Reviewing the potential of Waste-to-Energy (WTE) technologies for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) numbers seven and eleven

摘要

Increasing global population and urbanization, coupled with rising standards of living have contributed to two of the world’s most important challenges: a) increasing per capita energy consumption and global reliance on fossil fuels, and b) increasing per capita waste generation. The UN prominently featured addressing these two issues in goal numbers seven and eleven, respectively, of the SDGs. Waste-to-Energy (WTE) technologies have the potential to serve as a connecting link to support the successful pursuit of these two goals. They can control urban wastes and elevate waste as a necessary resource for energy production. This study reviews and presents an appraisal of the fast-evolving WTE technologies and their potential to harness energy potential of wastes in the pursuit of SDGs number seven and eleven. The study reveals illuminates the apparent inherent potential of WTE technologies to support the SDGs due to the considerable flexibility they present with their ability to utilize different forms of waste as feedstock. Environmental and economic performance of WTE incineration have steadily improved over the years, making it pivotal in pursuing these goals. Meanwhile, technologies such as gasification, anaerobic digestion, and pyrolysis have vastly expanded the array of waste products that are diverted from landfills for energy generation purposes. While there is lot more room for WTE technologies to grow into the mainstream in terms of their energy production capabilities, it is without doubt that investing and elevating WTE technologies will support the global drive towards achieving SDG numbers seven and eleven.