Advanced Thermal Treatment of Municipal Solid Waste: WWW - Defra.gov - Uk
Advanced Thermal Treatment of Municipal Solid Waste: WWW - Defra.gov - Uk
Advanced Thermal Treatment of Municipal Solid Waste: WWW - Defra.gov - Uk
www.defra.gov.uk
Contents
Preamble
1.
Introduction
2.
How it works
3.
11
4.
Track record
13
5.
16
6.
18
7.
23
8.
Cost
24
9.
25
27
11. Glossary
28
Prepared by Enviros Consulting Limited on behalf of Defra as part of the New Technologies Supporter Programme.
We acknowledge support from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), the Department of
Communities & Local Government (DCLG), the Environment Agency (EA) and BeEnvironmental Ltd.
This Document has been produced by Enviros Consulting Limited (Technical Advisors) on behalf of Defra to provide
assistance to Local Authorities and the waste management market generally through awareness raising of the key
municipal waste management options for thediversion of BMW from landfill. The Document has been developed in
good faith by the Advisors on behalf of Defra, and neither Defra not its Advisers shall incur any liability for any action
or omission arising out of any reliance being placed on the Document by any Local Authority or organisation or other
person. Any Local Authority or organisation or other person in receipt of this Document should take their own legal,
financial and other relevant professional advice when considering what action (if any) to take in respect of any waste
strategy, initiative, proposal, or other involvement with any waste management option or technology, or before
placing any reliance on anything contained therein.
Any interpretation of policy in this document is that of Enviros and not of Defra or DCLG.
Crown copyright, 2007
Cover image courtesy of Energos, ENER.G Group
Preamble
This Waste Management Technology Brief,
updated in 2007, is one of a series of
documents prepared under the New
Technologies work stream of the Defra Waste
Implementation Programme. The Briefs
address technologies that may have an
increasing role in diverting Municipal Solid
Waste (MSW) from landfill. They provide an
alternative technical option as part of an
integrated waste strategy, having the
potential to recover materials & energy and
reduce the quantity of MSW requiring final
disposal to landfill.
This Brief has been produced to provide an
overview of Incineration Technology, which
recovers energy from the combustion of
MSW. Although not a new technology it can
potentially form part of an overall integrated
waste management strategy to divert MSW
from landfill. Other titles in this series
include: An Introductory Guide to Waste
Management Options, Advanced Biological
Treatment, Mechanical Biological Treatment,
Mechanical Heat Treatment; Incineration,
Renewable Energy and Waste Technologies,
and Managing Outputs from Waste
Technologies.
1. Introduction
Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is waste
collected by or on behalf of a local authority.
It comprises mostly household waste and it
may include some commercial and industrial
wastes. Historically, nationally the quantity of
MSW has risen year on year1, presenting a
growing problem for local authorities
particularly as legislation, now limits (by
implication2) the amount of mixed MSW that
can be sent to landfill, becomes more
stringent over time.
One of the guiding principles for European
and UK waste management has been the
concept of a hierarchy of waste management
options, where the most desirable option is
not to produce the waste in the first place
(waste prevention) and the least desirable
option is to dispose of the waste to landfill
with no recovery of either materials and/or
energy. Between these two extremes there
are a wide variety of waste treatment options
that may be used as part of a waste
management strategy to recover materials
(for example furniture reuse, glass recycling
or organic waste composting) or generate
energy from the wastes (for example through
incineration, or digesting biodegradable
wastes to produce usable gases).
At present more than 62% of all MSW
generated in England is disposed of in
landfills3. However, European and UK
legislation has been put in place to limit the
amount of biodegradable municipal waste
(BMW) sent for disposal in landfills4. A key
driver for this focus on biodegradable waste
is to reduce the uncontrolled release of
greenhouse gas emissions to atmosphere. The
Landfill Directive also requires waste to be
pre-treated prior to disposal. The diversion of
this material is one of the most significant
challenges facing the management of
1 This is now showing signs of slowing and in some areas waste arisings are falling, and indeed in 2005/6 there was a 3% fall nationally.
However this may be partly explained by other factors occurring in that particular financial year
2. How it works
This section comprises an overview of the
principles of Advanced Thermal Treatment
processes.
2.1 Advanced Thermal Treatment
Advanced Thermal Treatment technologies
are primarily those that employ pyrolysis
and/or gasification to process municipal solid
waste (MSW). It excludes incineration5 of
wastes which is already a mature and well
established technology.
The gasification and pyrolysis of solid materials
is not a new concept. It has been used
extensively to produce fuels such as charcoal,
coke and town or producer gas. Charcoal and
coke are produced by pyrolysing wood and
coal respectively and producer gas is a
combustible gas produced by the gasification
of coke in the presence of air and steam.
It is only in recent years that such pyrolysis and
gasification have been commercially applied to
the treatment of MSW. The development of
pyrolysis and gasification technologies is in its
infancy in the UK but large scale plants have
been built and are in operation in Europe,
North America and Japan.
2.2 Difference between Pyrolysis,
Gasification and Incineration
There are a variety of differences promoted
to differentiate Advanced Thermal Treatment
from traditional Incineration technologies.
One distinction is that smaller scale facilities
are being marketed for treatment of MSW
with some ATT processes than that typical of
incineration. It is the difference in scale and
size that can make it easier to find local
markets for both heat and electricity
produced. While incineration plants are
typically centralised operations, the modular
2. Main
How Heading
it works
design of ATT operations allows a greater
degree of flexibility in terms of location.
Sections 6 and 7 discuss planning and public
perception aspects of ATT and the process
differences are described below.
Established Thermal Treatment Incineration
Incineration usually involves the combustion
of unprepared (raw or residual) MSW. To
allow the combustion to take place a
sufficient quantity of oxygen is required to
fully oxidise the fuel. Typically, incineration
plant combustion (flame) temperatures are in
excess of 850C and the waste is converted
into carbon dioxide and water. Any noncombustible materials (e.g. metals, glass)
remain as a solid, known as Bottom Ash, that
contains a small amount of residual carbon.
Advanced Thermal Treatment - Pyrolysis
In contrast to combustion, pyrolysis is the
thermal degradation of a substance in the
absence of oxygen. This process requires an
external heat source to maintain the
temperature required. Typically, relatively
low temperatures of between 300C to 850C
are used during pyrolysis of materials such as
MSW. The products produced from
pyrolysing materials are a solid residue and a
synthetic gas (syngas). The solid residue
(sometimes described as a char) is a
combination of non-combustible materials
and carbon. The syngas is a mixture of gases
(combustible constituents include carbon
monoxide, hydrogen, methane and a broad
range of other VOCs). A proportion of these
can be condensed to produce oils, waxes and
tars. The syngas typically has a net calorific
value (NCV) of between 10 and 20 MJ/Nm3. If
required, the condensable fraction can be
collected by cooling the syngas, potentially
for use as a liquid fuel.
5 Incineration of MSW in the UK always involves some form of energy recovery, either in the form of electricity generation and/or heat
recovery. As such it is also commonly termed Energy from Waste. In this document we will refer to incineration to distinguish from
Advanced Thermal Treatment
2. How it works
Advanced Thermal Treatment - Gasification
Gasification can be seen as between pyrolysis
and combustion in that it involves the partial
oxidation of a substance. This means that
oxygen is added but the amounts are not
sufficient to allow the fuel to be completely
oxidised and full combustion to occur. The
temperatures employed are typically above
650C. The process is largely exothermic but
some heat may be required to initialise and
sustain the gasification process. The main
product is a syngas, which contains carbon
monoxide, hydrogen and methane. Typically,
the gas generated from gasification will have
a net calorific value (NCV) of 4 - 10 MJ/Nm3.
The other main product produced by
gasification is a solid residue of noncombustible materials (ash) which contains a
relatively low level of carbon. For reference,
the calorific value of syngas from pyrolysis
and gasification is far lower than natural gas,
which has a NCV of around 38 MJ/Nm3.
2. How it works
Figure 1: ATT generic process flows
Residual MSW
Limited Oxygen
Gasification
Process
Preparation to
produce refuse
derived fuel
(RDF)
Regulated
emissions
Syngas
Heat and Power
generation
Hydrogen
(if market
requirement)
Bottom Ash
Metals
Absence of oxygen
Syngas
Pyrolysis
Process
Char for
industrial
user
Solids for
reuse,
recycling
or disposal
Water
Bottom Ash
Metals
2. How it works
Waste Reception, Handling and Pre-treatment
The pyrolysis and gasification process is
focused on treating the biodegradable based
materials present in MSW (e.g. paper,card,
putrescible waste, green waste, wood), as
well as plastics. Therefore, it is common to
remove non combustible materials and
recyclables, (typically metals and glass) prior
to the primary treatment reactor stage
(2.3.2). In addition, depending on the
technology employed, the feed material
might require processing to remove excess
moisture and shredding to reduce the size.
It is the preference (for most ATT processes) to
treat only pre-processed residual MSW that
makes these systems appropriate to be
2. How it works
Thermal Treatment Reactor
The thermal treatment process, whether
pyrolysis or gasification, will produce syngas
and solid residue. The composition of the
syngas and solid residue will depend on the
process conditions employed, which include
operating temperature, oxygen level, heating
Table 1:
Treatment Reactors
Reactor
Typical Application
Operating Conditions
Rotating Kiln
Pyrolysis
Heated Tube
Pyrolysis
Surface Contact
Pyrolysis
Small size feed material required and therefore significant pretreatment is necessary. Process operates at high temperatures and
the small size of the feed gives high heating rates. The
application of this technology is to maximise the rate of pyrolysis.
Fluidised Bed
Gasification
Fixed Bed
Gasification
There are a range of different reactor types that come under this
heading. A typical example is a grate system where the feed
passes along the grate and hot gases pass through the bed of
waste heating it.
2. How it works
Gas and Residue Treatment Stages
Solids will inevitably be discharged from the
process. These solids include metals together
with carbon. In the case of gasification, the
level of carbon is small; in pyrolysis it is
significant. Larger particles of solids in the
thermal treatment reactor are usually
discharged as bottom ash and slag. Lighter
ash is usually collected when the gas is
separated with the use of cyclones and
ultimately filters. In addition, volatile metals
such as lead, tin, cadmium and mercury will
be carried in the gas until such point that the
gas is cooled for them to be sufficiently
condensed.
Pollution control strategies for ATT plants will
typically be on a smaller scale than for
incineration technologies, hence less costly,
due to the reduction in the volume of process
air required however compliance with the
Waste Incineration Directive would still be
mandatory.
2. How it works
require very high gas cleanliness; pollutants,
notably sulphur and halogens, may need to be
removed prior to combustion of the gas. The
reduced gas volumes involved in cleaning the
combusted gas rather than the combustion gas
gives a financial advantage to the process.
Alkalis such as lime and sodium hydroxide are
the favoured reagents for removal of the
halogen streams. Sulphur can be removed by a
variety of routes, largely dependant on the
initial concentration (ranging from absorption
to the Klaus reaction).
Table 2:
Efficiencies
of
Incinerator
10% - 20%
14% - 27%6
Gas Engine
13% - 28%
n/a
Combined Cycle
Gas Turbine
30%
n/a
Co-firing in
existing power
plant
Up to 27%
n/a
Energy System
6 Typical incinerator efficiencies range from 14% to 24%. A recent report (Carbon Balances and Energy Impacts of the Management of UK
Wastes, ERM and Golder Associates report for Defra, March 2006 www.defra.gov.uk/science/project_data/DocumentLibrary/WR0602/
WR0602_4750_FRP.pdf) states an efficiency range for electricity only of between 20-27%
7 The Potential for Hydrogen Production from Waste in London; The London Hydrogen Partnership http://www.lhp.org.uk/content/images/
articles/LHPReportFinal3LR(1).pdf
2. How it works
ballistic separator, is fed into the station
coalbunkers. Fuel is delivered to the plant in
bales or bulk form, from a range of RDF
producers. The fuel is conveyed to the two
rotary kiln, pyrolyser, units (20m in length x
2.8m in diameter). Natural gas burners heat
the pyrolysis drums. The two pyrolysis drums
replace 10% of the fuel input to a coal fired
330Mwe generating set.
KBI Waste & Energy Solutions GmbH
This is a Mechanical & Biological Treatment
(MBT) plant followed by an oxygen blown
down draught gasifier. The purpose of the
waste pre-treatment and the gasifier is to
produce a gas of a quality and consistency
such that the power plant can safely and
reliably operate to a defined efficiency and
emission limits.
Received waste is dried in a rotating compost
drum and recyclates are removed. The waste
then passes to a feed preparation area where
additives such as coke, (typically 17%) and
limestone are introduced prior to gasification.
In the gasifier oxygen is added at several
points down the gasifier progressively raising
the temperature towards the maximum,
normally 1500C. Additional feeds of steam
and natural gas are used so as to control the
composition of the produced gas. The gas is
to be used for power generation via a gas
turbine set. The gas is burned in a
conventional gas turbine set and the exhaust
gas from the turbine is used to raise steam.
Some of the steam / electricity is used by the
process with the excess available for export.
GEM, Graveson Energy Management, Port
Talbot, UK
This process uses fast pyrolysis of a Refuse
Derived Fuel (RDF see box 1) to produce a gas
suitable for burning or powering an engine.
10
Outputs
State
Potential Markets
Slag (from
Solid, fused
gasification)
Aggregate
Ash (from
Un-fused residue
gasification)
Aggregate
replacement,
metals can be
separated
Flue Gas
Treatment
residue
Solid, powder/
sludge. Invariably
a hazardous
waste; some
potential for
neutralising waste
acids
Specialist Disposal
or treatment
potential use in
Chemical
treatment works
(e.g. neutralising
acid waste)
Syngas
Gaseous
Heat or power
generation/fuel/
some chemical
application
Condensate
Liquid
Fuel/chemical
application. Care
needs to be taken
with the chemical
composition of this
and the hazards
associated with it
Char (from
pyrolysis)
Solid
Hazardous waste
but could be used
as coal
replacement in
certain combustion
applications or as a
gasifier feedstock
11
12
4. Track record
Whilst ATT technologies are established
technologies for the treatment of certain
specific waste streams, it is only in recent years
that pyrolysis and gasification have been
commercially applied to the treatment of MSW.
The prime drivers in the UK for the
development of these technologies are
increasing landfill costs and the
Table 4:
ATT facilities
Manufacturer
Primary Technology
Country
Operational
Capacity, tpa
Feed
UK - Avonmouth
2001
8,000
Clinical Waste
Compact Power
Tube Pyrolysis
Energos
Grate Gasification
Norway
1997
10,000
Energos
Grate Gasification
Norway
2000
34,000
MSW
Energos
Grate Gasification
Norway
2001
36,000
Energos
Grate Gasification
Norway
2002
70,000
Energos
Grate Gasification
Norway
2002
37,000
MSW
Energos
Grate Gasification
Germany
2002
37,000
Energos
Grate Gasification
Germany
2005
80,000
Energos
Grate Gasification
Sweden
2005
80,000
Spain
2002
25,000
Plastics
USA
1997
165,000
Biomass
Finland
1998
80,000
Mix waste
Foster Wheeler
Mitsui Babcock
Japan
2000
80,000
MSW
Mitsui Babcock
Japan
2002
150,000
MSW
Mitsui Babcock
Japan
2002
50,000
MSW
Mitsui Babcock
Japan
2003
95,000
MSW
Mitsui Babcock
Japan
2003
75,000
MSW
Mitsui Babcock
Japan
2003
60,000
MSW
Thermoselect
Tube Pyrolysis
Germany
1999
225,000
Thermoselect
Tube Pyrolysis
Japan
1999
100,000
Thermoselect
Tube Pyrolysis
Japan
2003
50,000
Industrial Wastes
Techtrade/
Wastegen
Germany
1984
35,000
RDF
Techtrade/
Wastegen
Germany
2002
100,000
13
4. Track record
The following case studies detail ATT plants under development as demonstration sites under the
Defra New Technologies Demonstrator Programme. For more information see
http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/wip/newtech/dem-programme/index.htm or contact
[email protected].
Proposed facility
14
Example of Energos
gasification site
4. Track record
15
16
17
18
Public Concern
6.4 Traffic
A brief overview of the planning context for
each of these issues is provided below.
6.3 Plant Siting
PPS 10 and its Companion Guide contain
general guidance on the selection of sites
suitable for waste facilities. This guidance
does not differentiate between facility types,
however the following criteria are likely to
apply to the siting of new ATT facilities:
11 http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/research/health/index.htm
20
Table 5:
Landtake
TT Facility
Size,
tonnes
per
annum
Incineration*
90,000
5850
1.7
65m
Incineration*
250,000
6,600
70m
Pyrolysis
60,000
0.98
Pyrolysis
12,500
200
Plus
access
area
Pyrolysis
35,000
28,000
32,000
General
ATT*
50,000
3,600
1-2
30 70m
Buildings
Total
Area
Landtake
m2
Ha
Indicative
Stack
Height
Source:
* = Planning for Waste Management Facilities A
Research Study
= Waste Technology Data Centre.
22
8. Cost
ATT plant have been applied to chemical and
process industries; these have all been large
scale, capital intensive applications.
The capital costs for an ATT facility will be
dependent on the quality of waste to be
processed, the technology employed and its
location. Costs will not only comprise those
associated with the purchase of the ATT
plant, but also costs for land procurement
and preparation prior to build and also
indirect costs, such as planning, permitting,
contractual support and technical and
financial services over the development cycle.
Capital costs provided by ATT technology
suppliers to the Waste Technology Data
Centre are wide ranging. Examples of capital
costs are list below:
9 million for a 25,000 tpa facility
12 million for a 40,000 tpa facility
19 million for a 80,000 tpa facility
17 million for a 100,000 tpa facility
50 million for a 60,000 tpa facility
Extreme care is required in utilising cost data
such as that provided on the data centre
website as it might not be fully inclusive. In
addition, site specific criteria need to be
taken into account, which are summarised
above and actual costs will vary on a case by
case basis.
24
26
11. Glossary
Advanced Thermal
Treatment (ATT)
Aerobic
Biodegradable
Biodegradable Municipal
Waste (BMW)
The component of Municipal Solid Waste capable of being degraded by plants and
animals. Biodegradable Municipal Waste includes paper and card, food and garden
waste, wood and a proportion of other wastes, such as textiles.
Co-combustion
Feedstock
Floc
Gasification
Gasification is the process whereby carbon based wastes are heated in the presence
of air or steam to produce a solid, low in carbon and a gas. The technology is based
on the reforming process used to produce town gas from coal.
Greenhouse Gas
A term given to those gas compounds in the atmosphere that reflect heat back
toward earth rather than letting it escape freely into space. Several gases are
involved, including carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O),
ozone, water vapour and some of the chlorofluorocarbons.
Green Waste
Waste vegetation and plant matter from household gardens, local authority parks
and gardens and commercial landscaped gardens.
Incineration
The controlled thermal treatment of waste by burning, either to reduce its volume
or toxicity. Energy recovery from incineration can be made by utilising the calorific
value of the waste to produce heat and / or power.
Materials Recycling
Facility/Materials Recovery
Facility (MRF)
Mechanical Biological
Treatment (MBT)
Household waste and any other wastes collected by the Waste Collection Authority,
or its agents, such as municipal parks and gardens waste, beach cleansing waste,
commercial or industrial waste, and waste resulting from the clearance of fly-tipped
materials.
Pyrolysis
During Pyrolysis organic waste is heated in the absence of air to produce a mixture
of gaseous and/or liquid fuels and a solid, inert residue (mainly carbon)
28
11. Glossary
Recyclate/Recyclable
Materials
Post-use materials that can be recycled for the original purpose, or for different
purposes.
Recycling
Involves the processing of wastes, into either the same product or a different one.
Many non-hazardous wastes such as paper, glass, cardboard, plastics and scrap
metals can be recycled. Hazardous wastes such as solvents can also be recycled by
specialist companies.
A fuel produced from combustible waste that can be stored and transported, or
used directly on site to produce heat and/or power.
Renewables Obligation
Introduced in 2002 by the Department of Trade and Industry, this system creates a
market in tradable certificates (ROCs), within which each electricity supplier must
demonstrate compliance with increasing Government targets for renewable energy
generation.
Source-segregated/
Source-separated
Syngas
29