A framework for the evaluation of the environmental merits of waste co-incineration
Co-incineration of waste in conventional power plants and industrial plants is increasingly gaining interest. In power stations, like in many dedicated waste incinerators, the calorific value of the waste is used to generate electricity. The energy is used more effectively in a power plant, however, because the energetic efficiency of the power plant is higher. Another promising option for waste treatment is co-incineration in a cement kiln. In that case, the energy in the waste serves to heat the materials to the desired temperature. In addition, the ashes that result from the incineration are incorporated in the cement, which means a reduction of both the primary material demand and the output waste flows. The amount of primary energy saved by the co-incineration is usually taken to be equal to the calorific value of the waste. However, that approach is not always justifiable. If, for example, waste is used in a cement kiln rather than treated in a waste incinerator with generation of electricity, the electricity must still be generated by a power plant, because the electricity demand is unchanged. Therefore, the energetic gain of co-incineration in a cement kiln should be corrected for the energy needed for the generation of electricity. In this paper, three processes are evaluated in an integrated systems approach: a dedicated waste incinerator combined with electricity generation, a power plant and a cement kiln. The effects of the incineration of three typical examples of waste are evaluated: mixed plastic waste, rubber, and sludge from a waste water treatment plant. The calorific value and the material contribution of the waste are compared with those of the primary fuel and the raw materials used in the processes. The integrated approach shows that the equivalent of one joule of waste saves 0.5 joule of primary fuel if the waste is burnt in either the power plant or the cement kiln rather than in the waste incinerator. The additional advantage of co-incineration in a cement kiln is the use of the material content of the waste. Even though the gain is less than often claimed, the substitution value can be substantial and application of waste in a power plant or a cement kiln can have considerable advantages, taken that other environmental criteria are met.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of Technology, Jaffalaan Delft (NL)
- OSTI ID:
- 20002743
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 33rd Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, Colorado Springs, CO (US), 08/02/1998--08/06/1998; Other Information: 1 CD-ROM. Operating system required: Windows 3.x; Windows 95/NT; Macintosh; UNIX. All systems need 2X CD-ROM drive.; PBD: 1998; Related Information: In: Proceedings of the 33. intersociety energy conversion engineering conference, by Anghaie, S. [ed.], [2800] pages.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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