Municipal waste combustors: Environmentally sound power plants

Journal Article · · Solid Waste and Power; (United States)

OSTI ID:6716734

Niessen, W R ^[1]

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1. Camp, Dresser McKee, Inc., Cambridge, MA (United States)

The environmental standards for Municipal Waste Combustors (MWCs) have made modern waste-to-energy (WTE) plants among the cleanest combustion-based power plants in the country. Unlike many new air pollution sources, when a new WTE plant comes on line, its stack emissions typically will be offset by a reduction in emissions from utility generating facilities. If the new MWC has lower emissions than the utility boiler on a per-megawatt-hour basis, the MWC could significantly improve a community's airshed. In addition, a community may achieve further air quality improvements if the new WTE plant replaces an old waste incinerator that has fewer air pollution controls. Emissions from an MWC, an oil-fired power plant, and a coal-fired plant are compared and show that WTE plants have the potential to provide net emission reductions for the major air pollutants; sulfur dioxide, particulates, and nitrogen oxides.

• OSTI ID: 6716734
• Journal Information: Solid Waste and Power; (United States), Journal Name: Solid Waste and Power; (United States) Vol. 7:1; ISSN SWPOEX
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
200200 -- Fossil-Fueled Power Plants-- Waste Management
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320604* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Municipalities & Community Systems-- Municipal Waste Management-- (1980-)
AIR POLLUTION
AIR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
AIR QUALITY
CHALCOGENIDES
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
EMISSION
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
EVALUATION
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
MANAGEMENT
MUNICIPAL WASTES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN OXIDES
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLES
PARTICULATES
POLLUTION
POLLUTION ABATEMENT
POLLUTION SOURCES
POWER PLANTS
REFUSE-FUELED POWER PLANTS
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFUR OXIDES
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES