by 2020. That amounts to a 25% reduction
from current levels.
In addition, efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are
being taken by the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative
(RGGI), which is a co-operative effort by Northeastern and
Mid-Atlantic states. To address the growing concern about
climate change, the RGGI participating states will be
developing a regional strategy for controlling emissions of
carbon dioxide in the 10 participating states. Central to this
initiative is the implementation of a multi-state cap-and-trade
programme with a market-based emissions trading system.
The proposed programme will require electric power
generators in participating states to reduce carbon dioxide
emissions or purchase greenhouse gas credits to offset their
impacts.
Waste-to-energy may benefit from the focus on climate
change and greenhouse gases in several important ways. First,
the increasing attention on reducing greenhouse gases will
increase the scrutiny of fossil-fired generation, and will
increase the demand for renewable energy. With the
population increasing and waste disposal needs continuing an
upward trend, communities will have greater incentives to
consider waste-to-energy as an integral component of their
waste and energy strategies. Second, avoided greenhouse gas
releases attributable to the use of waste-to-energy may be
recognized and WTE providers may be assigned credits for
those offsets, which can be sold to facilities under a cap-and-
trade system. Many believe that the analysis of greenhouse
gases using a life-cycle analysis should lead policymakers to
conclude that WTE is part of the solution.
Compatibility with recycling
Studies have shown that communities with WTE facilities are
likely to have higher recycling rates than the national average.
Far from competing with recycling, WTE is part of an
integrated approach to solid waste management that includes
recycling as a core component.
The average recycling rate for WTE communities across
the US is 33%, while the national recycling rate is 28%. The
excellent recycling record of communities can be attributed to
several factors, including on-site recycling efforts at WTE
plants, the importance a community places on recycling as
part of a comprehensive solid waste management plan, and
the economics of recycling.
In addition, many WTE plants employ metal recovery
programmes on-site to remove ferrous metals from the ash.
More and more WTE facilities are also beginning to
implement non-ferrous metal recovery systems for recycling.
These recycling activities have proven to be a lucrative
opportunity for WTE. Through processes to recover metals
from the ash, and with ferrous metals yielding high prices,
many facilities are supplementing their bottom line with
income from metals recovery. In 2004, more than 635,000
Californias recent approval of its cap-and-trade programme is one of many
incentives by US states on climate change. PHOTO: JOHN DECKER, OFFICE OF GOVERNOR
SCHWARZENEGGER
The Hempstead Resource Recovery Facility in Westbury, New York. Environmental
excellence will help create community acceptance of WTE facilities.
PHOTO: COVANTA ENERGY CORPORATION
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tonnes of ferrous metal were recovered, and that quantity will
increase each year. As the recycling efforts continue to grow at
WTE facilities, the competitiveness of WTE in the United
States will continue to improve.
New opportunities
The reuse of WTE ash is a largely untapped resource that could
have material impacts on the industry. The disposal of
ash is one of the largest operation and maintenance costs
incurred at a plant. While
some applications have been
researched and implemented,
the largest beneficial reuse of
ash is as alternative daily
cover at landfills. This reduces the costs of pure landfilling, but
still represents a significant expense. If there were a
breakthrough in the use of ash which could reduce the cost of
ash disposal even further, or down to zero, then the economics
of WTE would change drastically.
There are many who believe that ash management is the
next frontier in WTE, which makes research into this area
extremely important. The WTE Research and Technology
Council (WTERT) at Columbia University is actively pursuing
research into the beneficial reuse of ash. Partnering with the
University Ash Consortium, WTERT has conducted laboratory
and field research which holds promise and provides an avenue
through which the industry can transform its ash from a liability
to an asset.
The economic advantage enjoyed by landfills during the
past decade is diminishing due to the combination of todays
high fuel prices and as new landfills are moving further away
from population centres. American communities are once again
considering WTE as an important component of their waste
management strategies. The economic attractiveness of waste-
to-energy is bolstered by Americas desire to reduce dependence
on foreign oil, increased demand for renewable energy, the
demand for environmental excellence, and the increasing
public awareness of global warming. The worldwide utilization
and acceptance of waste-to-energy complements the track
record of the industry in the United States and reinforces the
lessons learned domestically.
The Lee County, Florida plant expansion currently
underway indicates that WTE in the United States is growing,
and all signs indicate that this growth will continue.
Ted Michaels is President of Integrated Waste Services Association,
Washington, DC, US.
e-mail: tmichaels@wte.org
Continuous Emissions Monitoring Process Control Data Management
Opsis AB Box 244 SE- 244 02 Furulund, Sweden Tel: +46 (0)46 72 25 00
Fax: +46 (0)46 72 25 01 E-mail: info@opsis.se URL: http://www.opsis.se
Our main tasks are to burn waste
and produce energy, not to maintain
monitoring equipment
We know how you feel. Why would someone
expect you to do somebody elses job? Tat is
why we focus on producing monitoring equip-
ment that has a long life and requires low main-
tenance. With hundreds of references worldwide,
we know we can ofer the best.
Gas
Monitoring
Solutions
for
Waste
Incinerators
According to the EC Directive 2000/76/EC
Waste-to-energy will benefit from the focus
on climate change and greenhouse gases
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ESWET members are involved in the
development and installation of
advanced technologies for thermal
waste treatment. Including numerous
subsuppliers and ancillary industries,
this sector provides jobs within the
EU for several thousand people.
ESWET members hol d a worl d-
leading position in an innovative
t echnol ogy. From Europe, t hi s
technology is exported to all regions
of the worl d where progressi ve
environmental politics are in demand.
ESWET act i vel y support s t he
development and dissemination of
Waste-to-Energy technology. The
association also promotes growing
publ i c awareness of t he many
qualities of this technology.
ESWET seeks t o f aci l i t at e and
intensify the flow of information
between people involved in Waste-to-
Energy technol ogy and EU
administration. The service comprises
competent answers to questions with
ref erence t o Wast e-t o-Energy
technology.
ESWETs special attention is focussed
on questi ons regardi ng safety,
environmental compatibility and
social acceptance of Waste-to-Energy
power stations. Thus, to contribute to
any effort of elaborating directives,
regulations, and binding standards
ranks among the most important
goals of the association.
ESWET act i vel y pursues t he
est abl i shment of European
technology standards ultimately to be
l i nked t o t hose i nt ernat i onal l y
accepted.
ESWET helps to trigger off synergies
by cooperat i ng wi t h ot her
organizations, both national and
international, also actively involved
in Waste-to-Energy or any related
field.
ESWET members receive assistance
when applying for participation in EU
research and development (R&D)
programmes. Membership entitles
companies to profit from ESWETs
consulting activities, including active
support in fund raising.
80, Avenue de lOpale
B-1030 Brussels
t +32-2-743 29 86
f +32-2-743 29 90
E-Mail: info@eswet.org
www.eswet.org
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Thermal treatment
R
ecovering value from waste materials depends to a large
extent on effective separation. As an industry, we think in
terms of mining different waste streams for commercial
scrap, or separating high calorific-value material to produce
refuse-derived fuel. And, as members of the public, many of us
think in terms of running one bin for food waste, one for paper,
another for tins and a fourth for plastic (aside, of course, for a
container for non-recyclables).
But source separation is not always easy. In dense, high-rise
flats or even in busy places of work there may not be scope
for implementing a multi-stream recycling programme. And
active support for hands-on recycling is not universal.
In this context, it is not surprising that both the private and
public sectors are examining the technologies available for
treating mixed waste. One option that is attracting a growing
interest in the UK is steam treatment otherwise known as
autoclaving.
Steam treatment of waste the basics
We know about the use of steam generated during thermal
treatment, which can then be used to generate electricity
through gas turbines. Steam can also be put to work earlier in
the process to sterilize the waste materials, using moisture, heat
and pressure to kill off micro-organisms.
Steam has been used as a treatment method for medical
waste for many years (see box on the right), but its application
to municipal solid waste (MSW) is more recent. The main
advantage of steam is that it sterilizes the waste to produce clean
recyclables that can be easily separated (unlike raw mixed
waste). In addition, steam reduces the volume of the material by
over 60%.
Some of the technologies available in this sector are covered
in the following section. This coverage is not intended to be
comprehensive, but indicates some of the companies that are
currently developing this technology for application in the UK.
Sterecycles system
Sterecycle not to be confused with Stericycle mentioned
in the box below operates the Sterecycle
system, at the
heart of which is a series of interconnected steam-
conditioning autoclaves.
Unsorted household bagged waste is introduced directly
into the vessels and steam and pressure is applied at over 140C.
Steam goes on-stream
A new solution for waste treatment in the UK?
by Guy Robinson
Steam technology having been used in sterilization
procedures for well over 100 years has recently been
adapted for the treatment of municipal solid waste.
And it is attracting growing interest in the UK.
MAIN PHOTO Steam autoclaves are particularly suitable for treating unsorted
municipal solid waste. PHOTO: KP WELLMAN
Medical waste treatment then and now
Steam autoclave treatment has been used for sterilizing
medical instruments in hospitals and the treatment of waste
in laboratories for many years. Commercial steam-heated
autoclave was first used in medicine in 1889.
1
According to
Dwight Morgan, Chief Engineer with MCM Environmental
Technologies, Inc., US, the first commercial steam
sterilization process for infectious medical waste was
introduced in 1978. Since then the technology has been
adopted by various companies worldwide.
A leading player in the field of medical waste autoclaving
is Stericycle. Founded in 1989, Stericycle now operates 45
treatment/collection facilities and 105 transfer/collection sites
throughout North America. It claims to be the largest and
only US full-service provider and provides services to
339,000 customers worldwide, including a growing presence
in Asia, Australia, South America, United Kingdom and
Ireland. It has acquired over 100 companies since 1993,
including for example White Rose Environmental
Limited, UK in June 2004 and Sterile Technologies Group
Limited, UK in February 2006.
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Steam goes on-stream
A combination of the steam pressure and the rotation of the
vessels break down the organic fraction of the waste into a
fibrous biomass, and sterilize and steam-clean the inorganic
fraction.
One aspect that Sterecyle is keen to emphasize is that other
treatment solutions such as mechanicalbiological treatment
usually pre-treat waste by shredding or ball milling, which leaves
a high percentage of plastics, metals and other contaminants in
the organic fraction. As a result, the material produced is low-
quality and can only be landfilled or burnt. In contrast, the
Sterecycle process produces a high-quality clean biomass fibre
that can be used as a green energy source, in land remediation
or washed to produce a high-quality paper pulp.
Sterecycle raised financing in October 2005 to build its first
plant in the UK, which is now nearly complete and will have a
capacity of 80,000 tonnes per annum of household waste. In
September 2006 it raised a further US$15 million of equity
financing from the leading US investment bank Goldmand Sachs.
Michael Linse, Executive Director of Goldman Sachs and Head
of Renewable Energy Investments, has joined the Sterecycle
board. With debt facilities, the company now has over US$75
million of funding to build another four plants around the UK.
Estech
Estech Europes technology comes from the US. In 1992 a
demonstration plant was built there for the steam treatment of
waste. Nine years later, the European marketing rights for the
process were acquired by Waste Cleansing Reduction &
Recycling Ltd, which later merged with Tass Environmental
Technology to form Estech Europe. From then on, Estech
Europe worked on the technology for the European market.
In 2003, Estech constructed a mobile demonstration plant
capable of processing 5000 tonnes per year. Plans for three
100,000 tonnes per year plants are currently at an advanced
stage, with planning consent and waste management licence for
one of the sites now achieved.
Estechs Fibrecycle technology processes unsorted or
residual waste in a rotating autoclave, converting up to 80% of
MSW into sterilized secondary recyclables. In practical terms,
this means that a typical 20-tonne input load could output:
1.8 tonnes of mixed plastics
0.7 tonnes of ferrous
0.2 tonnes of non-ferrous
12.8 tonnes of cellulose fibre
1.0 tonnes of miscellaneous aggregate
3.5 tonnes of sterilized waste (including oversized items,
glass, stone, wood and textiles) which can be further
separated or sent for final disposal.
PURAC
With steam as the unifying theme, it is not surprising that
companies from the water industry are entering this market. A
case in point is PURAC, which has worked with Tempico since
2004 to market a process known as the Rotoclave. Currently
there are approximately 100 Tempico Rotoclave units at 60
sites worldwide.
As the name Rotoclave suggests, rotation of the autoclave is
particularly important. Generally speaking, waste needs to be
rotated inside an autoclave in order to ensure uniform heating
and the generation of a product that is as homogeneous as
possible. There are two main options for rotating waste in this
way. The main vessel can either be made to rotate, or it can
remain stationary while an internal vessel rotates. Purac has
opted for the latter of these two strategies which it claims
overcomes many of the problems associated with rotating the
main vessel.
Cleanaway has recently awarded the contract for the
Rainham Autoclave Processing Facility to Purac, which is
expected to have a throughput of 160,000 tonnes per year. The
plant will treat unsorted residual waste from the London
Borough of Tower Hamlets, and will produce a range of
outputs for recycling plus sterile floc for further treatment and
energy recovery.
The STAR system
Again, steam is the key factor in the Steam Treatment And
Recycling (STAR) system, developed by KP Wellman. The STAR
system claims to handle though no operational plants have
ABOVE The Sterecycle process produces a high-quality biomass that can be used
as an energy source or in land remediation BELOW RIGHT Estechs Fibrecycle
mobile plant autoclave converts up to 80% of waste into secondary recyclables
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Thermal treatment
been built in the UK as yet up to 400,000 tonnes per annum
at any given site using a modular design.
It takes unsorted municipal solid waste, treats it with high-
pressure steam, which breaks down the waste and sterilizes it.
Once treated, the recyclable materials, ferrous, aluminium,
plastics and glass are easily extracted and baled. For example,
the process takes in food cans or glass jars, eliminates the
bacteria and strips off all the labelling, leaving the bare metal or
glass clean and ready for recycling.
The STAR system gives several options for the end-use of
residual waste, namely:
firing through a biomass boiler, thus producing
high-pressure steam which in turn is used to generate
electricity (via a turbine)
co-firing with coal or biomass to generate steam at a
power station
gasification to produce a syngas suitable for fuelling a
series of gas engines that generate electricity.
And it is this closed-loop thinking that KP Wellman hopes will
differentiate its offering from the competition. The company
has power purchase agreements to supply 520 MW of green
energy into the UK grid and is confident that it has in place a
ready market for the fibre that is produced.
Future potential
Steam autoclaving has numerous benefits. First, there is the
clear benefit of being able to handle mixed waste, thus reducing
collection costs and simplifying the life of household owners.
But also there is scope for increased landfill diversion (reducing
landfilling by as much as 80%) and the production of recyclates
and refuse-derived fuel.
It is therefore not surprising that further research is being
undertaken to gain a clearer understanding of the impacts and
commercial longevity of this technology. For example, a project
supported by the Defra (Department for Environment, Food
and Rural Affairs) Technology Research and Innovation Fund
under the New Technologies Programme is currently
investigating the benefits and drawbacks of autoclaving. The
main objectives of the project are:
to determine whether autoclaving changes the rate of
biodegradation of organic materials in composting and
anaerobic digestion, and to what extent
to determine whether the product from bioprocessing can
meet PAS100 requirements for heavy metal concentrations
(PAS 100 refers to a Publicly Available Specification for
compost, published by the British Standards Institute)
to examine the potential effects of thermal pre-treatment
on release of gas during subsequent bioprocessing
to evaluate the polluting load of the organic fraction of the
autoclave output, and any associated wastewater.
The work is being carried out by a consortium that includes The
University of Leeds, The University of Southampton, Cemagref
and CalRecovery Europe Ltd.
The reports from this project are being completed at the
time of this magazine going to press. Early results indicate some
areas for further research, including strategies such as anaerobic
digestion and heat recovery to offset the energy demands of the
system. Overall the project draws a number of positive
conclusions that reflect the future potential of this technology.
Guy Robinson is Commissioning Editor of Waste Management World.
e-mail: wmw@jxj.com
Note
1. Jerry Quickenden and Nic Tudge, Autoclave pre-treatment:
enhancing municipal solid waste (MSW) separation and
recovery, CIWM Poster Paper, June 2006, UK
Acknowledgements
Thanks to representatives of Sterecycle, Estech, PURAC and
KP Wellman for providing information on their technologies.
Also thanks to Professor Ed Stentiford from The University of
Leeds and Defra for their kind co-operation.
ABOVE LEFT Puracs Rotoclave uses the rotational motion of an internal vessel to
ensure uniform heating and a homogeneous product ABOVE The STAR system
takes in unsorted waste to produce a sterilized residual waste that can be used in
several ways
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a new energy
from a new reality
plascoenergygroup.com
waste
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Thermal treatment
F
or decades, plasma has been recognized as an effective
method of destroying hazardous waste. However, plasma
generators use high flows of electricity. As a result, the
increasing cost of electricity and pollution from coal-fired
power plants have made plasma an expensive and
environmentally questionable disposal method. (See article in
Waste Management World MarchApril 2006 for an introduction
to plasma gasification of waste.)
Prior to 2000, much of the research into plasma
applications for waste processing was directed to achieving as
completely as possible total pyrolytic
decomposition. The more perfect the
process, the greater the power consumed.
Even with large volumes of waste
destroyed, pyrolytic gasification demands
much more energy than it produces. Only
when the value of removing the hazard
posed by the waste is very high does
plasma become an economically viable method of waste
destruction. The destruction of bovine brain and nerve tissue
to eliminate possibility of BSE could be such an application.
Plasma treatment today
Currently the thermal treatment industry in Europe is looking
closely at how to analyse and optimize the efficiency of plants
(see article on p.19 by Ella Stengler). This offers a new
framework for re-examining the historical issues of cost and
power consumption, which previously limited the development
of plasma treatment.
The challenge for those who would use plasma in
waste processing is to achieve low power consumption, high
energy value gas, low capital cost and high uptime. These
challenges are not simple to meet.
MSW is a highly variable feedstock. Within any tonne of
MSW will be a range of materials and compounds with a
variety of pollutants and energy content. In addition, the
composition of the waste is highly variable over time.
For optimum efficiency in engine operation, the syngas
fuel generated from variable waste must be consistent in both
flow and content. To deliver efficient conversion of MSW to
gas, and the efficient conversion of that gas to electricity, the
processing system must respond on a real-time basis to offset
changes in the feedstock by adjustments in the operation of
the process. Effective and timely system response requires real-
time data reflecting the key factors to be stabilized, instantaneous
communication of that information, and technical response
capability in the relevant elements of the process.
One company which has been addressing these challenges
is a Canadian-based company, Plasco Energy Group Inc.
Plascos technology
The Plasco gasification process uses plasma torches at
strategic stages of the process to refine gases arising from low-
temperature, non-plasma gasification of municipal solid
waste (MSW) and to vitrify ash remaining after gasification.
Delivery of waste into the Plasco system in two streams,
one with general MSW and one with a known waste
component of the MSW, permits a degree of control of total
energy content in the system. No fossil fuel is needed.
Plasma progress
Low-cost operation and clean energy at long last?
by Rod Bryden
Plasma gasification of waste is expensive and, to
date, its commercial uptake has been limited. Now, in
Canada, a technology is being developed that delivers
high electricity output, incurs low capital cost, and is
highly environmentally compliant. Could this be the
long-awaited push for the plasma market?
MAIN PHOTO The new technology uses plasma torches to refine process gases
and vitrify ash after gasification
The challenge is to achieve low power
consumption, high energy value gas,
low capital cost and high uptime
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Plasma progress
Gas production in the gasification system is controlled in
two ways:
the system analyses the gas produced and proprietary
software feeds instructions back to a control system,
delivering constant management of operating variables
a surge and mixing tank blends the gas flow.
A proprietary design, utilizing standard equipment where
possible, is used to remove pollutants from the gas stream, with
all particulates collected and returned to the slag chamber in
which residual solids are vitrified by a plasma torch.
The system is sealed from entry of the waste into the hopper
that feeds the gasification chamber until the product syngas
enters the GE Jenbacher engines.
Net power produced per tonne of waste will vary with the
waste composition and energy content. For waste averaging 16.5
million BTU per tonne and 30% moisture, net saleable
electrical output is more than 1.1 MWh per tonne of waste
processed. When the system is operated using cogeneration and
combined cycle to produce power from residual heat from the
gasification process and engine exhausts, net power output
increases by approximately 20%.
Modular design
Plascos plant design is comprised of manufactured, integrated
subsystems that can be integrated on-site, to create a standard
integrated plant with a capacity of 100 tonnes per day (tpd).
Large plants are built by combining the gas flow from the
required number of standard modular units. Near optimal
efficiency is achieved with two modules operating to supply a
single power-generating block. Slight improvements in
operating cost and efficiency are gained by adding additional
units to support single larger power blocks. However, these
efficiencies may be offset by greater transport costs to accumulate
larger quantities of waste at a single site, and by transmission
losses if power output exceeds demand where the plant is
located. A 200-tpd plant operating in a mode that utilizes excess
heat from gasification and power generation would supply about
12 MW of power, enough for about 10,000 households.
Environmental and economic performance
In terms of capital, the system costs less than CAN$600
(US$530) per tonne of annual throughput capacity, which is
comparable to current waste-to-energy plants (WTE).
For this level of investment, the Plasco system delivers
82 kWh of net saleable electricity per million BTU of energy in
waste processed. With MSW containing approximately 30%
moisture and averaging 16.5 million BTU per tonne, the system
uses about 20% of the electricity produced for operation of the
gas production and power plants. The level of parasitic demand
varies with the character of the material processed.
In terms of emissions, the absence of pollutants in the fuel
gas driving the engines, together with high performance of the
The evolution of plasma treatment with Plasco
For more than 20 years following the start of operations in
1974, Resorption Canada Ltd, a predecessor of todays
Plasco Energy Group Inc. (Plasco), destroyed hazardous and
other wastes in the course of research and development in
its facility near Ottawa, Canada. The company focused its
research on proprietary methods of reducing energy
consumption while achieving complete elimination of the
hazard and vitrification of residual solids.
In the late 1990s, RCL Plasma Inc. (RCL), successor to
Resorption Canada Ltd., achieved complete gasification and
vitrification while recovering electrical energy substantially
equivalent to the electricity consumed. In 2003, RCL formed
a joint venture with Hera Holdings S.A. of Barcelona, Spain.
The Ottawa plant was moved to Castelgalli, Spain, and
applications research has produced patented and patent-
pending designs for the conversion of non-hazardous or
hazardous waste to synthetic gas, which is efficient as a fuel
for internal combustion engines. Electricity produced from
this gas is expected to be four to five times the amount of
total electricity consumed to process the waste and operate
the power plant.
The system operates at less
than US$530/tonne
comparable to WTE plants
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Thermal treatment
engines, delivers very low emissions per unit of power.
A commercial (100 tonne per day) demonstration plant
now nearing completion in Ottawa, Canada operates
under a special regulation passed by the Province of
Ontario. The emission standards set specifically for this
demonstration by the regulator are significantly more
stringent than standards applied generally in Ontario
and more stringent than standards in the EU and US.
Final integration and testing of this plant is planned for
the first quarter of 2007, with waste processing and
power production scheduled for March 2007.
And what happens to the residue?
Solid residue is vitrified in a separate plasma chamber,
producing a glass-like material of a standard that is orders of
magnitude better than established leachability standards. The
material represents about 0.7% of original kerbside waste volume
and about 15% of kerbside weight. The material produced by the
demonstration plant is expected to be sold as aggregate for
production of concrete or asphalt.
Less than 500 grams of particulate material containing
heavy metals and other solid pollutants is collected from each
tonne of waste and periodically removed for controlled
disposal. Sulphur is removed in pure powder form, useable for
soil enhancement, and represents about 500 grams per tonne
of waste processed.
Moisture from the waste is vapourized in the converter; the
portion that is not required to support gasification is condensed
in the gas quality control suite. This water dilutes the salts
arising from the removal of all chlorine in the waste. The
resulting slightly salty water is delivered to the sewer.
Final remarks
Plasma-based systems for general MSW gasification have had
limited success in commericalization. If successful, the Plasco
demonstration facility may invigorate further development in
the use of this technology.
Roderick M. Bryden is President and CEO of Plasco Energy Group
Inc., Canada.
e-mail: rbryden@plascoenergygroup.com
Brouwerstraat 38 Ridderkerk 2984-AR NL TEL: +31 (180) 480-855 FAX: +31 (180) 416-500
With the high demand for power, Plant Managers are
under continuous pressure to operate their plants at
optimal capacity. Key plant component life spans are
continually diminishing each year. Conventional
methods of repair/replace only consume resources
and lessen productivity of the overall plant.
Corrosion/Erosion attack reduces equipment
performance, reliability and in extreme cases; leads
to unexpected failures and shutdowns.
Our Hi-Performance weld metal overlay can be
used to restore your confidence and protect against
unplanned outages.
Hi-Performance weld metal overlay and Spiral Wound cladded tubes are
trademarks exclusive to SMS Global, Inc.
Artists impression of the commercial demonstration plant outside Ottawa, Canada
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Addressing the financial challenges
of the waste management industry
Conference highlights:
Financing options for local authorities
Investment opportunities in the waste sector
Updates on government policy and regulation

SAVE 150
Book by 15 December 2006
50% DISCOUNT
Concessions for government,
non-profit and academics
See booking form for details
25-26 January 2007 I One Whitehall Place I London
see inside for details
For further information contact:
Tel: +44(0)20 7779 8914
www.euromoneyenergy.com/waste
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Supported by:
Sponsors:
Corporate Sponsors:
endorsed by organised by
45
Thermal treatment
A
n important consideration for operators of wastewater
treatment plants (WWTPs) is how to handle the disposal
of the residual sludge in a reliable, sustainable, legal and
economical way. This by-product of wastewater treatment
contains abundant organic material, including many kinds of
bacteria. It also contains heavy metals and its composition is
generally unknown.
Although reliability and flexibility are important factors in
the operation of a WWTP, the choice of the optimal solution
for sludge disposal has to take account of a number of factors
such as legislation, government guidelines, the cost and
possible applications for the dried sludge. This means that
there is no universal solution to the problem of sludge disposal
for all plants.
The benefits of drying sludge can be seen in two main
treatment options:
use of the dewatered sludge as a fertilizer or in fertilizer
blends
incineration with energy recovery.
Use as a fertilizer
This option takes advantage of the high organic content
(40%70%) of the dewatered sludge and its high levels of
phosphorus and other nutrients. However, there are a number
of concerns about this route including:
the chemical composition of the sludge (e.g. heavy metals,
hormones and other pharmaceutical residues)
pathogen risk (e.g. salmonella, Escherichia coli, prionic
proteins, etc.)
potential accumulation of heavy metals and other
chemicals in the soil.
To prevent a build-up of heavy metals and other contaminants
in the soil, there are restrictions on the amount that can be
applied per area. In addition, fertilizer use is not necessary on a
particular field every season but sludge is produced daily from
WWTPs receiving a continuous flow of domestic sewage and
other wastewaters.
Sludge can be applied as a fertilizer in three forms:
liquid sludge
wet cake blended into compost
dried granules.
Thermally dried sludge in granular form reduces the pathogen
risk and provides flexibility as it can be stored until needed.
Energy recovery
This option takes advantage of the energy available in the
sludges organic content. Drying the sludge reduces its water
content, thus increasing its calorific value and making it easier
to combust. It also reduces odours and improves handling, with
lower transport and storage costs.
Sludge from WWTPs is typically combusted in:
cement kilns
coal-fired power plants
mono-incinerators, i.e. plants burning refuse-derived fuel
or a single waste stream
mixed waste incinerators, e.g. municipal waste incinerator.
Fluidized bed drying
A necessary step for sludge usage
by Klaus Stanke, Juergen Geyer and
Yan Xu
China has seen a significant expansion in the number
of wastewater treatment plants constructed over
recent years, and the first sludge drying plant in
Beijing is currently under construction. As more
operators worldwide consider options for sludge
treatment, a leading company in the field examines
the benefits of sludge drying.
MAIN PHOTO The fluidized bed dryer in the sludge drying facility at the Shanghai
Shidongkou wastewater treatment plant
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Different types of plants show different flexibility in terms of
accepting sludge as an input material. In addition, the thermal
balance of an existing plant may further restrict what may be
acceptable in addition to the existing load. Table 1 summarizes
how different forms of sludge are used in different energy
recovery plants.
The recognized advantages of energy recovery from
sludge include:
the high calorific value (similar to lignite) of dewatered sludge
the use of dewatered sludge as a carbon dioxide (CO
2
)
neutral substitute for primary fuels such as oil, gas and coal
the use of dewatered sludge is a sink for pollutants such as
heavy metals, toxic organic compounds and
pharmaceutical residues, thus offering a potential disposal
route for these substances provided the combustion plant
has adequate flue gas cleaning
the potential, under certain circumstances, to utilize the
inorganic residue from sludge incineration (incinerator
ash), such as in cement or gravel. As a result, this can offer
a complete solution to the problem of disposing of the
WWTP sludge.
But there are also concerns. Incineration of mechanically
dewatered sludge cake will produce zero or only a small amount
of excess energy. Indeed, additional energy is often needed to
maintain combustion of such sludge. While thermally dried
sludge will have a calorific value comparable to that of lignite or
light coal, the drying process also requires energy; thus the
overall energy balance is not always clear and positive. Much
depends on the heat source and the drying process applied. Use
of waste heat from the incineration plant to dry the sludge is,
however, beneficial.
Where does this leave us?
It is evident that the drying of sludge plays an
important role in both its utilization as a fertilizer and for the
recovery of energy. Fully dried sludge offers a flexible product
that can be channelled into either route (see Figure 1).
Its application depends to some extent on its dried solids
(DS) content.
7
th
International Automobile Recycling Congress
March 21 23, 2007, Amsterdam, Netherlands
The leading experts in the field of automobile recycling will meet in Amsterdam and
discuss the following topics:
Where are the new booming car markets? What are the consequences for recycling
industry?
Worldwide country reports on recycling activities
How do car manufacturers and the industry close the recycling loop?
New plants and recycling technologies
Raising scrap prices What is the impact for the industry?
The participants of this congress have the chance to visit a shredder plant, scrap yard,
dismantling facility or an incineration plant.
For further information, please contact:
ICM AG, International Congress &Marketing, Schwaderhof 524, 5708 Birrwil, Switzerland
Phone: +41 62 785 10 00, Fax: +41 62 785 10 05, info@icm.ch, www.icm.ch
Congress program and registration form available at www.icm.ch
TABLE 1. Energy recovery from WWTP sludge
Form of sludge Cement kiln Coal-fired Mono-incinerator Refuse
and usage power plant incinerator
Dewatered sludge No Yes Yes/No
a
Yes
Fuel substitute No No No
Thermal dry Yes Yes Yes Yes
biosolids
Substitute for
fuel Yes Yes Yes/No No
minerals Yes No No No
Type of process Residue-free Fuel Disposal Disposal
process substitution
a
Depending on type of plant
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Thermal treatment
The demands placed on the drying system are therefore
critical and include:
high process stability
high mechanical reliability
high safety standards under all operating conditions
compliance with environmental legislation, such as
emission limits
a product with properties suitable for a wide range of uses.
Such demands are not easy to meet.
The Andritz fluidized bed approach
The sludge drying system developed by Andritz Fliessbett
Systeme GmbH has been successfully applied for more than 15
years in a growing number of installations. The system includes
a fluidized bed dryer, the direct feeding system, the gas
recycling system, cooling loop and product handling. The main
elements are outlined below.
The dryer
Figure 2 shows the operation of the fluidized bed dryer. It is
essential that the fully dried, granular sludge particles are kept
THE
PEPFECT
FIT
Ycur s|udge and
cur dry|ng tecbnc|cgy
SC Tecbnc|cgy GmbH
Scbwaresterstrasse 2
CH-5604 Hendscb|ken
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Hct I||ter ress un|ts
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sludge
drying
Transfer From waste:
dewatered sludge
To product:
dried granules
20%35% DS
sticky
calorific value
< 4 MJ/kg
biologically active
(digestion processes)
> 90% DS
free-flowing
calorific value
811 MJ/kg
pathogen-free
biologically stable
in the
fluidizied bed
FIGURE 1. Transfer from waste to product
control sludge pump
Circulation gas with
evaporated water
Fluidizing gas
Dry granules
85C
Thermal oil
or steam
Thermal oil
or condensate
Dewatered
sludge/cake
FIGURE 2. Principles of the fluidizied bed dryer
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in suspension against gravity by a constant gas flow. Blowing the
fluidizing gas uniformly across the entire area of the dryer
generates a fluidized layer of dry, granular sludge particles that
look much like a boiling liquid.
The direct (sludge) feed system
Unlike most other sludge drying systems, the Andritz system does
not need to recycle dry granules in order to generate wet granules
in a mixer, which would then subsequently be fed to a dryer.
The direct feed system disintegrates the wet
dewatered sludge cake pumped into the dryer into
small particles. This method of granulation (or
disintegration) makes it independent of the nature
of the incoming sludge and/or cake moisture
content. It is applied, for example, in regional
sludge drying centres where sludge is accepted from
up to 40 different WWTPs without blending or any
other kind of homogenization.
Gas recycling system
The fluidized bed dryer operates in a closed inert
gas loop (Figure 3). The fluidizing gas leaving the
dryer carries fines and evaporated water from the
fluidized bed dryer. The fines are separated in a
cyclone and the evaporated water is condensed
from the gas stream in a scrubber-condenser using
a direct water spray. The gas is recycled to the dryer
using a blower.
The system generates small quantities of inert gas which are
enough to keep the entire dryer loop permanently under a low-
oxygen atmosphere. Oxygen concentrations of 1%3%
measured in the dried sample gas are typical.
The excess inert gas from the dryer loop flows through the
entire downstream sludge-handling system including the dry
granules storage, thus keeping the entire system under low-
oxygen atmosphere and keeping it safe from dust explosions,
fires and smouldering.
thermal heat
wet granules
dust
cyclone
fluidized bed
dryer
mixer
condenser
fan
excess gas
sludge storage silo
sludge pump
85C
75C
60C
45C
60C
oxygen
concentration < 3%
droplet
separator
condensate
dried granules
>90% DS
cooling water
30C
40C
granulate silo
cooler
fluidized bed cooler
< 40C
85C
receiving bin
granules to
cement kiln
heat
exchanger
dewatered sludge
Thousonds of componles, oll over the world,
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Isolatlng Modulatlng Multl-turn Dlrect drlve quarter turn Llnear Bus connectlvlty Non lntruslve
FIGURE 3. Process flow sheet fluidized bed drying
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Thermal treatment
Final product and downstream handling
The quantity of dust recovered in the cyclone is accumulated in
a hopper and fed back in batches to the dryer after
rehumidification with a small quantity of sludge cake. This
assures a final product that is completely granular and virtually
dust-free. The size distribution is typically 15 mm. Bulk
densities of 500750 kg/m
3
are achieved, depending on the
sludge quality.
The dried product from the fluid bed dryer is cooled to
< 40C using a fluidized bed cooler under inert gas conditions
as described above. From there, the granules are conveyed to
storage silos.
Control
Control of the fluid bed process is simple, reliable and allows for
fully automatic operation without permanent operator
supervision. A number of such plants even run without any
operating personnel present during the night or at weekends.
Measurement and adjustment of the dry solids content in
the final product is not necessary. The intensive energy and
mass transfer process in the fluidized bed ensures that the DS
content of the final product is > 90% at a temperature of 85C.
To keep this temperature constant, the sludge feed rate into the
dryer is adjusted by automatically reducing or increasing the
speed of the dryer feed pumps.
Application of the technology
Andritz is active in different markets worldwide. A growing
market for this technology is China, where the expanding
economy is accompanied by growing environmental problems.
A huge number of wastewater treatment plants have been built
in China during recent decades and more are planned. WWTPs
in China currently produce about 1.3 million tonnes of
dewatered sludge each year, with an average annual growth rate
of about 10%. The box above gives details of the evolving
picture in China.
Klaus Stanke is Managing Director, Juergen Geyer is Product
Manager Biosolids Drying, and Yan Xu is Sales Manager Asia at
Andritz Fliessbett Systeme GmbH in Ravensburg, Germany.
e-mail: Yan.Xu@andritz.com
Practical experiences in China
Until recently, disposal of WWTP sludge received relatively
little attention in China. Particularly in more rural areas,
sludge was used directly as a fertilizer or just landfilled. But
the situation is changing. An increasing number of studies and
projects are looking for alternative sludge handling
technologies in China, focusing initially on the bigger
coastal cities.
Andritz was one of the first companies active in China for
sludge drying, delivering its first sludge drying plant in 1996.
This plant handled sludge from the WWTP of a chemical
production site in Shanghai, using a fluidized bed system with
direct feed system (basically as described in this article).
In 2004, the first drying plant for sludge from municipal
sources (sewage) in China started operation at the Shanghai
Shidongkou Wastewater Treatment Plant. A direct-feed
fluidized-bed sludge-drying system was chosen. The drying
plant is combined with a sludge incinerator, which delivers the
thermal energy for the drying step.
As a consequence of the successful operation of the
Shanghai plant, a fluidized bed with direct-feed system was
chosen by Beijing Drainage Group in March 2006 for the
Qinghe WWTP in Beijing. As the first sludge drying plant in
the capital city, it will dry about 400 tonnes per day of
dewatered sludge cake. The drying plant consists of two
fluidized bed dryers. According to the schedule, the project
must be completed before the end of 2007 a deadline given
to most infrastructure projects in Beijing ahead of the Olympic
Games in 2008.
Design data for the three different plants are given in
Table A. Local partners have built or will build standard or
non-process items at all the plants, with Andritz supervising
the projects and supplying the sludge drying technology.
TABLE A. Process data for Andritz sludge drying plants in China
Owner/operator Shanghai SPC Shanghai Shidongkou WWT Management Co. Ltd Beijing Municipal Drainage Group Co. Ltd
City Shanghai Shanghai Beijing
Commissioning date 1996 2004 By end of 2007
Sludge throughput (design) 9170 kg/hour 8875 kg/hour 2 x 8340 kg/hour
No. of WWTPs delivering cake 1 1 1
Sludge type Undigested Undigested Undigested
DS content of dewatered cake Actual 12%16% Design 30% Actual 15%22% Design 18%22%
Sludge storage 100 m
3
150 m
3
2 x 120 m
3
Storage of final product 100 m
3
200 m
3
2 x 150 m
3
Granule size 15 mm 15 mm 15 mm
Method of exhaust gas treatment Scrubber Incineration Biofilter
Water evaporation design 6900 kg/hour 6000 kg/hour 2 x 6500 kg/hour
DS content of dried granules > 90% > 90% > 90%
Availability design 8000 hours/year 8000 hours/year 7500 hours/year
Energy source Steam Incineration of dried granules and coal Natural gas
Disposal route of dried product Greenery/ incineration/landfill Incineration Not decided
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New Books on Bioenergy
from Earthscan
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51
Thermal treatment
T
hermal treatment involving the combustion of waste at
high temperatures, typically in a dedicated treatment
facility has long been employed throughout western
Europe as one of a number of options for the management of
municipal waste. Although considerable discussion continues to
take place about the benefits from the use of incineration and
increasingly the recovery of energy from this process, thermal
treatment remains popular with several national governments.
This article reviews some of the key developments that are
currently taking place within the western European market. It
presents an overview of the status of the market, including some
of its key drivers and restraints, and discusses how the
commercial side of the market is developing.
For the purpose of this study, municipal solid waste (MSW)
is defined as a waste stream that broadly correlates with
household and similar domestic/commercial waste arisings. It
should be noted however that the definition of MSW varies
around Europe.
A sizeable market
The western European market for the thermal treatment of
MSW is considerable. Indeed the last two decades have seen an
increase in the use of thermal treatment not only for the
treatment and disposal of waste, but also for the benefits
afforded in the recovery of energy. Frost & Sullivan
investigations, contained within its recently published report,
Forecasts of the Northern Europe Municipal Waste
Management Services Markets put the size of the market as
52.22 million tonnes in 2005 with a commercial value of
US$6.05 billion (see Figure 1).
Both revenues and volumes have continued to expand since
the beginning of the millennium as many European
governments have opted to expand the use of this form of
treatment. Volumes treated expanded by 12.5% between 2002
and 2005 with the value of the sector climbing by 11.5%.
Precious joules
Whats in store for the thermal treatment market in
western Europe
by Chris Hadley
The thermal treatment market continues to be active
in most western European countries, with increasing
attention being paid toward energy recovery. But the
long-term prospects for this sector will also heavily
depend on competition from other technologies.
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Revenue Revenue growth rate (%)
10
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FIGURE 1. Volume shipments and revenue forecasts for the western
European thermal waste treatment services market, 20022012.
SOURCE: FROST & SULLIVAN
MAIN PHOTO Europes thermal treatment market will continue to go strong, but will
face increasing competition from other waste treatment technologies. PHOTO: ISWA
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52
Precious joules
Long-term forecasts by Frost & Sullivan are also largely positive.
Forecasts for 2012 put revenues up at US$7.50 billion while
volumes to 57.86 million tonnes.
New technologies beginning to come on stream
Before looking in detail at the dynamics of the market, a word
should be said about the technology currently being employed
for MSW incineration. Traditionally the
sector has relied on large-scale mass-burn
incinerators. Typically these have been
static-grate or rotary units. Recently more
advanced fluidized-bed units have begun to
be employed. Ultimately the choice is that
of the operator. Most units constructed over
the past decade offer energy recovery, enabling electricity or
heat to be generated from the combustion process. Gasification
units are beginning to be employed within the market, although
at present they remain an emerging technology.
Political drivers
As was seen in Figure 1, the European market for the thermal
treatment of MSW was already sizeable at the beginning of this
decade. Yet recent years have seen a further push in the
development of this sector with substantial new investment
occurring in a number of European countries. Although the
factors driving this current interest in thermal treatment vary on
a country-by-country basis, those that are most significant are:
policy commitments of national governments Many national
and regional governments are now looking at thermal
treatment and associated energy recovery to provide a
sustainable answer to waste management, not only in terms
of meeting legislative requirements but also on the grounds
of cost. France, Switzerland and Denmark are good
examples.
restrictions on the use of landfill The impact of the EUs
Landfill Directive has increased the need to look for
alternatives. Thermal treatment is one of a number of
options being used.
the impact of taxation The use of taxation by many
governments as a method for directing the waste market is
making more expensive solutions such as thermal
treatment more cost-effective than has historically been the
case.
rising MSW volumes Although efforts are being made to
minimize MSW arisings, volumes within Europe are
typically increasing by 0.5%1.5% per year and by much
more in southern Europe. Additional capacity for the
treatment of MSW is thus required in many countries.
Popularity of thermal treatment varies widely
around Europe
An examination of individual European markets (see Figure 2)
illustrates the popularity and recent growth in the use of
thermal treatment. Based on current policy commitments in
particular countries, projections for the future of these markets
are also given.
Germany is by far the most important market on account of
its large population and historical interest in this technology.
The volume of MSW treated in 2005 was estimated at
16.5 million tonnes, equivalent to a market valued at
US$2.48 billion. While recent years have seen thermal
treatment come under pressure from other treatment methods,
nevertheless there is evidence that the introduction of landfill
restrictions in July 2006, brought in by TASi (Technische
Anleitung Siedlungsabfall), will further stimulate the market
with volumes rising to a projected 18.20 million tonnes in 2012
and the market to a value of US$3.1 billion.
Of the other countries in western Europe, France is the
other significant market for thermal treatment. Again this is
partly a reflection of its relatively large population as well as a
historically proactive approach of the government and regional
waste authorities towards the use of incineration. MSW volumes
disposed via thermal facilities in 2005 are estimated at
12.50 million tonnes with a market valued at US$1.18 billion.
Recent years have seen substantial
new investment in a number of
European countries
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Germany France UK & Republic of Ireland Italy
Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands and Luxemborg)
Scandinavia (Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden)
Iberia (Portugal and Spain) Alpine (Austria and Switzerland)
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
FIGURE 2. Volume shipments and revenue forecasts for the western
European thermal waste treatment services market by country/region,
20022012. SOURCE: FROST & SULLIVAN
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53
Thermal treatment
Continuing efforts to develop this sector will see an increase in
volumes to a projected 13.30 million tonnes by 2012 and a
market of US$1.32 billion.
The three other European markets of note are Scandinavia
(Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden), Benelux (Belgium,
Luxembourg and the Netherlands) and Italy.
Although Scandinavias population may not be large, the
importance given by certain governments, notably that of
Denmark, towards thermal treatment and associated energy
recovery has ensured this is an important region for thermal
treatment. Current volumes are estimated at 4.70 million
tonnes in 2005 or US$371 million, and are set to rise to
5.50 million tonnes and $446 million in 2012.
The importance of the Benelux is largely a reflection of the
proactive stance of the Dutch government towards MSW
thermal treatment. This has resulted in sizeable volumes for this
region of 5.30 million tonnes for 2005 with a market valuation
of $583 million. Further, slight increases in MSW arisings are
expected to raise volumes to 5.50 million tonnes and
$655 million by 2012.
The third market, Italy, is notable because of the recent
growth that has taken place in the use of thermal treatment for
MSW. Whereas only 2.73 million tonnes of MSW were treated
in 2002, this had grown to 4.20 million tonnes in 2005 with
a market valued at $504 million. Further growth to 5.00 million
tonnes is projected by 2012 with the value of the market
increasing to $675 million.
Although some national markets are by their very size
limited because of the size of the population and consequently
the amount of MSW generated per person, the UK and the
Republic of Ireland (UK/ROI) and Iberia (Spain and Portugal)
stand out as being especially underdeveloped at present. The
UK/ROI in particular only consigned an estimated 2.75 tonnes
of MSW to thermal facilities in 2005 giving a market valued at
only $184 million. Although a projection of 3.20 million tonnes
is given for 2012 under plans to expand this sector, this region
is likely to remain underdeveloped.
Equally, Iberia is another small market, although one that
has in recent years seen much faster growth than that in the
UK/ROI. MSW volumes passing to thermal treatment were
2.66 million tonnes in 2005, with a market valued at
$133 million. Further plans for the further expansion of this
market set to raise volumes to 3.00 million tonnes in 2012.
Long-term prospects coloured by other
methods of treatment
Although interest in thermal treatment remains strong
throughout Europe, the market remains beset by a number of
restraints. These vary in importance and can be summarized as:
competition from other methods of waste treatment/disposal The
push being given towards the reduction of waste arisings is
leading to a number of alternative methods being used for
dealing with MSW. Moves to minimize waste arisings are
having an obvious effect on the amount of waste able to
pass on to thermal treatment. Equally, the growth in
conerence High|ights inc|ude:
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54
Precious joules
non-thermal mass reduction processes such as
mechanicalbiological treatment and composting is also
attracting growing interest in many parts of Europe.
NIMBY (Not in My Back Yard) NIMBY remains an issue
when it comes to large-scale waste projects as typified by
the construction of thermal treatment facilities. Although
much has been done to improve the image of such
facilities, they are often viewed with some unease by
communities.
delays in implementing government policy Translating
government policies on the issue of waste, and indeed
other environmental matters, can often be held up by the
workings of regional and local governments in some parts
of Europe. In the case of large construction projects such as
thermal treatment facilities, financial and legal delays prior
to the construction of the facility can be significant.
Pricing
Cost is a major factor in the treatment of MSW, with thermal
treatment traditionally being a much more expensive option
than, for example, landfill. Recently, however, there has been
evidence that incinerator operators in some parts of Europe
have been under pressure to decrease gate prices for thermal
treatment because of competition from alternative methods of
disposal as well as competition between the incinerator
operators themselves. The result is that prices have fallen; they
were slightly boosted only in 2005 by new restrictions on the use
of landfill in a number of markets see Figure 3.
Long-term forecast predicts a strengthening in gate prices,
as for many other treatment/disposal methods. Indeed, with
prices for alternative disposal routes such as landfill expected to
rise much faster, current differentials between this and thermal
treatment are set to narrow, making the thermal treatment
option increasingly more attractive.
It is worth noting that, like prices for the thermal
treatment of MSW, the prices for the treatment of hazardous
waste have also fallen. Here, prices have been driven
downwards by the emergence of low-cost treatment methods,
most notably the use of cement kilns and the burning of
certain hazardous waste streams in MSW units where the high
calorific value of the hazardous waste stream can prove
attractive. Competition too is a growing feature of this
market helping to maintain prices at current levels.
A complex, competitive market
The role of thermal treatment facilities in the destruction of
waste and downstream generation of heat/electricity has made
the public sector the traditional owner/operator in the market.
This is changing, however, with the private sector taking a
greater role in the market. This is partly explained by EU
legislation requiring the opening up of national markets, and
partly explained by the need for public operators to share
construction/refurbishment costs.
Despite such developments, municipality-owned companies
continue to dominate the majority of the European market.
Publicprivate ventures are proving popular in what can be
considered as emerging markets such as Italy and Spain. In
some parts of Europe, notably France, the private sector already
plays an active part in the operation of thermal treatment
facilities, with names such as Sita and Onyx of note.
The future
As a method of managing municipal waste arisings, thermal
treatment is expected to remain a popular choice for the
foreseeable future. Benefits such as the ability of this method to
reduce waste volumes while also offering heat or electricity
continue to outweigh concerns over emissions.
However, competition from rival methods for the
management of MSW is now a reality and, if anything, the
coming decade will likely see thermal treatment at best
maintaining its position in the market as opposed to making
any further major gains. Offering a flexible approach to the
management of MSW is currently viewed as attractive, with all
European countries expected to continue to rely on thermal
treatment to some extent as part of a sustainable approach
towards municipal waste management.
Chris Hadley is an independent consultant specializing in
environmental markets. He worked closely with Frost & Sullivan
on the preparation of its recent review of the western European
MSW market.
e-mail: chris@chrishadley.com
If you are interested in more information on Forecasts of the
Northern Europe Municipal Waste Management Services
Markets (Code B836-15) please send an e-mail to
magdalena.oberland@frost.com
0
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2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Year
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2
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FIGURE 3. Average prices in the western European thermal waste
treatment services market, 20022012. SOURCE: FROST & SULLIVAN
Publicprivate ventures are
popular in emerging markets
such as Italy and Spain
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FIRST DRY ADIOX DIOXIN ABSORBER
SYSTEM SOON TO GO ON STREAM
Adiox
is a state-of-the-art dioxin
removal technology. Marketed and sold
by Gtaverken Milj AB, Adiox material
can be used to produce several types of
components, such as tower packings,
demisters (droplet separators) and dry
fixed bed fillings. It has been installed in
wet scrubbers at more than 50 full-scale
incineration lines since its market
introduction in 2002. Reference plants
can be found in several countries in
Europe including Germany, France, the
Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden as
well as in North America. This
technology aims to:
reduce or eliminate the memory
effect in wet scrubber systems with
upstream dioxin removal
improve the overall dioxin removal in
combination with other technologies
such as carbon slurry scrubbers
meet the EU waste incineration
directive with regard to emission
requirements on dioxin to
< 0.1 ng TEQ/Nm
3
, using Adiox as
the primary dioxin removal system.
A wet scrubber system may also cost-
efficiently be combined with a
downstream semi-wet Adiox installation,
where water-saturated flue gas is purified
in an Adiox stage without continuous
water circulation.
Having established itself in the wet
scrubbing market, the use of Adiox in a
dry environment is now being
considered. When used in a dry absorber
instead of in a wet scrubber, the removal
efficiency is higher since the water film
in a wet scrubber poses a mass transfer
limitation for the dioxins. Less material
is thereby required for the same removal
efficiency, which leads to smaller
equipment sizes. Suitable operational
temperatures are 2040C above the
dew point, resulting in temperatures
ranging from 60C to 90C.
The Swedish municipal power
company Tekniska Verken Linkping AB
has contracted Gtaverken Milj AB to
outfit three of their municipal waste
incinerators with a common dry Adiox
absorber for dioxin removal. The
maximum total flue gas flow is
186,000 Nm
3
/hour. The order is a
breakthrough for Gtaverken Milj. The
absorber has a diameter of nearly
7 metres and a total height of 15 metres.
The contract was signed at the end of
June 2006 and the plant will be
operational by the end of 2006.
In summary, the advantages of the
proposed new dry Adiox application are:
more efficient dioxin removal per
installed volume of packing
a large volume can be installed in a
single absorber section
no requirement for process water
circulation systems
minimum requirements for electrical
and instrument installations
THERMAL TREATMENT AND WTE SPECI AL
55
WASTE MANAGEMENT WORLD November December 2006
Thermal treatment and
WTE news
EUROPEAN BREFS ON WASTE INCINERATION AND WASTE TREATMENTS
FORMALLY ADOPTED
The Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) Directive (EC/96/61) requires
EU Member States to ensure that industries falling within its scope are issued with a
permit based on the concept of Best Available Techniques (BAT). In order to facilitate
the implementation of the IPPC Directive, the European Commission organizes an
exchange of information on the subject of Best Available Techniques (BAT) between
experts from the EU Member States, industry and environmental organizations. The
main outputs from this information exchange are the BAT Reference Documents
(BREFs).
The BREFs on waste incineration and waste treatments were formally adopted by
the EC as guidance on BAT under the IPPC Directive in August 2006. They provide a
regulatory benchmark for the waste sector in addition to the controls set in existing
legislation.
For most installations burning wastes, the European Waste Incineration Directive
(EC/2000/76) (WID) sets controls on releases to water and air, by setting emission limit
values and establishes certain operating standards in relation to combustion
conditions and residue quality. Transposition into the national legislation of EU
Member States was necessary by 28 December 2002. From this date on, all new
incinerators have had to comply with the provisions of the WID. The deadline to bring
existing plants into compliance was 28 December 2005.
Achieving WID standards does not automatically mean that the requirements to use
the Best Available Techniques (under IPPC) have been fulfilled. In legal terms it is the
WID that provides the minimum performance standards. However, it is anticipated that
the application of BAT and an integrated approach will result in further improvements
in operational standards. Looking forward, industries under IPPC in most EU Member
States should have a permit based on BAT by October 2007, which is the deadline set
in the IPPC Directive.
For more information, visit www.eippcb.jrc.es or contact Paul James at
paul.r.james@aeat.co.uk. He is the leader of the international expert technical working
group that produced the BREF on waste incineration.
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low requirement for regular access
and maintenance, since the system is
completely static
as a consequence of the above, very
high availability and economically
competitive.
For more information, visit www.gmab.se or
call +46 31 50 19 60
CHP FOR THE CANARY ISLANDS
Cummins Power Generation designs,
builds and maintains on-site power
generation plants that produce
electricity by harnessing waste fuels that
have previously been ignored or
disposed of in the environment where
their impact can be costly.
An example of a combined heat and
power (CHP) system manufactured by
Cummins Power Generation can be
found in the tropical Canary Islands.
Waste management is a major problem
for any populated area; however, it is
especially critical for the islands because
of their limited space and because
tourism makes up more than 30% of
their GDP. The disposal of solid waste is
an environmental and political issue for
the Canaries, a collection of islands
totalling only 2875 m
2
.
One solution is the new Salto del
Negro municipal waste treatment plant
in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The
plant processes waste collected from
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, a city of
380,000, as well as from several
surrounding towns and villages. The
waste is processed in a digester which
produces methane gas, which is used in
turn to fuel generators that produce
both electricity and heat.
The Canary Islands are known for
their unspoiled tropical beauty, says
Jose Melgarejo, business development
manager for Cummins Power Generation.
Most visitors arent even aware there is a
waste treatment plant here, which is
exactly what we wanted to accomplish.
The primary purpose of the facility is
to process the waste produced by the
residents and visitors in Las Palmas de
Gran Canaria and neighbouring cities.
The facility has a processing capacity of
200,000 metric tonnes a year. The
capacity of the biogas digester is about
75,000 tonnes a year, says Melgarejo.
The plant is then able to use the
biogas (65% methane) produced by the
facilitys digester to power the
cogeneration system. The CHP system
uses the digester methane to generate
both electric power and heat. The
exhaust heat from the engines is used by
the treatment plant to accelerate the
anaerobic processes in the digesters,
while excess electricity not used in the
plant is sold to the local utility earning
a biogas-derived electricity premium.
The CHP system at the Salto del
Negro waste management facility
consists of two 1370 kW GQMA low-Btu
gas generator sets, a PowerCommand
Digital Master Control and low-voltage

switchgear, all built by Cummins Power
Generation. These low-BTU generator
sets are especially designed to run on
dilute solutions of bio-derived methane
gas produced by municipal landfills,
sewage digesters and coal seams. A third
generator set is scheduled to be added
within a year. In addition, Cummins
Power Generation supplied all of the
systems ancillary equipment such as
radiators, heat exchangers and
expansion tanks, and provided
installation supervision and
commissioning.
For more information, visit:
www.cumminspower.com/energysolutions,
or call +44 1843 255000.
BWV OPTIMIZES THERMAL
PERFORMANCE
Babcock & Wilcox Vlund is a leading
supplier of technology for converting
household waste and biofuels into
thermal energy. Recently it has
developed a new cast-iron water-cooled
grate which offers full integration with
the air-cooled grate, providing complete
freedom within the grate area, be it air-
cooled, water-cooled, or both.
Advantages of this approach include:
cooling water is an integrated part of
the shafts holding the grate bars
that is, no pipes/tubes are required
under the grate
no grate bar damage due to
temporary cooling system failure
grate surface cooling is independent
of combustion; air can thus be added
and adjusted for optimal combustion
strong agitation (mixing) of the waste
fuel, ensuring efficient combustion
and very low levels of unburnt carbon
in the bottom ash.
In addition, BWV is upgrading its
technology to improve thermal
performance, by injecting secondary air
into the combustion zones at multiple
places at different angles and air
velocities. The technology helps achieve
maximum operation life, low emissions
and high thermal efficiency. The system,
named VoluMix, is designed on the
basis of computational fluid dynamics
(CFD) modelling. Its advantages include:
good mixing in the furnace
reduced temperature peaks in the
furnace for minimum thermal NOx
formation
staged combustion makes it possible
to reduce the formation of fuel NOx
avoidance of hot spots in the furnace
and boiler which would speed up
corrosion
obtaining turbulent conditions in the
throat for optimum burn-out
even temperature and velocity
distribution in the passes in order to
maximize heat transfer and residence
time.
For more information, contact
Ole Hedegaard Madsen at Tel: +45 4326 5859
SC TECHNOLOGY OFFERS
LOW-TEMPERATURE BELT DRYING
SC Technology GmbH (SCT) has
successfully concluded a global
technology license agreement with
Lindauer Dornier GmbH of Germany.
Dornier has been designing and
building belt driers for a wide range of
applications for more than 50 years.
SCT has been a leading name in the
sludge industry for the past 25 years
designing, building and operating
sludge driers around the world.
SCT is now poised to build on its
strong position in the market and
introduce this new low-temperature
belt-drying product. Backed up by eight
years of practical experience (56,000
operational hours), SCT maintains a
leading position in the European sludge-
drying industry through a combination of:
high-quality construction materials
patented design elements providing
clear process benefits
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THERMAL TREATMENT AND WTE SPECI AL
57
continuous process and economic
development
operational experience in seven
European countries.
While known globally for its drum-
drying technology, it is the European
market that drives SCTs product
development and determines the range
of services offered.
Over the past three or four years, the
European sludge drying market has
changed significantly. Historically the
market demanded that sludge drying
produce a high-quality granule suitable
for easy disposal, primarily to
agriculture. This has now been replaced
by waste heat utilization and disposal in
power stations and cement kilns.
Formerly, the rotary drum drier was
the technology of choice to achieve
high-quality dried sludge granules for
land application, but as this type of
application has been prohibited through
legislation changes in many European
countries, thermal disposal in power
stations and cement kilns has become
the predominant outlet for dried sludge.
This significant change, along with
the widespread use of waste heat, has
moved the industry away from burning
fossil fuels. Volume reduction at the lowest
cost has become the order of the day.
High-temperature (about 400C)
rotary drum drying does not lend itself
easily to such a market and technology
that operates at lower temperatures
(100150C) with a much longer
residence time is now in demand. For
these reasons, SCT is pleased to offer
the new low-temperature, belt-drying
solution.
For more information, contact
info@swisscombi.com, call: +41 62 888 0 888
or visit www.swisscombi.com
ELECTRIC ACTUATION: A GROWING
CHOICE FOR WTE PLANTS
Electric actuators in waste-to-energy
plants control the position of dampers
and vanes which improve the efficiency
of and reduce the emissions from
furnaces. They also control the valves in
the steam and water circuits that drive
the generators.
The implementation of mandatory
environmental directives throughout
Europe has been proved to be a major
catalyst for actuation upgrade
programmes. For example, the
European Large Combustion Plant
Directive (LCPD) demands accurate
control of final operating elements
including secondary air dampers, burner
shroud and fan vane controls.
Furthermore, schemes such as boosted
over fire (BOFA), separated over fire
(SOFA) and over fire air (OFA) have
encouraged major investment in this
area.
High-speed electric actuators for
continuously modulating duties are now
able to meet the arduous operating
In the draft of the revised European Waste Framework Directive,
currently under debate, the European Commission recognizes the
benefits of waste-to-energy (WTE) by admitting for the first time
that WTE can be considered as recovery. The association
European Suppliers of Waste-to-Energy Technology (ESWET)
welcomes this change in policy and actively strives to further the
advantages of this technology by promoting higher energy
recovery from MSW and reuse of the residues from combustion.
Founded in March 2004, ESWET co-operates with other
national and international organizations active in this field.
As of today, it has 10 member companies based in five different
countries in Europe. ESWET members hold a world-leading
position in this innovative technology, which has its roots in
Europe and has been exported to all regions of the world.
The main purpose of ESWET is to foster the development and
the dissemination of WTE technology. With this in mind, the
association seeks to promote:
awareness of the positive implications of the technology
concerned
exchange of experience between its members and the
European administration
plant safety
environmental compatibility and social acceptance of plants.
Through activities related its goals, ESWET participates
in the elaboration of new directives, regulations and
standards on the European level.
WTE technologies effectively concentrate pollutants
contained in MSW and remove them from the eco-cycle. Due to
the most stringent limits for permitted emissions to air, the
contribution of MSW plants to overall pollution is very small.
Materials such as metals and bottom ash can be reused. Most
importantly though, the energy contained in the MSW can be
recovered in a steam boiler, with the steam either used as
process steam, in district heating networks or to generate
electricity. This is becoming an ever more important advantage
today, with not only growing energy prices but also a foreseeable
scarcity of primary energy sources such as oil, gas and coal.
ESWET strongly believes that WTE technology is an integral
part of an overall sustainable waste management scheme,
utilizing the energy contained in the residual MSW after all
technically and economically viable efforts of waste avoidance,
reduction, reuse and
recycling have been
made.
The still widely
used practice of
unprotected dumping
of MSW in a landfill
has many environmental disadvantages. Pollution of soil and
groundwater, uncontrolled emissions of gases (such as CO
2
and
CH
4
which contribute to global warming), and the need for long-
term surveillance are just some of the substantial drawbacks of
conventional landfilling.
For more information, visit www.eswet.org or e-mail
info@eswet.org
ESWET WELCOMES THE REVISED DRAFT OF THE WASTE FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE
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requirements set by these regulations,
whereas in the past hydraulic power
packs were generally used. The
advantages of electric actuation in these
areas include reduced capital, operating
and maintenance costs, improved
control and increased reliability.
Electric actuators may be required for
an extensive range of duties
encompassing isolation, regulation,
modulation and fail-safe operation of
valves and dampers, so in todays
industries it is essential to select the
correct specification for the actuator and
control system for each duty.
Developments in electric actuator
design have introduced secure, non-
intrusive water and dust-tight
enclosures. Standardized electronic
actuator controls and a wider range of
torque outputs also helped the design
engineers. In addition, improved motor
controls and the introduction of
thyristors (rather than traditional
reversing starter controls) increased the
starts per hour performance of the
electric actuator, enabling it to be used
for many regulating and modulating
duties. (A thyristor is a solid-state
semiconductor device that acts like a
switch and is particularly suitable for
frequent operation, offering a reliable
and maintenance-free alternative to
traditional electro-mechanical switches.)
In the last 10 years, these
developments have dramatically
accelerated with the introduction of
high-temperature modulating duty
actuators. This is a major leap forward,
enabling electric actuators to be installed
in environments where hydraulic and
pneumatic actuators were traditionally
specified. This has been a welcome
improvement, since hydraulic systems
incorporating traditional power packs
and hydraulic rams have become
unpopular due to high maintenance
costs and the threat of oil leaks leading
to secondary damage or even fires in
boiler areas. Instrument air for
pneumatic actuators is also expensive to
produce and look after, with leakage,
water ingress and vulnerability to
freezing all threatening reliability and
requiring special attention.
Suitable for isolating or modulating
duties, electric actuators provide a
simple, reliable solution and eliminate
the need for secondary compressor or
hydraulic systems with complex control
and instrumentation. As many plant
operators look to upgrade their control
systems enabling improved
communication with advanced plant
management systems it is not
surprising that many are turning to this
technology.
For more information on Rotork Controls Ltd,
Tel: 01225 733200, e-mail: mail@rotork.co.uk,
www.rotork.com
THERMOSELECT EXPANDS IN THE US
Thermoselect has licensed its solid waste
gasification technology to Interstate
Waste Technologies (IWT) for the US
and Caribbean territories.
IWT and the Thermoselect
technology have been qualified and
placed on shortlists by experienced US-
based engineering companies such as
URS, HDR and Alterative Resources,
Inc. (ARI), working on projects for Waste
Authorities in Puerto Rico, Los Angeles
County, New York City, a separate
project for the City of Los Angeles and
in north-east Maryland. IWT and
Thermoselect were ranked first in both
Los Angeles procurements as well as the
New York City procurement and were
judged qualified for the north-east
Maryland project.
IWTs Caguas, Puerto Rico project
a 3240-tonne-per-day waste-to-energy
facility is furthest along in the
development process. The project has
been approved by the Puerto Rico Solid
Waste Management Authority. It
includes nine Thermoselect processing
modules, each with a rated capacity of
360 tonnes per day. IWT plans to use
the synthesis gas produced by the
Thermoselect process to generate
electricity in a gas turbine combined-
cycle system.
The Thermoselect technology easily
satisfies the US EPA air emissions
criteria and significantly reduces
dangerous greenhouse gas emissions. In
addition, the technology is viewed
favourably by US waste management
authorities because there are no
discharges of process water. The ability
of the technology to recycle 100% of the
waste is particularly important in an
island setting such as Puerto Rico, where
it is difficult to site new landfills,
especially in the northern part of the
island due to its limestone subsurface
condition.
The size of the Caguas project, along
with the higher avoided cost for
electricity in Puerto Rico (due to the fact
that 83% of it is oil-based), has enabled
IWT to offer a tipping fee competitive
with the cost of landfilling waste on the
island.
IWT and Thermoselect are
conducting a detailed study to confirm
the feasibility of using synthesis gas
generated in the Thermoselect process
to manufacture alternative liquid fuels,
such as ultra-clean diesel for a project in
New York City. Approximately
26 gallons (98 litres) of clean diesel can
be produced from each tonne of waste
processed. New York City currently
collects and disposes of approximately
11,500 tonnes per day of municipal solid
waste. The clean diesel approach would
enable the City to solve a portion of its
solid waste problem, use the clean
diesel in its buses and trucks to
significantly reduce air pollution, while
obtaining a long-term supply of diesel
fuel at a cost independent of the cost
of oil.
IWTs efforts have been helped by the
success of Thermoselects licensee in
Japan JFE. JFE currently has seven
facilities operating on a commercial basis
using Thermoselect technology. This
experience has provided evidence to
waste management officials and
consultants worldwide of the ability of
the Thermoselect technology to
process waste in a reliable and
sustainable manner.
For more information, contact:
Dr Wulf Kaiser, www.thermoselect.ch,
Tel: +41 91 7562525; Mark Augenblick,
www.interstatewastetechnologies.com,
Tel: +1 540 6873177
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THE NUMBER ONE
GLOBAL MAGAZINE
FOR RENEWABLES
www.renewable-energy-world.com
Massive growth and market penetration are needed
by all the renewable energy technologies for the
world to move towards sustainability. Renewable
Energy World magazine is for all those people
around the globe who are making that happen
Renewable Energy World has been published bimonthly since
1998, providing authoritative, international coverage of all the
renewable energy technologies. It includes:
I a wide range of news
I extensive illustrated features
I project news and product developments
I achievements and potential
I comprehensive diary of events
PennWell Corporation
812 Camden High Street
London NW1 0JH, UK
Tel: +44 (0)20 7387 8558
Fax: +44 (0)20 7387 8998
Email: rew@pennwell.com
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www.ecocity.es
Ecocity, Cities Equipments and Environment Exhibition,
is the result of uniting Ecomed, International Energy
and Environment Show, with the municipal services
and city equipment sector. In Ecocity, exhibiting companies
will find more business possibilities since the new
show is more suited to market needs. Visitors will be
able to see the most advanced environmental solutions
and the latest in cities services and equipment. At
the Fira de Barcelona, Spain's leading exhibition centre.
Gran Via Venue
27 February
2 March 2007
Environmental solutions
for industry and the city
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RECYCLI NG
61
Discharged and ready
to go
The recycling and collection of portable batteries in Europe
T
he EU gives high priority to making sure that batteries no longer cause
health and environmental problems due to the heavy metals they contain,
commented Stavros Dimas, the European Commissioner for the
Environment, in May 2006. Now it is time to start implementing the
provisions of the new Battery Directive. The faster we start to collect and
recycle batteries, the better for the environment.
The new Directive on batteries and accumulators and waste batteries and
accumulators (2006/66/EC) was adopted on 6 September 2006. This Directive replaces
Directive 91/157 passed in 1991, which only covered batteries containing certain
dangerous substances. Fifteen years down the road, the new Directive encompasses all
battery categories and sets clear collection and recycling targets for all 25 Member
States. Implementation is due in 2008 and will harmonize the wide range of rules that
apply in different Member States today.
Pitfalls of the old Directive
The 1991 Directive was passed with one goal in mind: to limit the dispersion
of dangerous substances in batteries (mainly lead, cadmium and mercury). Basically
it entailed marking relevant batteries and compelling Member States to set up and
run programmes to collect and recycle them. But it did not set targets, and efforts
to run appropriate schemes soon ran into a number of difficulties linked with
catering for different types of batteries (industrial, portable and button cells) and
different types of markets (automotive, industry and consumers). In addition, it was
not easy for consumers to distinguish between the batteries targeted by the
regulation and those beyond its scope.
Different countries transposed and enforced this Directive in different ways. Some
The ECs recently adopted Batteries Directive set a raft of requirements for the collection
and treatment of used portable batteries. How far are Member States from reaching the
set targets? Quite some way as the diverse range of recycling rates across Europe
suggest.
by Emmanuel Beaurepaire
There is a
long way to go
to reach the
new Directives
25% target by
2012
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RECYCLI NG November December 2006 WASTE MANAGEMENT WORLD
62
Discharged and ready to go
did nothing, others transposed it into national legislation
but did not run any associated schemes, while others
enforced collection rules on all portable batteries
(encompassing zinc-carbon and alkaline-manganese
batteries, rechargeable nickel-cadmium batteries, and new
nickel metal hydride batteries).
Since then, several countries have achieved impressive
collection and recycling rates ahead of the new Battery
Directive: Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, Germany
and France, for instance, collect and recycle 30%60% of
Key provisions of the 2006/66/EC Batteries
Directive
Prohibiting all batteries that contain more than 0.0005%
mercury and more than 0.002% cadmium by weight
whether or not these batteries are incorporated into
appliances.
Setting up appropriate collection schemes for waste
portable batteries.
Requiring minimum collection rates: 25% six years after
the entry into force of the Directive and 45% ten years
after the entry date.
Requiring recycling processes to have minimum
recycling efficiencies no later than five years after the
entry into force of the Directive. The minimum recycling
efficiencies shall be evaluated regularly and adapted to
best available techniques.
recycle 65% by average weight of lead-acid batteries
recycle 75% by average weight of nickel-cadmium
batteries (including recycling the lead and the
cadmium content at the highest degree)
recycle 50% by average weight of other waste batteries.
Prohibiting the disposal of waste industrial and
automotive batteries in landfills or by incineration.
Requiring producers to finance any net costs arising
from the collection, treatment and recycling of all waste
batteries collected.
Fully informing end-users, through information
campaigns, of:
the potential effects on the environment and human
health of the substances used in batteries.
the benefits of not disposing of waste batteries as
unsorted municipal waste
the collection and recycling schemes available
the meaning of the crossed-out wheeled bin symbol
and the chemical symbols Hg, Cd and Pb.
Marking batteries with the symbols Hg, Cd, Pb. In
addition, the capacity of all portable and automotive
batteries should be indicated on them in a visible, legible
and indelible form by three years after the Directives
entry into force.
Requiring Member States to bring into force the laws,
regulation and administrative provisions necessary to
comply with this Directive by two years after its entry
into force.
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_____
RECYCLI NG
their portable batteries, compared with the quantities put
on the market.
However, portable batteries in several countries are still
being collected at very low rates. This is the case in Spain,
Italy, the UK, Ireland and Greece. (An interesting case
occurs in the Scandinavian countries, which have set up
programmes for nickel-cadmium batteries but have low
collection rates. This is explained by a shortage of used
batteries: Scandinavians tend to keep their appliances and
therefore the batteries in them for longer.)
A new Directive emerges
After a few scattered initiatives, European authorities got
down to reviewing Directive 91/157 in depth in 2003.
Consultations and impact assessments led to a new Directive,
the main provisions of which are covered in the box on the
facing page.
Preserving resources
One aspect in the new Directive deals with preserving
resources and therefore with reusing the materials contained
in batteries. Industrial and automotive batteries that contain
lead and cadmium are already collected and recycled
efficiently. The general goal here is to recover materials and
route them back into production processes. Battery
manufacturers already process and recycle lead and
cadmium, so the next step is to enable them to reuse zinc,
manganese, iron and nickel (or cobalt in the case of
rechargeable batteries). According to the European
Commission, thousands of tonnes of metals, including
valuable metals such as nickel, cobalt and silver, could be
recovered if batteries did not go to landfills/incinerators.
Recovering materials should be the main goal for
manufacturers and recyclers. Reselling those materials
especially at a time when metal prices are high would cover
some of the collection and recycling costs.
However, there is still a lot of work to do. Collection
figures vary considerably across the 25 European Union
countries. And it must be said that the inclusion of 10 new
63
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Loc. S. Giuseppe 20080 Vernate - Milano - Italy
Tel. +39-02.905.24.20 - Fax +39-02.905.28.93
MACPRESSE POLY-TIE
WIRE TYING UNIT MACPRESSE POLY-TIE
WIRE TYING UNIT

...that Macpresse is
the only baler that
can use either
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Did you know...
Did you know...
REVATECH recycles:
4,000 t. used batteries
(alkaline - zinc/carbon and NiMH)
140,000 t. other industrial waste
from whole Europe
REVATECH S.A.
Zoning industriel dEhein
4480 ENGIS (Belgium)
Phone +32 4 240 39 40
Fax +32 4 248 31 00
Michel BAUDUIN, General Manager
michel.bauduin@revatech.be
Eddy PAGNIN, Export Manager
eddy.pagnin@revatech.be
The new Batteries Directive has set numerous provisions for the collection,
treatment and recycling efficiencies for used batteries. PHOTO: SAFT BATTERIES
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64
Member States played a role in setting short-term collection
targets, while the infrastructure to do so is lacking.
Analysing the data
European Commission figures suggest that about
800,000 tonnes of automotive batteries, 190,000 tonnes of
industrial batteries and 160,000 tonnes of portable
(consumer) batteries reach the market every year in
Europe. But those figures do not include the 10 new
Member States. In total, roughly 180,000190,000 tonnes
of portable batteries reach the market every year.
Table 1 provides a breakdown of the types of used
batteries that members of the European Battery Recycling
Association (EBRA) have processed over the last four years
(practically all European recyclers are EBRA members).
It is worth noting that EBRA members recycle batteries
VMpress s.r.l. - Via Rebba 2/A
15076 OVADA (AL) - ITALY
Tel. 0039 0143 835665
Fax 0039 0143 835664
E-mail: info@vmpress.it
web: www.vmpress.it
ABOVE LEFT One important element of the new Directive concerns the reuse of a
wider range of metals including zinc (shown here), manganese, iron and nickel.
PHOTO: BATREC ABOVE Metals recovery from old batteries makes economic sense
because of the currently high metal prices. PHOTO: VALDI
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from around the world. With this in mind, it is important to
take a closer look at recycling figures for batteries from the
European Unions 25 Member States. (The EC Directive
targets do not apply elsewhere.)
Some 23,860 tonnes of portable batteries were collected
and recycled in Europe in 2005. That is about 13% of the
amount that reached the market. So there is a long way to go
to reach the new Directives 25% target by 2012. EBRA has
approached portable-battery manufacturers to discuss ways
of achieving the 25% and then the 45% targets that will
apply in all Member States.
Table 2 shows figures from European countries that have
been running collection programmes for a number of years.
The recycling rate here is defined as the amount of portable
batteries recycled in 2005 compared with the number of
batteries marketed that same year. Primary batteries are the
non-rechargeable batteries (alkaline-manganese, zinc-
carbon, zinc-air) and secondary batteries are the
rechargeable batteries (nickel-cadmium, nickel-metal-
hydride, lithium-ion, lead).
65
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Members of olleraaf Roldin
Bollegraaf Recycling Machinery
P.O. Box 321, 9900 AH Appingedam, The Netherlands
Tel. +31 (0)596 65 43 33, Fax +31 (0)596 62 53 90, info@bollegraaf.com
Lubo Screening & Recycling Systems b.v.
P.O. Box 2222, 7801 CE Emmen, The Netherlands
Tel. +31 (0)591 66 80 80, Fax +31 (0)591 66 80 88, info@lubo.nl
TABLE 2. Recycling data from European countries with established collection
programmes
1
Country Batteries marketed Batteries collected Collection Overall
(tonnes) for recycling rates by collection
(tonnes) type rate
France Primary batteries: Primary batteries: 29.9% 30.8%
28,582 8565
Secondary batteries: Secondary batteries: 36.8%
3977 1465
Germany Primary batteries: Primary 28.6% 28.7%
27,584 batteries: 7900
Secondary batteries: Secondary batteries: 28.8%
7040 2030
Netherlands
a
Primary batteries: Primary and 30.9%
6550 secondary batteries:
Secondary batteries: 2705
2193
a
The quantities in weight put on the market in the Netherlands have been
estimated on the basis of the number of units and the average weight of each unit
(based on the German and French cases)
TABLE 1. Quantities of used batteries recycled by EBRA members
Type of used batteries Quantity (tonnes)
2002 2003 2004 2005
Zinc-carbon, alkaline-manganese, zinc-air 10,710 15,532 20,432 21,797
Lithium primary 184 169 387
Lithium-ion 111.5 198 635
Button cell 38 55 67 76.4
Nickel-metal hydride 229 353.5 457 647.5
Nickel-cadmium (industrial) 4045 3700
Nickel-cadmium (portable) 2578 2304
Total 15,839 20,508 27,946 29,547
Number of members 11 11 15 17
4657 4272
205
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66
Looking ahead
Belgium boasts the remarkable recycling rate of 50%60%.
All other countries will soon have to set up collection systems
to reach their initial 25% target. And countries that are
already collecting 25% or even 45% should push ahead to
collect two out of every three portable batteries on their
markets.
The other issue that will be in the spotlight these coming
months is recycling efficiency that is, how much of a used
batterys content (metals essentially) is recycled. The
European Commission will have to define calculation
methods before the transposition deadline to make sure all
Member States use the same yardstick.
Recycling efficiency encompasses a number of variables:
average portable-battery content in waste flows (which
varies from one country to another)
whether the notion of content only includes metal
content or whether it encompasses other materials
(mainly plastics) as well
whether utilization for energy purposes should be
factored into recycling efficiency.
EBRA is intent on making proposals on these issues. The
next step is to secure across-the-board consensus on
calculation methods for recycling efficiency. Doing so will
make it possible to measure how much used-battery content
is routed back into production lines to make new batteries or
other products. The European Unions goals preserving
resources will then be achieved through the active
involvement of recyclers.
Emmanuel Beaurepaire is General Secretary of the
European Battery Recycling Association (EBRA).
e-mail: ebeaurepaire@ebrarecycling.org
Note
1. GRS 2005 report, Stibat 2005 report, French Observatoire des
Piles et Accumulateurs (Battery and Accumulator Observatory)
2005 report.
Shredders
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www.rndsa.con recycling_rndsa.con
Tel. 34 937 23 3399 34 937 23 3393
Visit us at Pollutec
Hall 8, Stand AL254
The European Battery Recycling Association
18 members (recycling companies): Accurec (Germany),
Batrec (Switzerland), Fernwrme Wien (Austria), Citron
(France), Duclos Environnement (France), Eurodieuze
Industrie (France), Erachem-Comilog (Belgium),
Falconbridge (Belgium), G&P Batteries (UK), MBM (France),
Pilagest (Spain), Recupyl (France), Redux (Germany),
Revatech (Belgium), Saft Batteries (Sweden), SNAM
(France), Umicore (Belgium), Valdi (France)
5 associate members: Van Peperzeel (The Netherlands),
Tecnicas Reunidas (Spain), Rumpold (Austria), Veneta
Plastica (Italy), Acoor Environnement (France)
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67
Positive connections
Rechargeable battery recycling in the US
M
obile phones, MP3 players and other devices are greatly increasing the
number of rechargeable batteries in use and entering the waste stream.
A decade ago, in May 1996, with the growing popularity of rechargeable
batteries, the United States Congress enacted a Federal legislation
known as the Mercury-Containing and Rechargeable Battery
Management Act (the Battery Act). This law was implemented to phase
out the use of mercury in batteries and to provide for the efficient and cost-effective
collection and recycling or proper disposal of used nickel-cadmium batteries, used small
sealed lead batteries and certain other regulated batteries.
The Battery Act established national, uniform labelling requirements for regulated
batteries and for rechargeable consumer products that are manufactured domestically
or imported and sold for use in the US. The Act also mandated that consumers must be
able to easily remove the regulated battery at the end of its life, using common
household tools. This encourages consumers to remove the batteries for recycling.
From federal to state legislation
In addition to the Federal law, nine US states including California, Connecticut, Florida,
Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey and Vermont, currently require the
industry to develop and implement a state-approved rechargeable battery collection
programme as a requirement of selling rechargeable batteries in the state.
Most recently, California and New York City have joined those states in creating
legislation around rechargeable battery and cell phone recycling.
Effective 1 July 2006, Californias Cell Phone Recycling Act of 2004 requires retailers
to provide a system for the acceptance and collection of used mobile phones for reuse,
recycling or proper disposal. Similarly, under Californias Rechargeable Battery
Recycling Act of 2006, effective 1 July 2006, retailers that sell small, non-vehicular
rechargeable batteries in the state of California must provide consumers with a free
system for returning these batteries for reuse, recycling or proper disposal.
The latest legislations on rechargeable battery recycling show that more and more
US governments are recognizing the importance of recycling rechargeable batteries.
But how can retailers and consumers put policy into practice? An organization set up by
manufacturers is making it simple.
by Ralph Millard
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The New York City Rechargeable Battery Recycling
Ordinance, effective 1 December 2006, bans the disposal of
used rechargeable batteries from the solid waste stream and
requires manufacturers of rechargeable batteries to take back
and recycle used rechargeable batteries that are sold or
disposed of in New York City.
With the implementation of these new rechargeable
battery and mobile phone recycling laws, there has been a
greater awareness of rechargeable battery and cell phone
recycling, not only in California and New York City, but
across North America.
Recycling with RBRC
Working at both local and national levels, the Rechargeable
Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC) was founded by the
rechargeable battery industry in 1994. RBRC is a non-profit
public service organization, funded by over 300 rechargeable
battery manufacturers and original equipment
manufacturers (OEMs) and representing over 90% of the
portable rechargeable battery industry.
RBRC collects and recycles nickel cadmium, nickel metal
hydride, lithium ion and small sealed lead (weighing less
than 2 lbs or 1 kg each) all the types of rechargeable
batteries that power a variety of popular portable electronic
products, such as mobile phones, power tools, laptop
computers, camcorders, two-way radios and digital cameras.
With a recycling network of more than 300 licensees,
30,000 retail locations, 2600 businesses, and 4300
communities and public agencies, RBRC has established a
sophisticated infrastructure to ensure the proper collection
and disposal of rechargeable batteries and mobile phones.
And through an aggressive public education campaign and
its partners commitment, RBRC continues to see a steady
increase in collection numbers. In fact, since 1995 RBRC
and the industry have diverted more than 31 million pounds
(11,570 tonnes) of rechargeable batteries from entering the
solid waste stream.
How the programme works
Endorsed by the US Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA), RBRC has developed battery recycling seals that
include a toll-free number to let end-users know how to
locate the nearest drop-off location in the US and Canada.
By imprinting the RBRC Battery Recycling Seals onto
battery packs, licensees are in full compliance with the
Battery Act. Licensees pay a fee to place the official RBRC
Battery Recycling Seal on their Ni-Cd, Ni-MH, Li-ion and
Pb rechargeable batteries. The seal indicates to consumers
that these rechargeable batteries can be recycled.
Consumers can find participating drop-off locations in
their area by visiting RBRCs database locator at
www.call2recycle.org, or by calling toll-free at 1-877-2-
RECYCLE. Rechargeable batteries and cell phones collected
at RBRC-affiliated retail, community/public agency, or
From decentralized
solutions with the
Waste Roller for small
applications to fully
automatic Baling
Presses SB 2000 or SB
3000 integrated in
automatic processes
e.g. in the beverage
industry or in logistic
centres
More than
25 years
of experience
in compressing
recyclable waste
material
ABOVE A number of federal and state legislation are requiring consumers to
recycle rechargeable batteries from end-of-life portable electronic equipment
FACING PAGE The RBRC has been galvanizing action on rechargeable battery
recycling for the US during the last decade
Call to Recycle!
As mobile phone usage rose dramatically, RBRC recognized
that for every mobile phone retired, there was also a
rechargeable battery that can and should be recycled.
Therefore, in 2004, RBRC expanded its programme
Call2Recycle to include mobile phones, and became the
only nationwide programme dedicated to rechargeable
battery and mobile phone recycling in the US. and Canada
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business locations are shipped
directly to RBRCs recycling
facility in pre-paid collection
boxes supplied by RBRC.
The rechargeable batteries
are recycled at a metals
recovery recycling facility.
Some of the materials can be
reclaimed and used in new
products. For instance, the
cadmium is used to make new
batteries, while the nickel and iron are used to make stainless
steel products. The mobile phones are either recycled or
refurbished and resold when possible, with a portion of the
proceeds from resale of phones benefiting select charities.
All rechargeable batteries collected from the mobile phones
are recycled.
Since January 2006, RBRC has experienced a 10%
participation increase by adding 4466 new collection sites to
its current roster of over 30,000 sites. During the first six
months of 2006, 2.4 million pounds (896 tonnes) of
rechargeable batteries were recycled through the RBRC
programme, a 6.4% increase from the same six-month
period in 2005.
Looking forward
Rechargeable battery recycling is an important contribution
to protecting our environment, and it is indeed noteworthy
that more and more consumers in North America are
hearing the message and accepting the challenge to recycle.
But this is only the beginning.
With e-waste attracting more attention, recycling
rechargeable batteries will no longer be a luxury, but a
necessity. Collecting the waste equipment will continue to
remain a major challenge to overcome. Consumers often
hold onto their electronic products that contain
rechargeable batteries well after theyve stopped using them,
with the perception that they are still valuable and because
they arent quite sure what else to do with them. However,
with continued outreach and strong public education efforts,
rechargeable battery recycling will become just as common
as recycling newspapers, glass and plastic.
Ralph Millard is Executive Vice President of the
Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation, US.
e-mail: rmillard@rbrc.com
69
CLEAR solutions for plastic and paper recycling.
Leader in PET Recycling Market in Europe, Pellenc ST has developed automatic sorting
solutions for any kind of plastics (including WEEE and ASR plastics) and paper.
Pellenc ST machines highly contribute to increase MRFs productivity and improve the quality of sorted materials.
Pellenc ST offers solutions to sort more complicated stream like MSW and CIW, for example:
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PELLENC Selective Technologies
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Recycling rechargeable
batteries will no longer be a
luxury, but a necessity
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For some reason, there is e-scrap
that never reaches us
www.electronicscrap.umicore.com
Contact: preciousmetals@umicore.com
So what we do get, we
recycle to the maximum
Umicore Precious Metals Refining, as one of
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But were even more proud of our eco-
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We understand our real job:
recycling all your electronic scrap, components,
printed circuit boards, mobile phones, etc
to the maximum and putting the precious
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A better life for you and for nature.
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71
Trade troubles
Exposing loopholes in the global movement of WEEE
T
he reuse and recycling of waste is growing on an international scale. For many
years there has been a legitimate trade in ferrous and non-ferrous metals,
paper and several other items. This trade has allowed suitable wastes to be
reprocessed overseas for the benefit of the global economy and also the
environment. Twenty years ago the Basel Convention was adopted to
recognize the fact that many hazardous wastes were being sent to countries
that were incapable of handling them. This was to ensure that no hazardous wastes were
sent to countries outside of the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development) for disposal or recovery.
Now in many developed economies, individuals and businesses are increasingly
discarding goods before they are worn out. The range of goods is expanding, including
cars and an increasing amount of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), where their
potential for further use in the household or through the extended family is no longer
fully exploited. Thus in Sweden, for instance, for every television that is sold another TV
is discarded at a WEEE collection centre.
In businesses the trend is even more pronounced, with IT equipment being replaced
every two years and many electrical items regularly replaced through leasing
arrangements. Some of these items migrate to the household sector, but more become
available for potential reuse outside the country of origin.
WEEE: the risks in reuse
A considerable amount of WEEE is now being exported not as waste but as reusable
equipment and this has emerged as a point of concern on a global scale. There are
several reasons for this trend, including the legitimate reason for not consigning any
waste to waste disposal when there is potential for extending its life-cycle through reuse.
However, under the guise of exporting reusable EEE, many shipments of EEE are
Recycling is good. Reuse is even better but is this always the case? WEEE management
is now in a dangerous grey area where purportedly reusable items are exported to
developing countries, not for reuse but for materials reclamation, often in ways harmful
to workers health and the environment. What safeguards are needed?
by Jeff Cooper
Many
shipments of
EEE are not
necessarily
checked for
their working
condition
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WEEE November December 2006 WASTE MANAGEMENT WORLD
72
Trade troubles
actually obtained from waste management streams and are
not necessarily checked for their working condition.
Several NGOs such as BAN (the Basel Action Network)
have shown that subsequently this equipment is very crudely
recycled, mainly for its metal content, in Third World
countries. Therefore, this WEEE is of value even if not
working, but valuable materials are reclaimed in ways that
are often harmful to the health of the workers and damaging
the environment. These NGOs are actively trying to raise
awareness of this issue in a wider illegal waste trade context
see box on this page.
The main exporter of WEEE and potentially reusable
EEE for processing overseas is the US. It is also the main
country that has not signed the Basel Convention. With its
free market emphasis for all aspects of WEEE management
and the environmental controls in many US states, it is not
surprising that the US looks overseas for cost-effective
options for dealing with WEEE.
The policy context
The temptation to export to cut costs rather than process
WEEE appropriately in a treatment facility is becoming
greater as more countries introduce producer responsibility
and other controls over WEEE (such as landfill bans). This
also applies to other waste streams, such as packaging and
end-of-life vehicles, where trade in recyclable wastes can only
grow in response to higher recycling targets.
There are no statistics as to the scale of the problem
because such shipments of reusable equipment are outside
the control of the Basel Convention. Even under the
minimal controls for green-list wastes, the measurement of
exports of WEEE is limited.
In recognition of this issue in the EU, a project was
established in 2004 to check that potentially reusable EEE
was genuinely reusable. Through IMPEL
(the European Union network for the
Implementation and Enforcement of
Environmental Law), checks were made at
several ports to see whether reusable EEE
was indeed likely to be reused. While the
number of checks were restricted due to lack of resources, it
was possible to examine some of the shipments which were
classified as second-hand equipment.
Within this venture, in 2005 six member countries of
IMPEL (Belgium, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain
and the UK) undertook a concerted operation to try to
clamp down on the possible illegal export of WEEE.
And in May 2006, the Recycling and Waste
Minimisation working group from the International
Solid Waste Association (ISWA) released a report on
the Dutch experience in this field. This was based on
Illegal waste trade under the spotlight
The harmful effects of illegal waste transport are receiving
increasing media coverage currently. In August 2006, the
Ivory Coast fell victim to one of the most serious waste trade
scandals in history. As a result of what appeared to be an
illegal transfer of petrochemical waste from Europe,
10 people died and many thousands were hospitalized.
This story will loom large in the thoughts of the delegates
to the 8th Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention,
to take place from 27 November to 1 December in Nairobi,
Kenya the first time that the meeting is held in Africa. The
special theme of this meeting e-waste has been a hot
topic on the minds of Africans ever since the Basel Action
Network released the film and report The Digital Dump,
highlighting e-waste dumping from Europe and North
America in the West African port of Lagos, Nigeria.
In addition, a new decision on shipbreaking is expected
to be made at the meeting. There, the Basel Convention will
reiterate its continued competence (efforts to apply as law)
over the issue of ships as waste unless and until the
International Maritime Organizations new Convention puts
at least an equivalent level of control into force. Finally, the
question of the date of entry into force of the Basel Ban
Amendment (adopted in 1995) may prove to be
controversial. The amendment has now achieved the magic
62 ratifications, but ambiguity in the text of the Convention
has the Parties wondering which 62 are required whether
they will be the 62 drawn from the Parties present in 1995,
or from all of the more than 160 Parties today.
by Jim Puckett, Basel Action Network
ABOVE EEE or WEEE? It is hard to trace whether reusable items in transit will
actually be reused overseas FACING PAGE Inspectors checking a suspect
container. ALL PHOTOS: ENVIRONMENT AGENCY
69 containers were impounded
because they actually contained
WEEE non-reusable EEE
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Trade troubles
research undertaken in the IMPEL project and sought to
show the scale of the problem.
Illegal exports from the Netherlands
A large number of containers come through Rotterdam, the
Netherlands for trans-shipment from other countries.
Rotterdam handles about 18 million containers each year, of
which about 85,000 will be inspected by customs officials.
VROM (the Netherlands Environment Ministry) has
joined with five other countries in checking containers for
suspicious shipments based on intelligence of previous
problematic shipments and other information. Under
IMPEL, 85 containers were checked. Of these, 69 containers
labelled as reusable EEE were impounded because they
actually contained WEEE non-reusable EEE amounting
to 1000 tonnes. Two-thirds of the containers were from the
Netherlands while the other third were from Germany and
the UK.
The route by which the WEEE, mainly TVs, came from
the Netherlands into the containers starts with retailers
taking items back under the Netherlands WEEE recycling
scheme. However, instead of passing them to the scheme,
the retailers sell them often for as little as 2 per item to
brokers who collect the goods and pack them into containers
for export, mainly to African and Asian countries.
When these items were checked by the enforcement
authorities, 50%90% of TVs in each container load were not
working. In addition, because the TVs were just piled into
the containers with no protection, a further proportion
would likely to have been damaged in transit.
With the 69 containers of WEEE, the Dutch authorities
imposed an immediate fine of 450 per tonne (450,000 in
total) to the Dutch Exchequer. Very few of those found
exporting this waste would wish to fight the case through the
73
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WEEE November December 2006 WASTE MANAGEMENT WORLD
74
Trade troubles
courts, where higher fines could be levied and there would
also be the legal costs. In contrast, in the UK where several
other similar containers were stopped in 2005, possible cases
against exporters in October 2006 were still being assessed.
Tracking down who is responsible for the shipment of
these wastes is becoming increasingly difficult. A
smokescreen of brokers, shipping agents and other
intermediaries is now becoming standard practice among
those who ship household effects and second-hand items,
most often to countries whose own customs controls are
likely to be easily corruptible.
Tackling the illegal WEEE trade
Under the recent changes to the Basel Convention and
subsequent changes to European and EU Member States
legislation, green list wastes will need to be reported to
environmental regulators. However, this does not tackle the
problem of items of WEEE that are being exported as
reusable.
ISWA therefore suggests that in order to alleviate these
problems, the following measures should be introduced:
enhancing the provisions of the Basel Convention to
include additional provisions that explicitly recognize
any second-hand goods where their origin was from a
waste stream or generated from waste management
facilities
increasing the checks made by enforcement authorities
in the developed economies on exports of all those
loads of second-hand goods and green list wastes known
to be most problematic for handling in the less
developed countries
ensuring appropriate enforcement against those found
to be contravening the requirements of the Basel
Convention and other international and national controls.
For WEEE, this would mean that the exporters
would need to sort the WEEE and test all items to ensure
that they were functional and that any non-functional items
were repaired before export. A further measure would be
to ensure all items were suitably packaged to a standard to
prevent any damage during transit. Otherwise these
items should be presumed to be WEEE and not items of
EEE for reuse.
In the longer term, recognizing that there are advantages
to extending the use of those items that may be redundant
in the developed world but are still capable of further use
overseas, ISWA advocates:
the establishment of treatment and processing facilities
in the developing economies
allocation of funding from the developed countries to
the developing economies to ensure adequate networks
of collection, treatment and processing facilities
provision for the return of all exported items to the
country of origin where no or inadequate provision for
treatment and processing is made.
In order to prevent environmental pollution and damage to
peoples health and safety, there should be greater control
over the international movement of goods purporting to be
functional second-hand items and other wastes that would
not be acceptable for reprocessing in recycling facilities in
the developed countries. The environmental advantages of
reuse and recycling of these goods and materials must be
allowed in appropriate circumstances, but those advantages
must not be impaired by a failure to control inappropriate
movements.
Jeff Cooper chairs the Scientific and Technical Committee
at the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) and is
Policy Manager of the Environment Agency, UK.
e-mail: jeff.cooper@environment-agency.gov.uk
ABOVE Even where electronic goods are in fact to be reused, improper packing
will render a portion unusable ABOVE RIGHT The increasingly global nature of
WEEE management calls for stricter safeguards against illegal recycling
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Capturing public
imagination
A lesson on compost for the community
I
n Austria, 59% of waste is recycled and it has been mandatory to separate organic
wastes since 1995. In Sweden, landfilling of organic waste has been illegal since 2005.
In the UK, while recycling rates are increasing the latest figures indicate that
households in England recycled 27% of their waste during 2005/06 there is still a
long journey ahead. And to ensure compliance with the EU Landfill Directive of
1999, the local authorities responsible for waste management will need to increase
recycling and composting rates to at least 40% of waste by 2010: this may require as
many as 200 new large-scale composting sites.
Public participation is absolutely vital in achieving this goal, both because it is the
public that contributes much of the waste that will be composted and because public
resistance can imperil the establishment or even the continued operation of a site. The
German experience is illustrative. Although plants have to operate within a rigid and
complex regulatory framework, and although both odour and emissions have to comply
with very strict guidelines, there are almost 810 plants in Germany, producing around
10,000,000 tonnes of compost every year. (In contrast, the UK with a population about
1.4 times less than that of Germany has under 300 plants, producing less than
1,200,000 tonnes per year.)
As the ISWA Biological Waste Treatment Survey confirms, effective public education
has been key to the German success. From the very beginning, the German Compost
Quality Assurance Organisation (BGK) has promoted the importance of composting
and established a positive image for the industry: individual operators have built on this
by liaising with, and educating, local communities. In the UK, where public education
and local liaison is often less intensive, a number of facilities have been forced to close,
most often because of objections to malodours, real or imagined.
UK residents throw away large amounts of organic waste that could otherwise become
compost. This has a lot to do with misperceptions and lack of awareness. To help get the
community involved, West London Composting has started a communications and
education campaign that is helping the community take home the benefits of compost.
by Deborah Gray
Organic
waste
generation is
remarkably
high in
the UK
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76
Capturing public imagination
Public participation
The public is an essential part of all waste management, as it
generates a large proportion of any countrys waste and
manages its initial disposal. But disposal methods vary
widely across Europe. In the Netherlands, where 65% of
waste is recycled or composted, 1,450,000 tonnes of kitchen
waste were composted in 2003 (compared with a mere
2000 tonnes in the UK from April 2003 to March 2004).
In Greece, where there is very little centralized recycling
or composting, extensive use is made of solid wastes at
home: animals are fed on kitchen scraps, waste paper is
burned on fires and agricultural waste composted in situ.
In the UK, organic waste generation is remarkably high:
one-third of food grown in the UK ends up being thrown
away after it has passed its use-by date, while it is common to
live even in cities in a house with a garden rather than an
apartment in a block, generating large quantities of
domestic garden waste. The community can make a real
contribution when disposing of this waste: firstly by choosing
to compost organic waste, and secondly, yet importantly, by
separating it correctly. (Badly sorted organic biowaste is a
major irritant for composters, increasing malodour and
emissions while slowing the composting process.)
Sadly, many individuals within the UK remain unaware of
the guidelines for separating biowaste. Confusingly, these
guidelines can vary not just from borough to borough (the
local administrative districts that divide cities, towns and
countryside), but even within the different wards (sub-
divisions bounded by a few streets) which comprise these
boroughs. A house in one street may have a blue box for
food waste, a green box for cans, glass and paper, and a
brown box for garden waste; a house around the corner may
have only the green box. In many areas organic waste is not
collected: in some, even glass and paper are not. Even as
some boroughs are enforcing financial penalties on
individuals who do not recycle, public communications
strategies are not uniform and are incoherent and unclear.
The UKs gardening culture is a plus here. Many local
government bodies have promoted home composting and
distributed composting bins. Individuals who do not
compost at home and some who do can also help the
industrys profitability curve: amateur gardeners purchased
almost 14% of the 1,190,000 tonnes of compost the UK
produced in 20032004.
But one of the greatest challenges facing the UK
composting industry is public opposition: the NIMBY (Not
In My Back Yard) syndrome familiar to professionals around
the world. While the legislative framework in the UK is not
as harsh as, say, Denmark where sites have to be situated
500 metres from the nearest neighbour numerous facilities
have been forced to close or prevented from obtaining a
licence due to local opposition.
All composting sites in the UK require planning
permission, obtained from the relevant local government
authority; local objections and increased traffic are the most
common reasons for refusal. All but the tiniest sites then
require a licence, which is issued by the Environment Agency
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(in England and Wales), the Scottish Environment Protection
Agency (in Scotland), or the Department of Environment
and Heritage Service (in Northern Ireland).
Once a site is up and running, however, offensive odours
are legally categorized as a statutory nuisance under the
Environmental Protection Act 1990, under which a waste
licence may be revoked. When an accusation has been made
to the relevant environmental body, it is down to the operator
to prove that the facility is not responsible for any odour, so
members of the public opposed to a site can cause real damage.
Clearly, if 200 or more new composting sites are to be
built, better communication is needed. Operators need to
challenge the public perception of composting as a
malodorous waste disposal industry and position it as the
natural manufacturing industry it is. They need to actively
demonstrate the benefits of composting to the community,
listen to the community, and address community concerns
as they arise.
77
Absorbing odour
Malodour in composting is a critical issue for composters in
the UK. Odour problems occur when waste for composting
becomes anaerobic due to materials arriving wet, degraded
and unsorted and this happens even at the best managed
sites. Compost turning is one of the most common activities
responsible for dispersing malodours.
WLC turned to The Composting Company to address this
issue. The Composting Company is the UK supplier of Danish-
made New Era Compost Biosa, a product based on natural
probiotics rather than chemicals. During an on-site trial
conducted by the Applied Environmental Research Centre,
Biosa was sprayed on one windrow, which was turned once
and then left to stand for five weeks. The second, unsprayed
windrow was turned once, then again at three and five weeks,
as per existing practice.
The study found that the windrow treated with New Era
Compost Biosa produced 100 times less volatile organic
compounds (VOCs) in week three and 2000 times less in week
five than the turned windrow, and that the problem of odour
was massively reduced. Since the first windrow only needed to
be turned once, it was less costly, less labour-intensive and
less energy-intensive than the control windrow. WLC also
found that material reached stability up to 25% more quickly,
and that Biosa broke down lignins in the material, thereby
halving the time needed for screening. (In addition, research at
the University of Warwick suggests that the use of biotics may
help suppress diseases in plants.)
For sites in densely populated UK, which are often
constrained by size, this form of odour control also increases
income by enabling sites to process more material and move it
off site more quickly. For sites in Denmark which, like the
Netherlands, are constrained by a culture that is highly aware
of and sensitive to potential odours from composting, this
odour control method has proved a godsend.
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National education
There is increasing focus on environmental issues within the
UK as a whole. Children as young as three are learning
about recycling and the environment in schools, pre-schools
and nurseries. The task of promoting public awareness of
composting to adults in the community, however, lies
substantially with the local authorities, whose budget and
commitment to composting varies widely by location and
political make-up.
On the national scale, there are a number of distinct
organizations, including the Composting Association, Waste
Watch, the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management and
the Community Composting Network. The national
governments Waste and Resources Action Programme
(WRAP) has launched a television campaign, with a focus on
recycling rather than composting. The Composting
Association, in particular, is very active in schools and at
community gardening events, while the annual Compost
Awareness Week is helping to raise consciousness.
However, there is a dearth of effective education for
adults about composting as an industry, and few adults are
aware of how the organic waste they produced is managed.
Until the basic processes of composting are understood
and the basic rules for sorting waste communicated, the
problem that most concerns the community malodour
is likely to persist.
So it is currently the operators responsibility to create an
effective communications strategy and embed itself fully in
the community it serves. West London Composting, an
operator for the UK capital, has been doing just that.
West London Compostings strategy
West London Composting (WLC) is one of the UKs largest
in-vessel composting facilities. It is licensed to handle up to
50,000 tonnes of organic waste each year, received mainly
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Composting and the farming community
West London Compostings founder Martin Grundon started
his farming career after leaving school, and took over the
family pig and cattle business in the early 1980s. After over
a decade as a farmer, he obtained a waste transfer licence,
gained planning permission for a composting site and an
innovative in-vessel composting system, and opened West
London Composting in 2004. Like the farm, WLC remains a
family business and, as a former farmer, Grundon maintains
close links to the farming community.
Agriculture is also one of the largest markets for
compost in the UK, consuming over 40% of the compost
produced in 20034. Martin Grundon has built on his good
relationships with the local farming community to team up
with an agronomist and offer farmers across the UK the
opportunity to take part in a free soil audit, to identify
deficiencies within the earth they farm. The offer has
received high take-up, generated goodwill, and further
communicated the manufacturing message to this sector of
the local community.
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Visit us!
Pollutec Lyon,
28th November - 1st December 2006
Hall 8, Stand no. AN210
BI OWASTE
is then screened and divided into a finer, 10 mm product
used by landscape gardeners and nurseries, and a coarser,
25 mm grade more often used in agriculture.
In this relatively urban location, an effective education
and outreach strategy has proved essential particularly
while first-year teething problems were ironed out.
Malodour, or perceived malodour (residents have been
known to attribute odours to un-emptied bins at the site
500 metres away), was the major challenge. To meet this,
WLC holds regular liaison groups with residents
associations, the local authority, the Environment Agency
and conservation groups to explore the concerns in depth.
79
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environmental technologies
Composting Systems
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Process Technologies
for Mechanical-Biological Treatment (MBT) of MSW as
- Tunnel Composting System
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Pre-treatment facilities as front-end of
Waste to Energy plants (WtE)
Material Reclamation Facilities (MRF) for
Kerbside Collected Dry Recyclables, e.g. DSD, Green Dot
Industrial, Commercial and/or Mixed Solid Waste (MSW)
Refused Derived Fuel (RDF) as fluff or pellets
Construction & Demolition Waste
Paper & Cardboard Wood/Biomass
Documents and Data Carriers Tyres and other solid waste
Planning, Design, Manufacturing, Installation, Software
and Service from one company
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Loher Busch 52 Bad Oeynhausen D-32545 Germany
Tel. +49 5731 794-0 Fax +49 5731 794-216
recyclingtechnik@horstmann-group.com
www.horstmann-group.com
Composting at West London Compost LEFT TO RIGHT A shredder breaks down
greenwaste Stabilized compost being emptied from the composting vessels
The compost is screened for different size fractions
from its local government partners. Privately funded, it is
situated in Harefield, Middlesex, in the outskirts of
London, from where it manufactures 30,000 tonnes of
compost each year.
WLC handles the full spectrum of compostable organic
material, including kerbside greenwaste, catering waste,
and paper and card. On arrival at the facility, waste is
processed in a slow-speed shredder and subsequently
transferred to one of eight custom-built vessels comprising
barrier one. The waste remains there for 710 days and
reaches a temperature of 60C for two consecutive days, in
line with Government guidelines. Material is then
transferred to barrier two (comprising eight further
vessels) and the process is repeated, before being
transported to an open-windrow composting facility.
Each windrow is turned twice a week for 810 weeks. It
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It has invested in a state-of-the-art weather station to
confirm whether a reported malodour is actually emanating
from the site and to facilitate immediate action should the
odour be proven as the companys responsibility. A
dedicated helpline and an interactive website with rolling
news service have helped keep residents in the loop,
ensured that their complaints are heard and responded to,
and generated positive word of mouth.
WLC has also prioritized the message that composting is
about manufacturing an organic and beneficial product, not
merely waste disposal. Compost giveaway days, when
residents are invited to collect free bags of compost, provide
a great opportunity to demonstrate to residents what has
been manufactured from their waste and its benefits to their
gardens. Local residents are encouraged to collect supplies
at competitive rates all year round.
Excitingly, a learning resource centre for local schools is
currently being designed and will be up and running from
early April 2007, with a picnic site to follow. Small groups of
pupils from local schools will be invited to tour grounds,
learn more about the composting process and understand
how compost is manufactured. The guided tour will be
followed by a Q&A session, and pupils will be given a free
WLC goodie bag to take home. The response from local
schools and teachers has been hugely enthusiastic.
Innovatively, WLC is also scaling up its involvement with
the local authorities it serves squaring the manufacturing
circle by supplying compost to the very organizations that
deliver its raw materials, and benefiting the parks and
gardens that serve the local community. The company is
flourishing after under two years in business and has recently
been granted permission to increase the size of its
operational space.
Compost education for all
Commercial composting in the UK has grown by 25% year
on year and this growth seems set to continue. Great strides
are being made in educating younger members of the
community: environmental issues are firmly embedded in
the National Curriculum from the pre-school stage, and
organizations such as the Composting Association are
reaching out to schools and children, while events such as
Compost Awareness Week touch communities around the
country.
While British children are set to grow up to become green
consumers, there remains the need for a sustained
educational campaign aimed at adults not only at those
who live near a composting site. All UK citizens, wherever
they live, should clearly understand what they can compost,
where and how it can be done, and the beneficial product
that will be manufactured from their waste.
The outlook for the composting industry seems positive,
as European countries move towards ever tighter EU targets
and take in the habit of sorting waste the growth curve of
the last few years is only the beginning. Yet the key challenge
facing the industry is to construct an effective
communications strategy. Combined with best practice, this
will ensure that the industry is associated not with malodours
and waste but with an odourless, all-natural product that
benefits our gardens, our farmlands and our future.
Deborah Gray is writing on behalf of West London
Composting.
e-mail: deb@deborahgraypr.com
KOMPTECH GmbH
Khau 37
A-8130 Frohnleiten
[tj +43 3126 505 - 0
[fj +43 3126 505 - 505
infokomptech.com
Composting
www.komptech.com
Fermentation
Waste treatment
Biomass treatment
WLC gives away free compost to residents in support of International Compost
Awareness Week
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LANDFI LL GAS
81
Buried treasure
South Korea uncovers the appeal of landfill gas
H
istorically, municipal solid waste generated in South Korea has been
disposed of at open landfill sites. However, during the past 10 years there
has been recognition of the issues associated with environmental protection
and as a result, poorly located and operated disposal facilities are being
closed and replaced by modern regional disposal facilities. Municipal solid
waste is increasingly viewed as a potential resource and there is a strong
trend toward recycling, composting and combustion technologies.
In 2001 the waste sector in South Korea accounted for 37.6% of the countrys
methane emissions with 465 thousand tonnes of CH
4
attributed to this sector. Municipal
solid waste landfills are a large source of these human-related emissions and represent
an opportunity to capture and use a significant energy resource.
With this in mind, utilizing landfill gases from viable landfill sites is an emerging
business in the South Korean solid waste treatment market. For example, the city of
Seoul installed 100 methane gas extraction wells at the former Nanji landfill site. The
captured gas from these wells is sent to the Korea District Heating Corporation
(KDHC). KDHC combusts the gas and distributes the heat energy to neighbouring
facilities and households for heating and cooling. The Seoul World Cup Stadium is one
of the facilities supplied with heat from the LFG project at Nanji.
Landfill gas development
Landfill gas is extracted from landfills using a series of wells and a blower/flare (or
vacuum) system. This system directs the collected gas to a central point where it can be
processed and treated depending upon the ultimate use for the gas. From this point, the
gas can be flared or used to generate electricity, replace fossil fuels in industrial and
manufacturing operations, or be upgraded to pipeline-quality gas.
Types of utilization projects
There are several ways to effectively utilize landfill gas for energy. The two primary
applications are electricity generation and direct use. The generation of electricity from
South Korea, a densely populated country that imports 98% of its fuels, is waking up to
the value of using landfill gas for electricity and heat generation. A number of projects
conducted under the Climate Technology Partnership reveal the promise of this
emerging business.
by Christina Larney, Mark Heil and Gyungae Ha
The Seoul
World Cup
Stadium gets
its heat from a
landfill gas
project
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LANDFI LL GAS November December 2006 WASTE MANAGEMENT WORLD
82
Buried treasure
LFG can be used on-site or sold to the grid. LFG projects can
generate electricity through a variety of different
technologies, including internal combustion engines,
turbines, microturbines, Stirling engines (external
combustion engine), Organic Rankine Cycle engines and
fuel cells. The vast majority of projects use internal
combustion (reciprocating) engines or turbines, with
microturbine technology being used at smaller landfills and
in niche applications. Certain technologies such as the
Stirling and Organic Rankine Cycle engines and fuel cells
are still in the development phase.
Employing LFG directly to offset the use of other fuel
sources (such as natural gas, coal and oil) is another means
by which current projects make use of captured LFG. This
direct use of LFG can be in a boiler, dryer, kiln,
greenhouse, or other thermal applications. It
can also be used to evaporate leachate.
Innovative direct uses include firing pottery
and glass-blowing kilns; powering and heating
greenhouses and ice skating rinks; and heating
water for aquaculture. Industries currently
using LFG include auto manufacturing, chemical
production, food processing, pharmaceutical, cement and
brick manufacturing, wastewater treatment, consumer
electronics and products, paper and steel production, and
prisons and hospitals, among others.
An additional use of LFG is in cogeneration (also known
as combined heat and power or CHP) projects that generate
both electricity and thermal energy, usually in the form of
steam or hot water. Several cogeneration projects have been
installed at industrial operations, using both engines and
turbines. The efficiency gains of capturing the thermal
energy in addition to electricity generation can make these
projects very attractive during LFG project consideration.
Production of alternate fuels from LFG is an emerging
area. Landfill gas has been successfully delivered to the
natural gas pipeline system as both a high-BTU and
medium- BTU fuel. LFG has also been converted to vehicle
fuel in the form of compressed natural gas (CNG), with a
number of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and methanol
production projects in the planning stages.
Why pursue LFG projects in South Korea?
Methane recovery can help Korea meet its growing energy
needs in a sustainable manner. Korea has a rapidly growing
economy and depends extensively on imported fuels that
account for 98% of its energy use. There are few reliable
energy sources within Korea. Thus, Korea has a compelling
need to develop alternate fuel sources to enhance its energy
security, economy and environment.
Methane recovery is a suitable source of fuel for Korea
considering the countrys high population density, rapid
economic development and urbanization. These factors
contribute to large concentrations of refuse as well as steady
flows of solid wastes into landfill sites which are critical for
viable methane recovery projects.
There is also the concern regarding climate change due
to methanes role as a powerful greenhouse gas (GHG). LFG
projects in South Korea have the dual effects of both
addressing environmental issues and providing a domestic
fuel source.
While some LFG projects were already being
contemplated and pursued in Korea, the Climate
Technology Partnership (CTP see box on the left) has
catalysed its further development by listing landfills suitable
for development, providing high-quality feasibility studies,
helping reduce regulatory barriers, and informing Korean
and international developers of market opportunities.
LFG projects in South Korea case studies
This article examines two particular sites: Ulsan, on the
south-east coast, and a landfill for the city of Cheong-ju,
128 km south-east of Seoul.
Ulsan
The Ulsan site is a municipal landfill with a capacity of
4,255,142 m
3
. The site was opened in 1994 and is expected
The Climate Technology Partnership
To accelerate the implementation of methane recovery
technologies in Korea, the Korean and US governments
determined in 2001 that a new programme approach was
needed. This is when the Climate Technology Partnership
(CTP) was developed with considerable input from the US
Agency for International Development (US AID), the US
Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), the Department
of Energy (DOE), and the National Renewable Energy
Laboratory (NREL). CTP follows on from the Technology
Cooperation Agreement Pilot Project (TCAPP).
LFG projects can address
environmental issues and provide a
domestic fuel source
South Korea is starting to take advantage of its landfill gas for uses such as
power generation
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Buried treasure
to close in 2014. In 1999 Ulsan had 2,297,000 m
3
of waste in
place that was producing approximately 27 m
3
of
LFG/minute. The City of Ulsan decided to move forward
with the landfill gas project after a feasibility study had been
conducted. Construction of the LFG capture and
transportation structures started in
December 2001, and by August 2002
commercial LFG production had begun.
The Ulsan feasibility study was
completed by using actual measurements
not projected solely from a model. Figure
1 shows projected methane production per
year over the lifetime of the project and
beyond. It indicates that methane production will be at its
highest from 1998 to 2018 with a dramatic drop in output
closely following the expected closure of the landfill in 2014.
The methane gas recovery system at Ulsan is designed to
capture the gas from the landfill and transport it to an
adjoining chemical factory, Kumho Chemical Ltd, where it is
burned in boilers without being purified.
The Ulsan project was constructed during 20002002.
The project proceeded with relatively few obstacles and has
been operating since 2002. The few obstacles encountered
since then were largely due to a lack of experience regarding
LFG utilization projects. SK Corporation (SK), the company
whose bid to develop the landfill was selected by the city of
Ulsan, overcame its inexperience in designing LFG projects
by attending USEPA-sponsored trainings in Korea and by
visiting the United States to tour landfill sites with LFG
projects in place.
Cheong-ju
Cheong-ju is an inland city located 128 km south-east of
Seoul. The city occupies an area of 153 km
2
and has a
population of approximately 595,000 people. It is estimated
that 700 tonnes of municipal solid waste is currently
generated per day there. This equates to roughly 250,000
metric tonnes per year. Of this total, 50,000 are currently
managed by recycling, composting and incineration. The
remaining 200,000 tonnes per year are disposed at the site.
Previously, municipal solid waste that was generated in
Cheong-ju was disposed at the Moonam Landfill, which
served as the main disposal facility for the Cheong-ju
province from 1994 to 2000. A new site, the Megalo landfill,
opened in 2001 and has replaced Moonam as the primary
disposal facility for the Cheong-ju province. The feasibility
study for Cheong-ju focuses on the Megalo site. EPA
estimates the site could yield GHG reductions in the order of
240,000 tonnes of CO
2
equivalent annually by 2010.
The phased approach that was suggested in the Cheong-
ju feasibility study can be taken away as a best practice for all
LFG projects. In using a phased approach, LFG capture can
be monitored to determine the actual rate of landfill gas
production. This approach enables project managers to act
on incoming data flows, which provides a distinct advantage.
By using the phased approach, managers are able to make
better decisions about the technical aspects of the project as
well as being able to adjust more aptly to changing
regulatory frameworks and other processes. In this way,
projected landfill gas generation in terms of various factors
including baseline estimates, landfill gas recovery potential,
and net annual methane emissions provided by feasibility
studies act as stepping stones to build on and can be verified
before incurring greater capital costs. It is common practice
in the United States to verify gas generation before
proceeding any further on LFG projects.
The overall benefits of the Megalo LFG utilization and
gas mitigation project were substantial. They are listed below
and often apply to LFG projects in general:
social and environmental benefits to the community
from the utilization of alternative energy and reduced
fossil fuel consumption
use of facility as a tour site to promote awareness and
knowledge of greenhouse gas mitigation and renewable
energy projects
consistent with international, national and local
objectives for sustainable development
improved management of municipal solid waste
(reduces pollution and overall landfill costs)
reduction of methane emissions
potential of displacing fossil fuel use and improving air
quality
domestic source of energy/fuel
develops local capacity for taking on and completing
additional LFG projects
can be used to develop turnkey approach to similar
projects
provides good focal point for dissemination of
information.
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FIGURE 1. Yearly projected LFG output at the Ulsan landfill site
A phased approach allows managers
to make better decisions about the
technical aspects of the project
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LANDFI LL GAS
These benefits, combined with the feasibility studys
finding that the proposed GHG mitigation project is
considered to be economically feasible [with] a price of
US$4.00 per metric tonne of CO
2
equivalent, make a strong
case for the Cheong-ju government to install a LFG recovery
and GHG mitigation project at Megalo landfill.
However, despite the various documented benefits and
positive findings of the feasibility study, an LFG system has
not been constructed at the Megalo landfill in Cheong-ju.
Two of the main obstacles that will need to be overcome
in pursuing the project are local officials lack of
commitment to the project and difficulty in qualifying for
certified emission reductions (CERs) under the Clean
Development Mechanism (CDM).
The shifting commitments of elected officials can create
significant limitations on finding viable projects for
development. There can be considerable delays when
working with governments due to election cycles and lengthy
decision-making processes.
Current status of LFG in Korea
There has been a significant increase in the number of LFG
projects across Korea. Market transformation as a result of
the Climate Technology Partnership is most noticeable in
the methane capture area. When the CTP was started in
Korea in 2002, a few landfills were considering the idea of
LFG projects. Currently there are at least 17 LFG utilization
projects either completed or in the latter stages of
development. Four of these projects have direct use
applications and 14 use the captured LFG to produce
electricity with a total capacity that will be just over 80 MW.
There is also one landfill, Hyeul-Dong near Chuncheon city,
which is currently planning to convert 80 trucks to run on
CNG produced from captured methane at the landfill. Not
all of these LFG projects can be linked to CTP Korea, but the
CTP mechanism, by forging productive relationships and
providing a positive demonstration effect, likely boosted the
market. This momentum continues to exert a favourable
influence for project development.
85
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Developing landfill gas projects is a multi-stage process
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86
Buried treasure
Conclusions
In the full paper on which this article is based, the lessons
learned from Ulsan and Cheong-ju have been divided into
three categories key factors, best practices and common
barriers. The most important factor distinguished here and
in the paper is the need for collaboration.
This collaboration can take many forms such as
collaboration between overlapping regulatory authorities
and collaboration between private sector partners.
Successful projects must navigate carefully through
numerous potential pitfalls and bring together many distinct
players with varying interests to work collaboratively toward
fully developing a project. The importance of careful
collaboration cannot be overstated. In its absence, even the
most technically and economically feasible projects will not
be implemented. Developing a project from an idea to
viable, working facility is a multi-stage process. With many
agencies involved, it only takes one party to drop the ball at
a certain stage to inhibit the completion of the project.
Whether this is done inadvertently or intentionally, the result
is the same.
With widespread energy shortages and the growing
prominence of climate change, LFG projects should
continue to be pursued actively. LFG projects can provide
energy while at the same time mitigating GHG emissions. As
LFG projects are viable economically in both developed and
developing nations, they provide a strong foundation for
these ventures. The challenge is in building effective
networks of knowledge and relationships to complete
projects successfully despite the various barriers that are
often present.
Christina Larney is Policy Analyst at Technology
Applications Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Mark Heil is Senior Economist at the Climate Change
Division, US Environmental Protection Agency. Gyungae Ha
is Project Coordinator at the Center for Climate Change
Mitigation Projects, Korea Energy Management Corporation.
e-mail: Heil.Mark@epamail.epa.gov
A more detailed version of this article is posted on the
website of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and is
available at: http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy07osti/40428.pdf
This work has been co-authored by an employee of the
Midwest Research Institute under Contract No. DE-AC36-
99GO10337 with the US Department of Energy.
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COLLECTI ON AND TRANSPORT
87
A meeting of minds
The growth of recycling is bringing operators and
manufacturers together
T
heres no escaping the fact that, when it comes to percentage of waste
recycled, the domestic UK market is some considerable way behind the
Scandinavian countries, Austria and Switzerland. But a strong economy, the
pressures of population density and a belated official recognition that,
somehow, environmental issues do need to be placed more firmly at the top
of the political agenda, all contrive to make the domestic UK market a vibrant
one. And, as such, a large number of global manufacturers want to win a slice of it.
It is therefore not surprising that a growing number of companies are visiting the
UK to assess the possibilities for expansion. This was evident at this years Recycling and
Waste Management event RWM06, which attracted visitors from as far away as Australia,
the US and Canada, as well as Iceland and other European states.
In the demonstration arena at RWM06, a fleet of JCB machines operated by the
skilled drivers of the companys outdoor events team were used to collect, feed and load
vast quantities of wood waste, green waste, demolition rubble and end-of-life vehicles
(ELVs) trucked into Birminghams National Exhibition Centre site.
In terms of dramatic performance and shear power, machines like the
70 tonne/hour Dura Tech tub grinder, powered by a 475 hp Cat engine drew in the
crowds (Dura Tech machines are now marketed in the UK by a new distributor,
Engineering Services of Bridgend in Wales). But the performance of smaller, compact
machines such as the newly announced Lem Track 48-25 tracked mobile crusher from
Italian manufacturer, Komplet, also attracted interest.
Whether its the slow journey times on UK roads due to traffic congestion, the high
duty on diesel, concerns about landfill tax or a combination of all these factors, there is
now growing interest in plant and machinery that is capable of rapid, easy
transportation and is suitable for recycling materials on-site so as to reduce truck
movements and what might be termed waste miles. This trend includes anything from
rock crushers and screens (to recycle topsoil) to green waste shredders. It is also spurring
A large number of global manufacturers are pushing to win a slice of the vibrant UK
market. This was evident at the RWM06 exhibition where different sections of the
industry were showing improved communication with one another.
by Malcolm Bates
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COLLECTI ON AND TRANSPORT November December 2006 WASTE MANAGEMENT WORLD
88
A meeting of minds
on certain design parameters, including low overall weight
to allow transport by normal beavertail plant transporters,
rather than larger maximum weight low loaders.
Whether other factors such as the growing trend in the
demolition of detached residences with large gardens and
the construction of a number of smaller
houses or apartments on the same plot are
creating stronger demand for such
equipment is hard to determine. But one
thing is for sure, manufacturers such as
Willibald and Jenz are looking forward
with interest at the prospect of machines
such as fast, towable crushers and shredders becoming an
integral part of the strong UK rental market. This is
something that could also develop throughout Europe and
in some other markets in due course.
Rental as a unifying force?
Given that different sectors of the scrap, waste and recycling
industries are finally talking to each other on a more regular
basis (even though in the UK there remain several fiercely
independent professional and manufacturers organizations),
it could well be the emergence of a strong hire/rental market
for specialist mobile recycling equipment that speeds up the
process of bringing all sides closer together.
The creation of a strong specialist vehicle hire/rental
sector could be said to place the UK way ahead of many other
European neighbours where, even though truck and van hire
might be widespread, its still not common to find a viable
rental market for waste collection or recycling units. But due
to added transportation costs, its even harder to build a
successful business out of hiring specialist wheeled loaders
and materials handlers suitable for working in tough
environments such as material recovery facilities (MRFs) and
composting sites. Yet a number of leading UK rental
companies such as John Hanlon & Co have made a successful
business out of doing just that, although as company director
Robert Hanlon explains thats still some way short of offering
a complete waste recycling or waste reduction system for
hire. It could be a historical factor, but while few of our
customers in scrap metals processing, waste recycling and
composting are likely to actually buy their trucks in todays
market [as opposed to leasing them], when it comes to plant
such as wheeled loaders and excavators, many still do
purchase outright and only look to hire or rental as a short-
term measure to cover seasonal demands or specific
downtime on their own machines. We are, however, slowly
winning the argument that long-term contract rental can
offer significant advantages over outright purchase of
machinery too, he explained.
A regular exhibitor at the RWM event, Robert Hanlon
added that the other big attraction of a long-term rental
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LEFT TO RIGHT The RWM06 event was ideal for spotting new trends Lem-Track
48-25 tracked crusher JCBs outdoor events team in action feeding the DuraTech
3010 tub grinder
There is now growing interest in plant
and machinery suitable for recycling
materials on-site
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_______________
Scarab Sweepers Limited - Pattenden Lane - Marden - Tonbridge - Kent - TN12 9QD - Tel: 01622 831006
Email: scarab@scarab-sales.com Scarab Web Site: www.scarab-sweepers.com
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J Super efficient 4.2 litre 6 Cylinder auxiliary
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90
A meeting of minds
deal is that it gives customers the advantages of fixed
running costs and the ability to upgrade to newer, more
environmentally friendly machines as soon as these come
on the market. Whereas if they purchase a new unit they
are committed to keeping it for its entire economic
working life.
Other trends are further advanced. For example, when it
comes to materials handlers, hydraulically raised cabs are
now seen as the standard when working in recycling and
composting operations (following a number of accidents to
drivers of machines with fixed, raised cabs). And even
though the UK domestic market is as price sensitive as the
US market, specialist premium quality hydraulic
machinery manufacturers such as Sennebogen, Fuchs and
Liebherr are able to give mainstream global brands a run
for their money in the waste market.
Leading UK manufacturer JCB continues to increase the
scope of its Wastemaster branding with a new Wastemaster
Robot, but the big surprise is the growing market share of
Italian-built Solmec machines. With factory backing, UK
importer CPS has been able to convince the tough UK
market that Solmec after sales service support is on par with
any German-built machine. While keen pricing is clearly a
factor, high levels of driver acceptance seem to have
combined to create a more positive image than many
competitors expected. But can Solmec repeat this success in
other export markets outside Italy? Its one to watch.
New potential?
While it was still early days, there are signs of the emergence
of independent mobile waste reduction specialists offering
an on-site shredding and waste volume reduction service
(thus reducing the number of container truck movements).
Certainly the prospect of having a mobile contractor visiting
an industrial clients premises to reduce the volume of waste
in containers owned by a larger waste contractor might go a
long way to sharpen up concepts of customer service.
But why is on-site materials recycling or a mobile waste
container reduction service such an issue? Because green
waste can be reduced seven-fold in volume and even with
general household waste (old furniture and other bring site
items) the volume can be reduced three-fold. Thats a saving
of six out of seven green waste container shipments or three
out of four bring site container loads a massive saving in
vehicle movements, wages and diesel consumption.
However, there are other issues facing all waste vehicle
operators. Top of the list for many is potential fines for
overloading. A considerable increase in the number of
exhibitors at RWM this year from the US and a number of
European and Scandinavian exhibitors as well as UK
companies suggests that on-board vehicle weighing
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On-board vehicle weighing
continues to be a key issue
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continues to be a key issue.
As weve discussed previously
in Waste Management World,
trends towards pay-by-weight
domestic bin collections and the
ability to incorporate billing,
route planning and performance
monitoring suggest that a built-
in original equipment
manufacturer (OEM) system
(such as Scanias Interactor
system) is the way to go in
future. But while that might be
the long-term picture, current
interest seems to revolve around
retrofit opportunities. Certainly
the availability of on-board
weighing is now a major factor in the UK rental
market, with leading companies such as
WCR Hire advertising the fact that its entire fleet is now less
than three years old and that all units now feature on-board
weighing.
WCR can also claim to be the first rental company in the
UK to install the Ecoprocess electric binlift system. There
are now positive signs that the Icelandic-based
manufacturer is finally getting its message across that
electric power can offer significant weight savings over
conventional hydraulic systems, as well as significant
advances in safety and reduced noise emissions. With
operational data from actual working units now available, it
looks like the claims stand up. The latest news is that
Ecoprocess now has both a new trade lift design and will
shortly introduce its own on-board weighing system for
pay-by-weight operations. According to Ecoprocess
designers, on-board weighing on an electric binlift can be
made far more reliable than with hydraulic units.
A meeting of minds
91
ABOVE LEFT Solmec out to win the after-sales service battle ABOVE RIGHT
Ecoprocess electric binlifts draw a crowd
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www.bucherschoerling.com Bucher-Schrling GmbH, Schrlingstrae 3, DE-30453 Hannover
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A meeting of minds
New contender
Staying with advances in transport, the announcement that
the new zero emissions Modec electrically powered truck
range should be ready for production early in 2007 was
probably the most exiting news of the show. This UK-based
manufacturer plans to produce a number of different body
styles on the same basic two tonne payload chassis, making
it highly suitable for urban recycling collections. Maximum
travel speed will be 80 kph (50 mph) with a range of up to
180 km (110 miles). An unusual feature is the centrally
placed rear entry drivers cab reached
by a transverse, low step height
catwalk that allows easy access from
either side of the vehicle.
With most of the leading waste
collection vehicles such as Faun,
Dennis Eagle, Heil, HN Logistics,
Farid and Geesink Norba present at
the show (as well as suppliers of bulk
waste trailers, such as Legras), it was
an ideal opportunity to discuss and
compare notes on trends in
collection and transportation of
waste. Well cover this issue in more
detail in the Special Feature in the next issue. But in line
with the fact that demolition and other industrial waste is
now very much seen as an integral part of the total waste
and recycling spectrum, its interesting to note a new wave
of interest in adding versatility to both skip handling and
hooklift demount body trucks. Operational restrictions
such as poorly parked cars and the need in many markets
for special permits to leave skips and containers on the
highway while theyre being filled seems to have restarted
a process of design innovation that is well worth keeping
an eye on.
The rapid growth in mini-skips is already being
challenged by large, one-tonne payload woven bags. While
these are primarily used to deliver building materials such as
sand or other bulk supplies, the fact that they take up no
room until ready for use can be a major advantage. Designed
for distribution by specialist lorry loader cranes, the race is
on to find a multi-purpose handling system that can also be
applied to the hooklifts of conventional skip loaders.
Companies like Ground Level Demounts Ltd the UK
importer of AJK hydrolift units are already looking at the
potential. AJK has a good record of innovation with special
low height hooklift options for operators requiring access
in restricted areas where low roof heights and bridges are an
operational hazard.
Over the next few months, Waste Management World will
be looking at new products and trends spotted at a number
of other major events, reporting first hand on actual
operational experiences with the latest new machines.
Malcolm Bates is Transport Correspondent of
Waste Management World.
e-mail: wmw@jxj.com
ABOVE LEFT The new electric Modec truck, shortly to go into production, has a
rear entry cab ABOVE RIGHT AJK hydrolift units take special operator
requirements into account
The new zero emissions
Modec truck range should
be ready early in 2007
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93
Compact concept
comes of age
How specialist manufacturers have helped create a new market
in materials recycling
I
t sometimes takes a one-off event like a 15th birthday party to remind us of just how
much the world of waste and recycling has changed over the last couple of decades.
On the one hand, the recycling of materials such as paper, textiles and metals has
been with us for over 50 years. But its only recently that the whole idea of reusing
reclaimed materials in the construction industry has been seen as just as essential a
part of a global waste strategy as reducing the amount of household waste we bury in
holes in the ground.
Indeed, these two industries the extraction of building materials and waste
disposal have historically been on two sides of the same coin. That shared history
comes not only from corporate links behind some of the largest commercial
organizations in waste disposal today, it also comes from links in the manufacturing of
the machinery utilized in both industries.
This is nowhere more true than in the design of screens and crushers. If we also look
at how various types of construction machinery have developed over the past two
decades, we will find that as wheeled loaders and excavators have become larger and
more powerful on what might term front line operations such as aggregate and
quarried stone handling, so new generations of compact machine have been
developed to enable operators to undertake other tasks in more confined areas such
as in construction.
Its an ongoing process and very similar to how certain models of car grow up in
terms of size, power and refinement leaving space at the lower end of the range for a
new mini. The only problem has been that, until recently, most compact and micro
As Austrian manufacturer RubbleMaster celebrates its 15th anniversary, we take a look at
how compact machines have enabled on-site recycling become a key part of the waste
and recycling industry with the potential for even greater growth.
by Malcolm Bates
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Compact concept comes of age
machines lacked power and refinement. But all that has
changed and, with servo controls and factory options of air-
conditioned cabs to a standard as good as in full-sized
machines, a compact excavator or wheeled loader really can
now be driven all shift long even in tough environments
such as waste disposal or demolition.
A tough job
While the urgent need to reduce household waste through
recycling is now part of everyday vocabulary, the hidden
giant of industrial and construction
materials recycling has received much
less attention. But the realization that
we cant just keep on quarrying and
mining all the materials required for
the future needs of the construction
industry while at the same time
continuing to tip all the stuff we dont need into landfill,
has finally started to receive media attention.
The challenge is to find the equipment to do the job
efficiently without dramatically increasing costs. On-site
materials recycling meets that brief. It not only reduces the
need for large, expensive fixed facilities, it is also much
quicker to activate and saves on waste miles all
environmental advantages. But the job is a demanding
one, as any machine capable of undertaking it has to be as
tough as a production quarry machine while be compact
enough to fit onto a restricted urban redevelopment site.
So how Gerald Hanisch, founder and managing
director of HMH RubbleMaster, made the connection over
15 years ago has to be some story. Was it that he saw greater
restrictions on mineral extraction and fewer places to bury
waste as a business opportunity? Was it that he saw the
emergence of new breeds of compact excavator and loader
as a sign that other machines such as crushers and screens
might also benefit from downsizing and thus being able to
work on-site? Or had he already worked out that the
pressure on global resources would one day make the
recycling of building materials just as desirable as the
recycling of metal, plastics or paper?
As the official dealer launch of the new RubbleMaster
RM100 coincided with celebrations to mark the 15th
anniversary of the company, an invitation to attend the party
at the companys modern factory in Linz, Austria, gave me
the opportunity to find the answers to those fundamental
questions.
The original idea was to develop a range of products
that made the concept of recycling more visible and
accountable to local communities, Gerald Hanisch
explained. When waste materials are trucked away to a
distant location, they become someone elses problem and
responsibility. There is no incentive to either reduce waste
volumes or to separate waste streams efficiently.
Unfortunately, when materials get mixed and contaminated,
their value is also far less. Sorting and recycling materials at
source brings added accountability and I would argue,
increased value of the materials recycled.
The problem was that there were not the machines
available to meet this need.
Quarry-based crushers and
screens were too large, too heavy
and, just as important, too
expensive for many contractors
to contemplate. There were
certainly technical issues to
resolve, but we also wanted to
make our machines look
attractive because they would be
seen in urban areas. A tall
order? Yes, it took us at least 10
years to get our philosophy
across, said Gerald Hanisch.
ABOVE The first environmentally friendly compact recycler, the RM70 was
introduced in 1994 and pioneered the concept of combining good looks,
high-quality design and a high output ABOVE RIGHT The low-profile, compact
overall shape enables the 21-tonne operating weight RM70 to be readily
transported between sites on regular beavertail trailers and, thanks to easy-to-use
remote controls, to be tracked off safely in restricted spaces BELOW Gerald
Hanisch (on right) introduces the new RM100 tracked compact recycler to dealers
The idea was to develop products that
made the concept of recycling more
visible to local communities
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SENNEBOGEN Maschinenfabrik GmbH
Hebbelstrasse 30 D-94315 Straubing
Tel.: +49 (0) 9421/540-144 / 146 / 150
Fax: +49 (0) 9421/ 43882
E-Mail: marketing@sennebogen.de www.sennebogen.com
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Optimum all-round visibility and safety thanks to elevating, tilting cab!
High overall loads at large working radius and reach heights
State of the art load-sensing hydraulic-system
Robust, very service-friendly design
Convincing benefits:
Leading through Innovation
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__________________________________
96
From a zero start, his self-confessed habit of thinking
outside the box has helped the RubbleMaster brand to
expand into most European markets as well as into those in
North America, Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Rim.
Gerald Hanisch talks about recycling issues with the
passion most men would apply only to football, fast cars or
other hobbies. However, its clear that this enthusiasm is
infectious both among the 70+ staff at the Linz factory and
RubbleMaster dealers throughout the world. At an evening
awards ceremony, the global potential of on-site materials
recycling was underlined by the fact that dealers from
throughout Europe, the US and Australia competed for the
honours with more recent signings from Hungary, the Czech
Republic and Russia.
A new dynamic
The foresight of Gerald Hanisch and his team has not only
been a major plank in the concept of compact on-site
recycling machinery, but there are now signs that the
existence of more compact units is helping to create a new
dynamic to the recycling industry. This might be very much
a chicken and egg situation but, as Dave Schielein,
President of ORS (On-site Recycling Corporation) a
RubbleMaster distributor based in Peoria, Illinois explains,
having an attractive-looking, compact range of crushers and
screens that can be easily transported from one site to
another is changing the whole way in which construction
companies think. Having a machine that contractors are
proud to put their logo and phone number on is just as
important as earning potential, he suggests.
And while those of us in Europe, with our high fuel
prices, might look at the price of diesel fuel in the USA with
envy, recent price rises have become a major issue for US
operators. It was once a simple matter to dispose of
construction waste by trucking it somewhere else for
processing or disposal. Now the potential for considerable
reduction in truck movements that can result from recycling
materials and reusing them on-site is proving a very
attractive idea.
But more widespread crushing and screening of
demolition waste materials on-site will only develop further
if such machines are able to operate in populated urban
areas (where most demolition sites tend to be) without
creating additional emissions. And this is now a major
element of the RubbleMaster philosophy. As Gerald Hanisch
explained, the reduction of noise, vibration and dust
emissions has been at the heart of the design decisions he
and his team have made with the introduction of each new
machine. This is especially apparent when looking over the
all-enclosed panels of the RM70 and the brand new RM100,
which goes into production this month.
Reduced downtime
Powered by a 181 kW, water-cooled John Deere diesel engine
with attention to noise reduction (using what RubbleMaster
terms Enviro Technology) and the location of the cooling
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system components, the up to 200 tonnes/hour throughput
RM100 has a crusher inlet aperture of 700950 mm.
Low operational noise, lack of vibration and dust
suppression measures certainly make operation next to
occupied buildings in busy downtown sites far more
acceptable than with traditional air-cooled diesel machines.
Using either a two or four hammer crusher unit, the total
machine weight of the RM100 in crawler track configuration
is 28 tonnes, making transportation without special permits
a simple matter. Controls that are easy-to-reach from ground
level are supplemented by a remote control console that can
be readily stowed in the cab of any 360 excavator. A major
advance is that wear parts can be inspected safely and
quickly and, if need be, replaced by just one fitter working
alone reduced downtime can be a vital element when
working on a restricted site.
While it is true the design of the new RM100 is aimed at
making it look visually attractive, there are operational
benefits even here. The smooth exterior panels are
instrumental in reducing noise. They also open up easily to
enable daily checks and major inspections to be made from
ground level wherever possible a major contribution to safety.
Even after many years of operation, all original RM50
machines, which were introduced in 1993, are still said to be
in operation. This suggests an additional bonus. Judging by
the conversations with distributors, RubbleMaster machines
are in considerable demand on the second-hand market
where high build quality and clean styling have contributed
to low levels of overall depreciation and high resale values.
Big incentive
Indeed, it is the look of RubbleMaster machines and the
lower cost of both initial purchase and transportation that
Gerald Hanisch identifies as being the main differences
between designing new generations of compact machines
and existing machines. In some markets, having a compact
materials recycler and matching screen that can be moved
and installed on-site without the need for the permits
required for larger machines is a big incentive to think
small. RubbleMaster has four models in its range starting
with the VS-60 Pre-Screen and the OS80 Oversize grain
separator for the RM80 to the CS3600/2 and CS2500/2 twin
deck final screens with a 04 to 040 mm range.
So how does the concept of compact demolition waste
recycling machinery fit into a bigger waste reduction
strategy? The simple answer is that, until recently, it
probably didnt. Whether a perceived increase in demand for
building materials will help focus on ways to reduce costs and
waste miles, or whether the earning potential of new
machines like the RM100 will help bring further new
innovative working methods into our industry is hard to
judge. Perhaps the ideal solution would be a mix of both.
With new generations of compact wheeled loaders,
telehandlers and excavators to feed them and to distribute
reclaimed materials on-site, compact crushers and screens
now fit in as part of a matched system alongside compact
trailer-mounted green waste shredders. Together they
can dramatically reduce the amount of waste materials
that need to be shipped out of and new materials shipped
into a site by road. And that has to be good for the
environment.
Malcolm Bates is Transport Correspondent of
Waste Management World.
e-mail: wmw@jxj.com
97
LEFT TO RIGHT The new 28-tonne operating weight model RM100 with a capacity
of up to 200 tonnes/hour demonstrated last month at HMH headquarters An
important design feature of all RM models is easy inspection of wear parts and daily
check points from ground level and the ability for one fitter to safely access and
change wear parts single-handed The HMH plant in Linz employs 70 people and
is currently building 12 machines a month, though this looks set to rise dramatically
as the concept of on-site recycling catches on
The smooth exterior panels
are instrumental in
reducing noise
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ON THE JOB November December 2006 WASTE MANAGEMENT WORLD
98
WMW: What is the name of your new NGO
and what is its remit?
The name is Disaster Waste Recovery. Its
goal is to provide timely solid waste
management and environmental protection
support to communities affected by
emergencies, including natural disasters and
following cessation of conflicts.
WMW: As the driving force behind this initiative,
clearly you feel strongly on this issue ...
Yes. For more than five years I have been
increasingly frustrated by the lack of attention
and professionalism when dealing with solid
wastes generated by or resulting from
disasters. To date I have worked primarily in an
advisory capacity, providing support and
guidance to those who have taken on
responsibility for dealing with disaster wastes.
During a three-year spell in Kosovo
(20002003), I established a local operational
NGO for demolition and recycling of wastes
which was a success. On the back of this, I am
now focusing more on the operational side of
disaster waste management and thus Disaster
Waste Recovery will be more hands-on.
WMW: What will your job entail? And will this
be a full-time post for you?
Initially I am spearheading this new NGO with
my role being funded by Golder Associates.
What happens in the future once the NGO is
fully operational has yet to be decided, but I
will certainly (as a minimum) be helping to
establish the NGO and get projects up
and running.
WMW: Presumably your work will take you
wherever disaster strikes worldwide?
Yes, it already does! The only limitations
concern security issues, so countries such as
Iraq may be out of bounds until the situation
improves. Just within the past year I have been
involved in numerous disaster waste projects
and training workshops in Banda Aceh and the
Maldives following the tsunami, New Orleans
after Hurricane Katrina, and more recently in
Pakistan following the October 2005 earthquake.
A typical day in the field will normally
involve driving through the affected areas and
talking with local people to get a feel for the
scale of the waste issue and to identify where
we can bring the quickest benefits (quick
wins). A lot of time is spent in meetings with
the local authorities and Ministries discussing
the importance of protecting public health and
the environment, with specifics on how
uncontrolled waste leads to real problems.
And it is not always the local people who
we talk to and support; it can just as well be
the international organizations that are
providing humanitarian relief that require
support in their waste management.
Unfortunately it is not uncommon for the
internationals to fail to dispose of their
wastes properly.
Where we can, we will run training
workshops and seminars to develop ideas on
how the wastes can be handled and to get the
different organizations and people talking
together about waste.
WMW: How will the NGO operate?
The concept of the NGO is to be an NGO-lite,
which refers to having a core staff of CEO,
finance/admin, co-ordinator and fundraising
(say 45 persons). And then when a disaster
occurs, we will ask sponsors and associates of
the NGO to second or donate waste expertise
in the form of people for varying periods of time
(from two-week assessment missions to one-
year project implementation contracts). In this
way we will put together the right team for the
required assistance, based on a preliminary
needs assessment immediately after the
disaster.
The range of disciplines in the team which
is sent to support disaster waste can include
expertise on all solid waste streams
hazardous, household, debris, asbestos, etc.
as well as functional expertise from collection
systems, landfill/dumpsite design and
operations, recycling, reuse and composting
systems, financial instruments, gender
integration, business development opportunities,
etc. Finally, project and financial management
will be required relating to waste management.
WMW: What are the next steps for you and
the NGO?
The NGO has been legally established in
autumn 2006 and we are presently looking for
partners to join us from the waste industry,
academia, the humanitarian sector, machinery
suppliers, etc. These partners can join by
providing expertise as well as financial
support. We hope to have the NGO operational
by early 2007. We are also looking for donors to
engage with the NGO and provide interest in
funding actual disaster waste projects.
Master of disaster
ON THE JOB with MARTIN BJERREGAARD
Martin Bjerregaard has been a consultant, contractor and researcher in disaster waste
management since the early 1990s, implementing projects following natural disasters
and conflicts in the Balkans, Africa, Asia and the US. Working for Golder Associates
(UK) Ltd, he regularly provides support to international donors such as the World
Bank, the EU and leading UN agencies as well as international NGOs on disaster
waste issues. Having recently co-authored the UN Disaster Waste Management Plan,
he is currently spearheading the launch of a new international NGO on disaster waste
management.
Martin Bjerregaard has dealt with tough waste
management issues following disasters such as the
Indian Ocean Tsunami
Name: Martin Bjerregaard
Age: 35 years
Job: Project Manager, Golder
Associates
Location: Chelmsford, UK
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ISWA information
For more information, please check the ISWA website at
www.iswa.org, where you will find details of
conferences, listings of events and a registration form
At the ISWA General Assembly on
1 October 2006, Niels Jrn Hahn from
Denmark was elected as President,
taking over from N.C. Vasuki, while
Atilio Savino was elected as Vice-
President.
Furthermore, Morten Sandbakken
from Norway was elected Treasurer of
ISWA, replacing Berend Krger; and
Carlo Noto la Diega from Italy was
re-elected representative of the
National Members.
Prior to the General Assembly,
Jrgen Haukohl from Denmark was
elected Organization Member
representative replacing Christian
Stiglitz from Austria. Ian Coles was
re-elected Representative of the
Regional Development Networks.
ISWA will have an Extraordinary
General Assembly Networks at the end
of 2006 to elect a replacement for
Atilio Savino as representative of the
Regional Development.
The Board now consists of:
President: Niels Jrn Hahn, Denmark
Vice-President: Atilio Savino,
Argentina
Treasurer: Morten Sandbakken,
Norway
STC Chair: Jeff Cooper, UK
National Representative:
Jean Paul Leglise, France
National Representative:
Carlo Noto la Diega
Organization Member
Representative: Greg Vogt, USA
Organization Member
Representative: Jrgen Haukohl,
Denmark
Regional Development
Representative: Gnay Kocasoy
Representative: Ian Coles
Representative: to be elected
New Incoming National Member
At the ISWA General Assembly on 1st
October 2006 in Copenhagen, Bulgaria
was unanimously welcomed as
Incoming National Member.
Representing the new Incoming
National Member, Martin Donev said
that it was an honour for him to be
present at the General Assembly and
thanked the National Representatives
for their trust. He stressed that the
Bulgaria membership will do its best to
establish the National body.
New Member Awards
At the ISWA General Assembly the
Award for getting the largest number of
new Members in 2006 went to the
Chartered Institute of Waste
Management, and the Award for the
highest income from new Members in
2006 was presented to ISWA Italia.
This year the delegations bringing
the largest number of delegates to the
Annual Congress were also awarded.
The awards went to Sweden (33), Italy
(27), and France (23).
The ISWA/DAKOFA Annual
Congress
The Congress had:
533 delegates
85 accompanying persons
62 sponsor seats
This is a total of 680 delegates from
50 countries.
There were 13 sessions with:
111 speakers
35 poster presentations
News from the ISWA General Assembly
News from the ISWA/DAKOFA Annual Congress, Copenhagen,
25 October 2006
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I SWA I NFORMATI ON November December 2006 WASTE MANAGEMENT WORLD
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8 technical tours
4 specialized seminars.
At the opening session the debate was
the on-going discussion on the waste
hierarchy versus the life-cycle-thinking
approach. Although no agreement was
reached, the debate was lively and
entertaining.
At the DAKOFA annual meeting the
theme was the future of waste
management especially private or
public management.
One of the main messages of the
ISWA Congress was that the illegal
export of waste especially hazardous
waste to developing countries must
be stopped. And this issue will be
addressed by all relevant ISWA forums.
Training and capacity-building has
also been an important issue at the
Congress at different levels. Local
school children had learned good waste
habits and certificates for the
International Waste Manager were
granted to delegates during the event.
The other main themes of the event
were the synergy between the economic
and environmental perspectives in
waste management, the closer
interactions between waste companies
and public institutions, and the need for
considering waste management in
relation to climate change.
Awards
ISWA Publication Award
A number of awards were presented
during the event. The ISWA Publication
Award of 2500 was given to Elena
Sandulescu, Romania, for the paper:
The contribution of waste management
to the reduction of greenhouse gas
emissions with applications in the city
of Bucharest. The Award panel
commented: [Elena Sandulescu has
produced] a short but comprehensive
paper covering the vexed issue of
the effects of current waste
management practices and the
generation of greenhouse gases in a
clear and incisive manner. She sets out
what the implications would be from
potential optimization to the Citys
waste management practices [in
reducing] the generation of
greenhouse gas emissions.
The 2nd prize went to Heron Kleis
and Sren Dalager for 100 Years of
Waste Incineration in Denmark. The 3rd
prize was jointly presented to Monica
Solarino et al for: Evaluating
Communication. A Guide to Effective
Communication in Public Services, and
to Members of the Mission Team
belonging to the Mini-Waste Faraday
Partnership, supported by the British
Department of Trade & Industry (DTI),
for: Waste electrical and electronic
equipment (WEEE): innovating novel
recovery and recycling technologies
in Japan.
The Ren Dan Award
Every year at its Annual Meeting the
Danish Waste Management Association
presents an award to a company, an
institution or an individual that has
made a new, unusual and important
contribution to the development of
waste management, in particular in the
area of recycling of waste and
sustainability in waste management.
The award is often given to work in
www.iswa.org
6
th
International Electronics Recycling Congress
17 19 January 2007, Hamburg, Germany
Keynote Speakers:
Kurt van der Herten, European Commission, Belgium
Renee St. Denis, Hewlett-Packard Company, USA
Carl J.A. Huijbregts, Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning & Environment, Netherlands
The leading experts in the field of electronics recycling will meet and discuss about:
How do electronics manufacturers close the recycling loop?
Challenges of the systems & recycling industry
Country reports of US, Asian and European markets
Round table and presentations about REACH and RoHS
The participants have the opportunity to visit CommoDaS GmbH, Norddeutsche Affinerie AG
or REMONDIS Electrorecycling GmbH.
For further information, please contact: ICM AG, International Congress & Marketing,
Schwaderhof 524, 5708 Birrwil, Switzerland, Phone +41 62 785 10 00, info@icm.ch
Congress program and registration form available now at www.icm.ch
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progress reflecting our belief that
waste management is constantly under
development and we constantly must
look for new and better solutions.
This year the first prize went to
Professor Peter Kjeldsen, Institute of
Environment and Resources, at the
Technical University of Denmark. Peter
Kjeldsen has during recent years made
significant research contributions
regarding landfill gas migration in soil,
degradation of methane, as well as many
organic chemicals in landfill soil covers.
The second prize went to SFR
Technologies in Copenhagen for its
development work on the so-called
CATLIQ technology. This technology
converts a wide range of organic
wastes into biodiesel and or a high
energy-gas. The process works at high
pressures and a temperature just below
400C and uses a solid catalyst of
zirconium oxide. No tar nor soot are
produced, potentially making it
possible to use the biodiesel as a
transportation fuel
Newspapers
Five conference newspapers were
published during the Congress in hard
copy. These are now available for
download on the ISWA website.
The Congress offered an exiting
mixture of policy, technical input and
practical experience for the delegates.
Judging from the reactions after the
Congress, it was a highly successful
event.
New report: Management of
Bottom Ash from WTE Plants
Waste management
has been giving
more and more
consideration to the
recycling and reuse
of waste-to-energy
residues for
purposes such as
construction. The
legislation for
utilization of residues is being tightened
and the amount of MSWI bottom ash
produced is rising.
This report Management of Bottom
Ash from WTE Plants presents the
MSWI bottom ash management
situation in ISWA countries and gives
an overview of national legislation,
management practices and barriers to
utilization. The data were gathered
primarily via members of the ISWA
Waste Thermal Treatment group and
their contacts and national experts in
other countries. (Several countries
including the US are left out due to
difficulties in procuring information on
the subject. The analysis was
undertaken using 2003 as the
reference year.)
Price: 50
The report Management of Bottom Ash
from WTE Plants can be downloaded
as a pdf file from the ISWA Online
Bookshop www.iswa.dk
The 5th edition of report: Energy
from Waste, August 2006
The report presents
data from Austria,
Belgium, the Czech
Republic, Denmark,
Finland, France,
Germany, Great
Britain, Hungary,
Italy, the
Netherlands,
Norway, Portugal,
Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the
US as of 2005 and operational data
from 2004. It presents data on
individual incineration plants in
three tables:
general Information (location,
contact details, etc.)
technical information (number of
lines, capacity, furnace/boiler and
flue gas treatment systems including
their suppliers, etc.)
operational data (quantities
incinerated, residues formed and
energy produced and sold).
In total the report brings information on
431 European waste-to-energy plants
an increase from the 375 plants listed in
the 4th edition including 14 countries.
The report is prepared by Rambll on
behalf of the ISWA Working Group on
Thermal Treatment of Waste.
Price: 200
The 5th edition of the Energy from
Waste report can be downloaded as a
pdf file from the ISWA Online Bookshop
www.iswa.dk
The Board
1213 January 2007 Paris, France
April 2007 to be decided
23 June 2007 Turkey
22 September 2007 the Netherlands
November 2007 Singapore
Scientific & Technical Committee
11 January 2007 Paris, France
2122 June 2007 Turkey (to be
confirmed)
21 September 2007 Amsterdam,
the Netherlands
Managing Editors (ME)
13 April 2007 Vienna, Austria
the Netherlands
Editorial Board (EB)
the Netherlands
Managing Directors Network (MD)
September 2007 Amsterdam,
the Netherlands
EU/DG Environment
None set
www.iswa.org
WASTE MANAGEMENT WORLD November December 2006 I SWA I NFORMATI ON
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Committee meeting schedule 2007
101
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www.iswa.org
Join ISWA now, and be a part of an international network
of solid waste management professionals. Complete the
application form below to become a member of ISWA.
Send or fax this application to:
ISWA General Secretariat
Vesterbrogade 74, 3rd floor
DK-1620 Copenhagen V, Denmark
Tel: +45 32 96 15 88 Fax: +45 32 96 15 84
ISWA MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
Name:
Company:
Address:
City:
Country:
Telephone:
Fax:
e-mail:
TYPE OF MEMBERSHIP (2007 FEES)
Organization Member
Gold Member 1910
(one representative in all Working Groups, link from ISWA home page
to Gold Members home page and listing in Waste Management World)
Silver Member 1120
(access to have one representative in all Working Groups)
Individual Member:
Regular 188
Developing Country 72
Student 47
Online 51 (must be registered online)
You can sign up for all ISWA Memberships online at the ISWA Shop on
www.iswa.org. Membership benefits can also be found on the website.
ISWAs membership runs in accordance with a pro rata system on a quarterly basis.
This means that you will only pay the membership from the quarter you join ISWA.
Payment by credit card:
VISA Mastercard/Eurocard American Express Diners
Card number: Expiry date:
Card holder:
Signature:
Please send invoice
Membership application
Biological Treatment of Waste
(WGBTW)
1921 March 2007 Greece
Collection & Transportation
Technology (WGCTT)
2627 April 2007 Hamburg, Germany
Communication & Social Issues
(WGCSI)
1920 April 2007 Edinburgh,
Scotland, UK
Economic Analyses for Sustainable
Development (WGEASD)
None set
Hazardous Waste (WGHW)
2021 November 2006 Antwerp,
Belgium
MarchApril 2007 Italy
Healthcare waste (HCW)
8 November 2006 Rimini, Italy
(Workshop)
Legal Issues (WGLI)
December 2006 telephone meeting
Recycling & Waste Minimization
(WGRWM)
May 2007 Hungary
November 2007 Portugal
Sanitary Landfill (WGSL)
1921 March 2007 Greece
September 2007 Amsterdam,
the Netherlands
Thermal Treatment of Waste
(WGTT)
910 November 2006 Arnoldstein,
Austria
October 2007 Malm, Sweden
alongside ISWA Beacon Conference of
Thermal Treatment of Waste
Do you want to be part of an
international network for waste
management?
Do you want to be kept informed on
the latest developments in the sector?
Do you want to become a
member of one of the 10
ISWA Working Groups?
Do you want to receive the latest
scientific and related news on waste
management?
Do you want to become an
International Waste Manager?
Then join ISWA.
You can sign up at the ISWA website
www.iswa.org, use the application form
below or contact Brge Boes Hansen at
bbh@iswa.dk
We looking forward to welcoming you
as a member of ISWA.
Working Groups meeting schedule 20062007
ISWA Membership
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2006
11th Annual Composting
Association Conference
Brighton, UK
67 December 2006
The Composting Association,
Avon House, Tithe Barn Road,
Wellingborough, Northamptonshire
NN8 1DH, UK
Tel: +44 870160 3270
Fax: +44 870160 3280
e-mail: events@compost.org.uk
web: www.compost.org.uk
2007
IERC 2007 6th
International Electronics
Recycling Congress
Hamburg, Germany
1719 January 2007
ICM AG, Schwaderhof 524,
5708 Birrwil, Switzerland
Tel: +41 62 785 10 00
Fax: +41 62 785 10 05
e-mail: info@icm.ch
web: www.icm.ch
US Composting Councils
14th Annual Conference
and Trade Show
Orlando, Florida, USA
2124 January 2007
Stuart Buckner,
US Composting Council,
4250 Veterans Memorial
Highway, Suite 275,
Holbrook, NY 11741, USA
Tel: +1 631 737 4931
Fax: +1 631 737 4939
e-mail: buckstop@vdot.net
web: www.compostingcouncil.org
3rd Annual Waste
Management Finance
Forum
London, UK
2526 January 2007
Euromoney Energy Events, Nestor
House, Playhouse Yard, London
EC4V 5EX, UK
Tel: +44 20 7779 8914
web: www.euromoneyenergy.com/waste
Ecocity
Barcelona, Spain
27 February 2 March 2007
Fira Barcelona,
Avenida Reina M Cristina s/n,
08004 Barcelona, Spain
Tel: +34 902 233 200
Fax: +34 93 233 21 98
e-mail: info@firabcn.es
web: www.firabcn.com
IWWE & IRWM 2007
Irish Water, Waste &
Environment
Irish Recycling &
Management
Dublin, Republic of Ireland
78 March 2007
Oonagh Colligan, Faversham House
Group Ltd, 232a Addington Road,
South Croyden, Surrey, CR2 8LE, UK
Tel: +44 20 8651 7068
Fax: +44 20 8651 7144
e-mail: Oonagh.colligan@fav-house.com
web: www.environment-ireland.com
4th Annual Conference on
PPP/PFI in the Waste
Sector
London, UK
1415 March 2007
Verity Noon, SMi Group, Great
Guildford Business Square, 30 Great
Guildford Street, London, SE1 0HS
Tel: +44 20 7827 6092
Fax: +44 20 7827 6093
e-mail: vnoon@smi-online.co.uk
web: www.smi-online.co.uk
The 22nd International
Conference on Solid Waste
Technology and
Management
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
USA
1821 March 2007
Ronald L. Mersky, Conference Chair,
Department of Civil Engineering,
Widener University, 1 University
Place, Chester, PA 19013-5792, USA
Tel: +1 610 499 4042
Fax: +1 610 499 4461
e-mail: solid.waste@widener.edu
web: www.widener.edu/solid.waste
IARC2007 7th
International Automobile
Recycling Congress
Amsterdam, the Netherlands
2123 March 2007
Tel: +41 62 785 10 00
Fax: +41 62 785 10 05
e-mail: info@icm.ch
web: www.icm.ch
China Eco Expo
Beijing, China
46 April 2007
Global Eco Expo,
15030 Ventura Blvd,
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403, USA
Tel: +1 818 906 2700
Fax: +1 818 986 5890
e-mail: info@ecoexpo.com
web: www.ecoexpo.com
Commercial Vehicle Show
2007
Birmingham, UK
2426 April 2007
Bob Sockl, Crystal Communications,
Crystal House, 14 London Road,
Rainham, Kent, ME8 6YX, UK
Tel: +44 1634 261262
Fax: +44 1634 360514
web: www.cvshow.com
Waste Expo 2007
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
710 May 2007
Prism Business Media,
11 River Bend South,
Stamford, CT 06907, USA
Tel: 1-203 358 9900
Fax: +1 203 358 5816
web: www.wasteexpo.com
Victam International 2007
Utrecht, the Netherlands
810 May 2007
Tel: +31 33 246 4404
Fax: +31 33 246 4706
e-mail: expo@victam.com
web: www.victam.com
Waste to Energy
International Exhibition &
Conference for Energy from
Waste and Biomass
Bremen, Germany
910 May 2007
Andrea Rohde, Messe Bremen,
Theodor-Heuss-Allee 2123,
28215 Bremen, Germany
Tel: +49 421 3505 377
Fax: +49 421 3505 340
e-mail: rohde@messe-bremen.de
web: www.wte-expo.de
BIR Spring Convention
Athens, Greece
2023 May 2007
Bureau of International Recycling,
24 Avenue Franklin Roosevelt,
1050 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 2 627 57 70
Fax: +32 2 627 57 73
e-mail: bir@bir.org
web: www.bir.org
MBT 2007 International
Symposium MBT and
Automatic Waste Sorting
Technology
Hanover, Germany
2224 May 2007
Diary
WASTE MANAGEMENT WORLD November December 2006 DI ARY
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Wasteconsult International,
Robert-Koch-Str. 48b,
30853 Langenhagen,
Germany
Tel: +49 511 23 59 383
Fax: +49 511 23 59 384
e-mail: info@wasteconsult.de
web: www.wasteconsult.de
5th International Trade Fair
and Congress on Waste
Management, Recycling
and Environmental
Technologies
Moscow, Russia
29 May 1 June 2007
SIBICO International Ltd,
POB 173, Moscow, 107078,
Russia
Tel: +7 495 782 1013
Fax: +7 495 225 5986
e-mail: waste-tech@sibico.com
web: www.waste-tech.ru
CIWM 2007
Paignton, Torbay, UK
1215 June 2007
IWM Business Services Ltd,
9 Saxon Court,
St Peters Gardens,
Northampton NN1 1SX, UK
Tel: +44 1604 620426
Fax: +44 1604 604467
e-mail: ciwm2007@ciwm.co.uk
web: www.ciwm.co.uk
ICBR 2007 12th
International Congress for
Battery Recycling
Budapest, Hungary
2022 June 2007
Tel: +41 62 785 10 00
Fax: +41 62 785 10 05
e-mail: info@icm.ch
web: www.icm.ch
3rd Recycling, Waste
Management and
Environmental
Technologies Fair
Istanbul, Turkey
2124 June 2007
IFO Istanbul Fair Organization Ltd.,
Yildiz Posta cad., Ayyildiz Apt. B,
Blok No:28 D:38, 34394 Gayrettepe/
Istanbul, Turkey
Tel: + 90 212 275 75 79
Fax: + 90 212 288 36 11
e-mail: ifo@ifo.com.tr
web: www.ifo.com.tr
ISWA World Congress
2007
2428 September 2007
Congrex Holland BV, P.O. Box 302,
1000 AH Amsterdam,
A.J. Ernststraat 595, 1082 LD,
Tel: +31 20 504 02 05
Fax: +31 20 504 02 25
e-mail: iswa2007@congrex.nl
web: www.iswa2007.org
11th International Waste
Management and Landfill
Symposium
Sardinia, Italy
15 October 2007
Valeria Zampalocca, EuroWaste Srl,
Via Beato Pellegrino, 23,
35137 Padova, Italy
Tel: +39 049 8726986
Fax: +39 049 8726987
e-mail: eurowaste@tin.it
web: www.sardiniasymposium.it
WASTECON 2007
Reno, Nevada, USA
1618 October 2007
SWANA, P.O. Box 7219, Silver Spring,
MD20907-7219, USA
Tel: +1 800 467 9262
Fax: +1 301 589 7068
e-mail: info@wastecon.org
web: www.swana.org
FEAD Annual Conference
Athens, Greece
1819 October 2007
European Federation of Waste and
Environmental Services,
15 Rue Phillipe le Bon,
1000 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 2 732 32 13
Fax: +32 2 734 95 92
e-mail: info@fead.be
web: www.fead.be
Ecomondo 2007
Rimini, Italy
2427 October 2007
Daniela Bernab, Rimini Fiera S.p.A.,
Via Emilia, 155, 47900 Rimini, Italy
Tel: +39 0541 744 217
Fax: +39 0541 744 475
e-mail: d.bernabe@riminifiera.it
web: www.ecomondo.com
ISWA Beacon Conference
on Thermal Treatment
Malm, Sweden
October 2007
Tel + 45 3264 6141
Fax: + 45 3296 1584
e-mail: am@iswa.dk
2008
WASTECON 2008
Tampa, Florida, USA
2123 October 2008
SWANA, P.O. Box 7219, Silver Spring,
MD 20907-7219, USA
Tel: +1 800 467 9262
Fax: +1 301 589 7068
e-mail: info@WASTECON.org
web: www.swana.org
Send details of your event to WASTE MANAGEMENT WORLD e-mail: wmw@jxj.com
104
3rd Annual Waste Management 44
Finance Forum, London
6th International Electronic Recycling 100
Congress, Hamburg
7th International Automobile Recycling 46
Congress, Amsterdam
Babcock & Wilcox Vlund 24
Bomag 11
Bucher Schrling GmbH 91
Caterpillar 2
CHS Group 8
Cranfield University 16
Cross Wrap Oy IBC
Cummins Power Generation 1213
Degussa AG 1
Doppstadt Calbe GmbH 5
Earthscan 50
Ecocity, Barcelona 60
Eldan Recycling A/S 15
ESWET 36
GE Energy 83
Gtaverken Milj AB 27
Haas Recycling 76
Hako-Werke GmbH 90
Hammel Recyclingtechnik GmbH 78
Horstmann GmbH & Co. KG 79
HSM Pressen GmbH + Co. KG 9
Indaver Waste Treatment NV 30
Inspec Fibres GmbH 33
KEMA Nederlands BV 21
Keppel Seghers Belgium NV 18
Komptech GmbH 80
Legras Industries 96
Loglift Jonsered Oy AB 92
Lubo Screening & Recycling Systems b.v. 65
M&J Industries A/S IFC
Machinefabrik Spiro BV 88
Macpresse Europa S.R.L. 63
MTB Recycling 73
NAUE GmbH & Co. KG 85
Opsis AB 35
Orkel Compaction AS 77
Pellenc Selective Technologies 69
Plasco Energy Group 40
PyroGenesis 42
Rambll Energy & Environment OBC
Revatech SA 63
Rheinbraun Brennstoff GmbH 20
RMD Recuperacin Materiales 66
Diversos SA
Rotork 48
Satrind SpA 62
SC Technology GmbH 47
Scarab Sweepers Ltd 89
Selwood Group 86
Sennebogen Maschinenfabrik GmbH 95
SMS Global Inc 43
Thermoselect 28
Umicore Precious Metals Refining 70
US Composting Council 15th Annual 53
Conference & Trade Show, Orlando
Victam International 2007, Utrecht 14
Vmpress SRL 64
Waste to Energy, Bremen 23
Welger Recycling Engineering GmbH 68
Advertisers index
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__________________
Knowledge taking people further
Lars Juel Rasmussen, Project engineer
Ramboll Waste-to-Energy, Copenhagen, Denmark, tel. +45 4598 6000
waste-to-energy@ramboll.dk
www.ramboll.dk/wte
The rst eight years after my Ph.D. in Australia I worked on various international
civil engineering projects. Since then I have specialised in waste-to-energy. At TAS
I/S I am project manager, advising on the establishment of a new 10 t/h facility.
In addition, with my background in civil engineering, I am responsible for the civil
works aspects of the project and coordination with mechanical equipment supplies.
This is what we do in Ramboll Waste-to-Energy---
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