CTs that process MSW are in operation around the world. There are many thermal CTs in Japan, mostly using gasification. Thermal CTs in use in Japan have had a better track record than those in Europe, where economic and/or technical issues have resulted in some facilities being shut down. These issues are quickly being resolved, and more facilities are in the planning stages in Europe. Anaerobic digestion is having great success in Europe, with many facilities in operation and many new facilities under construction. An increasing fraction of the installed anaerobic digestion capacity in Europe is devoted to MSW, as opposed to source-separated organics. In the U.S., more cities and counties are evaluating the efficacy of CTs. The most significant constraints appear to be economics, regulatory issues, public acceptability and risk management. The economics of CTs rests largely on the throughput of the facilities. Most CT facilities developed overseas process about 100,000-150,000 tons per year. At this capacity, break-even tipping fees may be too high to compete with existing landfill options. Increasing throughputs to 300,000-400,000 tons per year is expected to provide significant decreases in per ton processing costs. However, this may present certain technical challenges regarding equipment scaling.
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