Municipal Solid Waste in European Waste-to-Energy Operations - Questions of Classification and Consistency

摘要

The burning of MSW and MSW-based materials such as RDF and SRF offers a means of producing energy in accordance with the waste hierarchy laid down in Article 4 of the WFD. These quite heterogenetic waste streams have a lot of potential in energy production because of the large quantities produced and the fact that they have no other viable uses. The large need for supply in WtE operations works as a strong incentive to conclude long-term contracts with public or private sector parties. The possibilities of MSW ceasing to be waste are fairly limited. The criteria for by-product status does not fit MSW products since they are not produced as an integral part of the operation but bought elsewhere pursuant to sales contracts. MSW-based fuels can cease to be waste through end-of-waste criteria when their quality and emissions can be controlled. That is why the possibilities for WtE materials to cease to be waste lie with the waste streams where the quality and emissions can better be assessed in advance because of standardisation such as SRF standardisation. The standards have to be strict enough to comply with the applicable legislation and not create adverse environmental or human health effects after the material is no longer waste. Besides the material, the operation itself has an important part to play in the materials ceasing to be waste. The absolute precondition even to consider materials as no longer waste is that the WtE operation should be considered as a recovery operation and not a disposal operation. A recovery operation in WtE needs to comply with the criteria developed in the case-law as well as fulfilling the energy efficiency standards laid down in paragraph R1 of Annex Ⅱ of the WFD or somewhere else. If the energy efficiency cannot be shown the waste materials burned are always considered waste and the operation is considered to be on the lowest level of the waste hierarchy. The biodegradable part of the solid waste produces renewable energy, even when the final energy production is done through gasification and burning the gas manufactured from the waste. It would seem that a great part of waste-based energy is renewable even in the more heterogenic waste streams. However, because of this heterogeneity the content of the deliveries may differ from time to time even with SRF. Thus it is important for operators and suppliers to make their responsibilities and costs clear in their sales contracts.