MunicipalSWIncin PDF

WORLD BANK
TECHNICAL GUIDANCE REPORT
Municipal Solid Waste

Incineration
The World Bank

Washington, D.C.
© 1999 The International Bank for Reconstruction
and Development / THE WORLD BANK
1818 H Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20433, U.S.A.
All rights reserved

Manufactured in the United States of America
First printing August 1999
This report has been prepared by the staff of the World Bank. The judgments expressed do not necessari-
ly reflect the views of the Board of Executive Directors or of the governments they represent.
The material in this publication is copyrighted. The World Bank encourages dissemination of its work
and will normally grant permission promptly.
Permission to photocopy items for internal or personal use, for the internal or personal use of specific
clients, or for educational classroom use, is granted by the World Bank, provided that the appropriate fee is
paid directly to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, U.S.A., tele-
phone 978-750-8400, fax 978-750-4470. Please contact the Copyright Clearance Center before photocopying
items.
For permission to reprint individual articles or chapters, please fax your request with complete informa-
tion to the Republication Department, Copyright Clearance Center, fax 978-750-4470.
All other queries on rights and licenses should be addressed to the World Bank at the address above or
faxed to 202-522-2422.
Cover photo by ?
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
PLEASE PROVIDE
Contents
Foreword v
PART 1 — ASSESSMENT 1
1 Introduction 3
Methodology 3
The Flow and Management of Municipal Solid Waste 4
Incineration Project Summary 4
2 Waste as Fuel 9
Key Issues 9
Waste Generation and Composition 10
Heating Value 11
Waste Surveys/Forecasts 13
3 Institutional Framework 19
Key Issues 19
Waste Sector 20
Energy Sector 21
Incineration Plant Organization and Management 21
4 Incineration Plant Economics and Finance 25
Key Issues 25
Economics 25
Financing 29
Cost Benefit Assessment 31
5 The Project Cycle 33
Key Issues 33
Feasibility Phase 33
Project Preparation Phase 33
Project Implementation Phase 36
Socio-Economic Aspects and Stakeholder Participation 37
References 41
iii
iv Measuring Country Performance on Health
PART 2 — TECHNICAL 43
Technical Plant Overview 45
1 Plant Location 47
Key Issues 47
Site Feasibility Assessment 47
2 Incineration Technology 51
Key Issues 51
Pre-treatment of Waste 52
Design and Layout of the Mass Burning Incineration System 54
3 Energy Recovery 59
Key Issues 59
Emergy Recovery Technology 59
4 Air Pollution Control 65
Key Issues 65
Volume and Composition of the Flue Gas 66
Environmental Standards 67
Air Pollution Control Technology 68
APC Systems Overview 74
Induced Draught Fan and Stack 74
5 Incineration Residues 77
Key Issues 77
Slag 77
Grate Siftings 78
Boiler and Fly Ash 79
Residues from Dry and Semi-dry Flue Gas Treatment 79
Sludges from Water Treatment 80
Spent Adsorbent from Dioxin Filters 80
Other Materials 80
6 Operation and Maintenance 83
Key Issues 83
Typical Plant Organization and Staffing 83
Crucial Supplies and External Services 85
Training of Workers, Codes of Practice, and Occupational Safety and Health 85
7 Environmental Impact and Occupational Health 87
Key Issues 87
Environmental Impact 87
Occupational Safety and Health 90
References 93
Municipal Solid Waste Incineration Checklist 95
Foreword
Solid waste management is in crisis in many of the ment, the World Bank has begun a program of provid-
world’s largest urban areas as populations attracted to ing high level advice on approaches that are basically
cities continues to grow. This has led to ever increasing financially self supporting, socially and environmental-
quantities of domestic solid waste while space for dis- ly responsible. This Technical Guidance Report provides
posal decreases. Municipal managers are looking to the the foundation for such a detailed evaluation of solid
development of sanitary landfills around the periphery waste incineration systems. A document for making a
of their cities as a first solution. However, siting and more preliminary assessment is the accompanying
preparation of a landfill requires the acquisition of large Decision Maker’s Guide to Incineration of Municipal
areas as well as good day to day operation in order to min- Solid Waste.
imize potential negative environmental impacts. This report should be used with caution since both
Another approach that has recently caught the attention technical and financial feasibility are very site-specif-
of decisionmakers is mass burn incineration similar to ic. Readers with general interest and technical spe-
systems found in the OECD countries. However, capital cialists will find this report useful in making their
and operating requirements for these plants are general- assessments. A comprehensive solid waste manage-
ly an order of magnitude greater than required for land- ment program may include several options phased in
fills. Project developers armed with rosy financial fore- over a long period of time during which refuse quan-
casts can be found in all corners of the globe encouraging tities, constituents and the overall economic picture
municipal officials to consider incineration. may change significantly. This uncertainty and asso-
In order to assist local officials with developing cost ciated risks must be incorporated into the planning
effective strategies for dealing with solid waste manage- process.
Kristalina Georgieva Keshav Varma

Sector Manager Sector Manager
Environment and Social Urban Development
Development Sector Unit Sector Unit
East Asia and Pacific Region East Asia and Pacific Region
The World Bank The World Bank
Washington, DC Washington, DC
USA USA
v
Acknowledgments
The Report was made possible through the generous for this work was Jack Fritz, Environmental Engineer.
support of the Danish government. The report was The editors were Mellen Candage and Carol Levie of
prepared by Mr. J. Haukohl, Mr. T. Rand and Mr. U. Grammarians, Inc.
Marxen of Rambøll. Three people were instrumental in In addition to internal reviewers, we also thank the
encouraging the preparation of these publications, external peer reviewers for their time and comments,
Lars Mikkel Johannessen, currently with the Danish specifically Stephen Schwarz, PE of Malcolm Pirnie,
government, Dr. Carl Bartone, Principal Environ- Inc. and Anil Chatterjee, PE of Chatterjee and
mental Specialist and Gabriel Boyer. The Task Manager Associates.
vi
Abbreviations and Symbols
vii
viii Municipal Solid Waste Incineration
A Ash content per kg of dry sample h Hour

APC Air pollution control Hawf Ash and water free calorific value
BO Build and operate Hinf Lower (inferior) calorific value
BOO Build, own, and operate Hinf, overall Overall lower calorific value
BOOT Build, own, operate, transfer HRD Human resource development
C Combustion fraction Hsup Upper (superior) calorific value
°C Degrees Celsius Hsup,DS Superior calorific value of dry sample
CBA Cost benefit assessment kcal Kilocalories
CHP Combined heat and power K Kelvin
DBO Design, build, and operate KF Key figure
DC Direct current kJ Kilojoule
DS Dry substance kPa Kilopascal
EA Environmental assessment LCV Lower calorific value
EIA Environmental impact assessment LOI Loss of ignition
ESP Electrostatic precipitator LP Low pressure
EU European Union m Meter
GDP Gross domestic product MCW Weight of condensed water per kg of dry
GR Growth rate sample
GWh Gigawatt hour mg Milligrams
PART 1
ASSESSMENT
1
1 Introduction
The Technical Guidance Report provides back- Methodology

ground information for the Decision Makers’ Guide
to Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Incineration. The The Technical Guidance Report is organized as
Report focuses on large-scale incineration plants follows:
for large urban areas or intermunicipal coopera-
tives. It does not address hazardous and infectious Part I
wastes.
The Decision Makers’ Guide is a practical tool for • Introduction
a preliminary assessment of whether the key crite- • Waste as Fuel
ria for a solid waste incineration scheme are pre- • Institutional Framework
sent. • Incineration Plant Economics and Finance
The Technical Guidance Report provides decision • The Project Cycle
makers and their advisers with more elaborate infor-
mation on how to investigate and assess the degree to Part II
which the key criteria are fulfilled. Hence, the Report
comprises a comprehensive account of many aspects • Plant Location
of waste incineration. Part 1 of the Report provides • Incineration Technology
information needed to assess the feasibility of MSW • Energy Recovery
incineration. Part 2 covers technical aspects and the • Air Pollution Control
available technologies related to an MSW incineration • Incineration Residues
plant. • Operation and Maintenance
The Decision Makers’ Guide primarily addresses • Environmental Impact and Occupational Health
an audience at the political level, whereas the
Technical Guidance Report presumes some degree Each chapter is standardized to make information
of general technical knowledge. However, no easy to access, as follows:
expertise within the field of waste incineration is
required to understand the Technical Guidance • Key issues—Main points, critical issues, and deci-
Report. sions to be made.
Finally, note that the Technical Guidance Report is • Key criteria—Key criteria are listed in order of
far from being a design manual for an MSW incinera- importance, using the following symbols to empha-
tion plant. The responsibility, the final feasibility size priority:
assessment and the consecutive design of such a plant
must be entrusted to experienced consultants and sup- ✓ ✓ ✓ Mandatory
pliers with an extensive track record in this complex ✓ ✓ Strongly Advisable
subject. ✓ Preferable
3
4 Municipal Solid Waste Incineration
If any mandatory key criteria are not expected to be through treatment. Such a transformation depends on
fulfilled, it is advisable to stop planning the solid waste the costs involved and whether the economy is looked
incineration plant. upon as a private business, a national priority, or even
globally.
• General principles—Elaboration of the general con- Waste treatment involving mechanical plants
siderations. requires large investments and operating costs. Hence,
it should be only introduced after gaining profound
The Technical Guidance Report is supplemented by knowledge of the existing system and waste genera-
an evaluation checklist for decision makers who are tion—which is quite a challenge, except in a highly
considering MSW incineration as part of their waste organized waste management system. The most
management strategy. important factor in obtaining such information is that
Furthermore, as an introduction, the following two the waste is already disposed of in fully monitored and
sections provide a brief overview of the flow and man- controlled landfills only.
agement of municipal solid waste, objectives and
applicability of waste incineration, and the necessary
institutional framework. Incineration Project Summary
MSW incineration is found at the most advanced level

The Flow and Management of Municipal of the waste disposal/treatment hierarchy: indiscrimi-
Solid Waste nate dumping, controlled dumping, landfilling, sani-
tary landfilling, and mechanical treatment (for exam-
Solid waste arises from human activities—domestic, ple, composting and incineration). Additional envi-
commercial, industrial, agricultural, waste water treat- ronmental control is introduced at each level and the
ment, and so on. If the waste is not properly handled disposal costs increase substantially. Introducing
and treated, it will have a negative impact on the mechanical treatment of MSW entails a significant
hygienic conditions in urban areas and pollute the air jump in technology and costs and is generally only fea-
and surface and ground water, as well as the soil and sible when all waste is already being disposed of in a
crops. sanitary landfill established and operated according to
A hygienic and efficient system for collection and Decision Makers’ Guide to Solid Waste Landfills, WB/1/.
disposal of solid waste is therefore fundamental for any Even so, many things can cause the project to fail and
community. Generally, the demands on the solid waste leave society with a huge bill to pay.
management system increase with the size of the com- Deciding to incinerate waste instead of, for instance,
munity and its per capita income. Figure 1.1 shows that dumping it, takes careful consideration of the criteria
the final destination of waste is always a disposal site. for success. In the mid 1980s, a number of Eastern
Residues from waste treatment processes are returned European and Asian cities jumped directly from sim-
to the waste mainstream and end up in the landfill with ple dumping to MSW incineration. Any success was,
untreated waste. Hence, the backbone of any waste however, questionable in many of these cities. In the
management system is an efficient collection system former Soviet Union, several plants were commis-
and an environmentally sound sanitary landfill. sioned in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Unfortunately,
The system’s resource recovery and recycling reflect some of these plants were never completed, others were
that solid wastes are materials and by-products with discontinued, and the rest are operating at reduced
potentially negative value for the possessor. capacity because of financial, managerial, and opera-
Understanding what may be considered waste will thus tional shortcomings.
change with the circumstances of the possessor as well In Asia, there is limited experience with waste incin-
as in time and place. Waste may be transformed into a eration outside the industrialized countries of Japan,
resource simply by transportation to a new place or Singapore, and Taiwan. A few plants in other places
Introduction 5
Figure 1.1 Solid waste handling and treatment system components
Principal Solid Principal Final

Waste Activities Technologies Product
Production, trade,
and consumption
Solid waste Sorting Recycling
Collection
Transportation Transfer stations
Manual sorting
Recycling
Treatment (optional) Mechanical sorting
Composting Soil improver
Incineration Energy
Scavenging Recycling
Disposal / landfill Land reclamation
have experienced managerial, financial, or operational • Operation and maintenance failures (including lack
problems, including low calorific value of the waste due of skilled workers)
to scavenging, precipitation, or the basic composition • Problems with the waste characteristics and quan-
of the generated waste. tity
The failure of MSW incineration plants is usually • Poor plant management
caused by one or more of the following: • Inadequate institutional arrangements
• Overly optimistic projections by vendors.
• Inability or unwillingness to pay the full treatment
fee, which results in insufficient revenue to cover Objectives and Applicability of MSW Incineration
loan installments and operation and maintenance In highly industrialized European countries, waste
costs incineration plants have been used increasingly over
• Lack of convertible currency for purchase of spare the last 50 years, mainly because it has been more dif-
parts ficult to find new sites for landfills in densely populat-
ed areas. The public concern for the environmental heavy metals and, for some APC residues, chlorides.
impact of MSW incineration has, however, increased Fear of pollution often brings MSW incineration
significantly over the last 20 years—forcing the manu- plants to the center of emotional public debate.
facturers to develop, and the plants to install and oper- Incinerating solid waste fulfills two purposes in the
ate, high-cost advanced technology for pollution con- advanced waste management system. Primarily, it
trol (especially air pollution). reduces the amount of waste for sanitary landfilling;
Incineration of MSW does not completely elimi- and it uses waste for energy production (power or dis-
nate, but does significantly reduce, the volume of waste trict heating). Hence, waste incineration plants are
to be landfilled. The reductions are approximately 75 generally introduced in areas where the siting of sani-
percent by weight and 90 percent by volume. The tary landfills is in conflict with other interests such as
residues arising from air pollution control (APC) are, city development, agriculture, and tourism.
however, environmentally problematic, as they present Solid waste incineration is a highly complex technol-
a severe threat to ground and surface waters. Current ogy, which involves large investments and high operat-
technology is supposed to dispose of such residues in ing costs. Income from sale of energy makes an impor-
highly controlled sanitary landfills equipped with tant (and necessary) contribution to the total plant
advanced leachate collection and treatment measures, economy, and, consequently, the energy market plays an
or in former underground mines to prevent leaching of important role in deciding whether to establish a plant.
Figure 1.2 Exploded view of typical MSW incineration facility (mass burning)
Introduction 7
Several types of incineration technologies are avail- financial situation, and other current and planned
able today, and the most widely used is mass burning waste treatment and disposal facilities.
incineration—with a movable grate or, to a lesser The most important issue, financially, could be
extent, rotary kilns. Fluidized bed incineration is still at generation of revenue from the sale of heat or power
the experimental stage and should therefore not yet be (or both), as well as the possibility of collecting fees
applied. The mass burning technology with a movable from commercial, domestic, and public waste gener-
grate has been successfully applied for decades and was ators.
developed to comply with the latest technical and envi- Environmentally, important issues may be to define
ronmental standards. Mass burning incineration can suitable standards for flue gas emissions, quality and
generally handle municipal waste without pre-treat- disposal of solid outputs (slag, ash, and flue gas clean-
ment on an as-received basis. ing residuals), as well as waste water in case a wet flue
Mass burning technologies are generally applied for gas cleaning system is applied.
large-scale incineration of mixed or source-separated The most important question, institutionally,
municipal and industrial waste. Compared to movable could be how to control the waste flow for optimum
grates the rotary kiln incineration plants have a small- treatment and utilization of the available waste treat-
er capacity and are mostly used for special types of ment and disposal facilities; and how to ensure the
waste unsuitable for burning on a grate, such as vari- institutional and managerial capacity required to
ous types of hazardous, liquid, and infectious waste. operate a multiple stringed waste management sys-
tem.
Institutional Framework—Overview Depending on local traditions and the level of envi-
When considering the construction of an incineration ronmental awareness, a special and transparent infor-
plant, it is necessary to consult with many project stake- mation campaign could be carried out for community
holders. The relevant stakeholders are usually authori- groups and neighboring citizens.
ties, the waste sector, community groups, and the ener- The goals, strength, resources, and awareness of the
gy sector. A further subdivision of these stakeholders stakeholders often differ among each other and with
appears below. those of the proposed incineration plant owner/oper-
It is important to review possible local stakeholders ator. Reaching a solution that is acceptable to all may
based on the actual local conditions, political and be difficult.
Figure 1.3 Typical MSW incineration project stakeholders
Authorities Waste Sector

Local/provincial government Waste generators
Urban/regional planning Waste recycling companies
Environment authorities Waste collection companies
Health authorities Other treatment plants
Traffic authorities Landfill operators
Waste Incineration Plant
Community Energy Sector

Environmental NGOs Power producers
Nature/Wildlife NGOs Power distribution company
Community groups Industries selling heat/power
Neighboring citizens District heating company
Scavengers Power/energy consumers
2 Waste as Fuel
Key Issues Waste from industries and the commercial sector

(except for market waste) generally has a much higher
The successful outcome of a waste incineration project calorific value than domestic waste. However, collec-
first depends on fairly accurate data on the future waste tion of such wastes is often less organized or controlled,
quantities and characteristics that form the basis for and delivery to an incineration plant can be difficult.
the design of the incineration plant. Some types of waste, such as demolition waste and
Waste for incineration must meet certain basic waste containing certain hazardous or explosive com-
requirements. In particular, the energy content of the pounds, are not suitable for incineration.
waste, the so-called lower calorific value (LCV), must The waste composition may change in time because
be above a minimum level. The specific composition of of either additional recycling or economic growth in
the waste is also important. An extreme waste compo- the collection area. Both changes can significantly alter
sition of only sand and plastics is not suitable for incin- the amount of waste and its calorific value.
eration, even though the average lower calorific value
is relatively high. Furthermore, in order to operate the Key criteria
incineration plant continuously, waste generation ✓ ✓ ✓ The average lower calorific value of the
must be fairly stable during the year. waste must be at least 6 MJ/kg throughout
Hence, the amount and composition of solid waste all seasons. The annual average lower
generated in the collection area for a potential inciner- calorific value must not be less than 7 MJ/kg.
ation plant, and possible seasonal variations, must be
well established before the project is launched. Waste ✓ ✓ Forecasts of waste generation and composi-
composition depends on variables such as cultural dif- tion are established on the basis of waste
ferences, climate, and socio-economic conditions. surveys in the collection area for the
Therefore, data usually cannot be transferred from one planned incineration plant. This task must
place to another. be carried out by an experienced (and inde-
All waste studies and forecasts must focus on the pendent) institution.
waste ultimately supplied to the waste incineration
plant. Consequently, the effect of recycling activities ✓ ✓ Assumptions on the delivery of com-
(for example, scavengers) that change the composition bustible industrial and commercial waste to
of the waste must always be considered. an incineration plant should be founded on
In many developing countries, the domestic waste an assessment of positive and negative
has a high moisture or ash content (or both). incentives for the various stakeholders to
Therefore, a comprehensive survey must be taken to use the incineration facility.
establish whether it is feasible to incinerate year-round,
as seasonal variations may significantly affect the com- ✓ ✓ The annual amount of waste for incineration
bustibility of the waste. should not be less than 50,000 metric tons
9
and the weekly variations in the waste supply Table 2.1 Key figures—municipal solid waste (kg/capita/
to the plant should not exceed 20 percent. year)
Waste generation
[kg/cap./year] Annual
Waste Generation and Composition Area Ref. Range Mean growth rate
OECD—total /2/ 263–864 513 1.9%
North America /2/ 826 2.0%
The quantity and composition of solid waste depend
Japan /2/ 394 1.1%
on how developed the community is and the state of its OECD—Europe /2/ 336 1.5%
economy. Industrial growth is an important tool for Europe (32 countries) /3/ 150–624 345 n.a.
raising the per capita income and welfare of the popu- 8 Asian Capitals /4/ 185–1000 n.a. n.a.
South and West Asia
lation. In return, industrial growth and higher per capi- (cities) /5/ 185–290 n.a. n.a.
ta income generate more waste, which, if not properly Latin America and
controlled, causes environmental degradation. the Caribbean /6/ 110–365 n.a. n.a.
Key figures for generation of municipal solid waste
(MSW) appear in Table 2.1. MSW is collected by, or on
the order of, the authorities and commonly comprises populated areas. This, in turn, may eliminate the pos-
waste disposed of at municipal collection facilities sibility of inexpensive disposal methods.
from households, commercial activities, office build- In more rural areas, crops and animal wastes are
ings, public institutions, and small businesses. The increasing as pesticides and fertilizers are applied
actual definition of “municipal solid waste” may, how- more often. However, many of these biodegradable
ever, vary from place to place. materials may be burned as fuel or easily converted
Urbanization and rapid growth of cities increase the into a soil conditioner and should not be regarded as
amounts of waste generated in limited and densely true waste.
Domestic Waste Waste from household activities, including food preparation, cleaning, fuel burning, old
clothes and furniture, obsolete utensils and equipment, packaging, newsprint, and garden wastes.
In lower-income countries, domestic waste is dominated by food waste and ash. Middle- and higher-income countries have a larg-
er proportion of paper, plastic, metal, glass, discarded items, and hazardous matter.
Commercial Waste Waste from shops, offices, restaurants, hotels, and similar commercial establishments; typi-
cally consisting of packaging materials, office supplies, and food waste and bearing a close resemblance to domestic waste.
In lower-income countries, food markets may contribute a large proportion of the commercial waste. Commercial waste may
include hazardous components such as contaminated packaging materials.
Institutional Waste Waste from schools, hospitals, clinics, government offices, military bases, and so on. It is
similar to both domestic and commercial waste, although there is generally more packaging materials than food waste. Hospital and
clinical waste include potentially infectious and hazardous materials. It is important to separate the hazardous and non-hazardous
components to reduce health risks.
Industrial Waste The composition of industrial waste depends on the kind of industries involved. Basically,
industrial waste includes components similar to domestic and commercial source waste, including food wastes from kitchens and
canteens, packaging materials, plastics, paper, and metal items. Some production processes, however, utilize or generate hazardous
(chemical or infectious) substances. Disposal routes for hazardous wastes are usually different from those for non-hazardous waste
and depend on the composition of the actual waste type.
Street Sweepings This waste is dominated by dust and soil together with varying amounts of paper, metal,
and other litter from the streets. In lower-income countries, street sweepings may also include drain cleanings and domestic waste
dumped along the roads, plant remains, and animal manure.
Construction and Demolition Waste The composition of this waste depends on the type of building materials, but typically
includes soil, stone, brick, concrete and ceramic materials, wood, packaging materials, and the like.
Waste as Fuel 11
Generally, construction, demolition, and street number of physical and chemical parameters, of which
sweeping wastes are not suited for incineration. the lower (inferior) calorific value (Hinf) is the most
The composition of the various types of MSW varies important. The minimum required lower calorific
greatly by climate and seasonal variations and the value for a controlled incineration also depends on the
socio-economy of the waste collection area. furnace design. Low-grade fuels require a design that
In general, high-income areas generate more waste minimizes heat loss and allows the waste to dry before
than low- or middle-income areas. Thus, waste gener- ignition.
ation and composition may differ greatly even within During incineration, water vapors from the com-
the same metropolis. bustion process and the moisture content of the fuel
Waste collected in affluent areas is typically less disperse with the flue gasses. The energy content of the
dense, as it contains more packaging and other lighter water vapors accounts for the difference between a
materials and less ash and food waste. This is because fuel’s upper and the lower calorific values.
more ready-made products are consumed and the food The upper (superior) calorific value (Hsup) of a fuel
processing takes place in the commercial/industrial may, according to DIN 51900, be defined as the energy
sector. content released per unit weight through total com-
The moisture is greater in lower-income areas due to bustion of the fuel. The temperature of the fuel before
the water content of the food waste and smaller combustion and of the residues (including condensed
amounts of paper and other dry materials. Annual water vapors) after combustion must be 25°C, and the
variations in moisture content depend on climatic con- air pressure 1 atmosphere. The combustion must result
ditions such as precipitation and harvest seasons for in complete oxidation of all carbon and sulfur to car-
vegetables and fruit. bon- and sulfur dioxide respectively, whereas no oxi-
Examples of the composition of waste from China, dation of nitrogen must take place.
the Philippines, and European countries are presented The lower calorific value differs from the upper
in Table 2.2. calorific value by the heat of condensation of the com-
bined water vapors, which comes from the fuel’s mois-
ture content and the hydrogen released through com-
Heating Value bustion.
The ash and water free calorific value (Hawf) express-
Once ignited, the ability of waste to sustain a combus- es the lower calorific value of the combustible fraction
tion process without supplementary fuel depends on a (ignition loss of dry sample) as stated on page 12.
Table 2.2 Composition of municipal wastes (percentage of wet weight)

% of waste Guangzhou, China, 8 districts Manila 22 European Countries
Year 1993 1997 1990
Ref. /7/ /9/ /3/
Fraction Range Mean Mean Range Mean
Food and organic waste 40.1 – 71.2 46.9 45.0 7.2 – 51.9 32.4
Plastics 0.9 – 9.5 4.9 23.1 2 – 15 7.5
Textiles 0.9 – 3.0 2.1 3.5 n.a. n.a.
Paper & cardboard 1.0 – 4.7 3.1 12.0 8.6 – 44 25.2
Leather & rubber .. .. 1.4 n.a. n.a.
Wood .. .. 8.0 n.a. n.a.
Metals 0.2 – 1.7 0.7 4.1 2–8 4.7
Glass 0.8 – 3.4 2.2 1.3 2.3 – 12 6.2
Inerts (slag, ash, soil, etc.) 14.0 – 59.2 40.2 0.8 .. ..
Others .. .. 0.7 6.6 – 63.4 24.0
Notes: n.a. = Not applicable
.. = Negligible
Determination of Hawf
1. In a laboratory, the upper calorific value of the dry sample Hsup,DS is determined according to DIN 51900.
2. Hawf is then determined according to the following formula:
Hawf = Hinf,DS / (1–A) * MCW * 2445 in kJ/kg,
where A is the ash content per kg dry sample and MCW is the weight of the condensed water per kg dry sample.
As a rule of thumb, Hawf may be estimated at 20,000 existing waste incineration plant, more or less sophis-
kJ/kg for ordinary MSW, except when the waste con- ticated evaluation methods may be applied.
tains extreme amounts of a single material—such as A first indication may be obtained simply by estab-
polyethylene—which has about double the energy lishing the following three parameters (in percentage
content. by weight):
Municipal waste is an inhomogeneous fuel that dif-
fers greatly from conventional fossil fuels. Calculating A: Ash content (ignition residuals)
the calorific value of MSW is, therefore, complex and C: Combustible fraction (ignition loss of dry
may lead to gross errors if done incorrectly. The repre- sample)
sentativeness of the samples analyzed is most critical, W: Moisture of raw waste
and variations must be accounted for.
Assuming that it is not possible to assess the fuel The lower calorific value of a fuel may then be cal-
characteristics of a particular waste from test runs at an culated from the following:
Figure 2.1 Tanner triangle for assessment of combustibility of MSW

% Moisture (W)
10
90
80
20
30
70
40
60
W=50% 50
50
60
40
25%
70
30
C=
80
20
90
10
A=
4-%
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
% Ash (A) % Combustible (C)

Waste as Fuel 13
Hinf = Hawf * C – 2445 * W in kJ/kg nent. Finally, the overall lower calorific value and ash
content are calculated as the weighted average for all
Assuming that the waste has no dominant fraction components.
with an extremely low or high calorific value, the lower Table 2.3 provides examples of the results of this
calorific value may be obtained by applying an approx- simple waste analysis, as well as the lower calorific value
imate value of 20,000 kJ/kg for Hawf: determined as the weighted average of the heat value
for characteristic components of the waste. The waste
Hinf ≅ 20,000 * B - 2445 * W in kJ/kg from Manila has the highest combustible content and
calorific value.
The result may also be plotted in a Tanner triangle dia- The method of calculating the calorific value as the
gram to see where it falls within the shaded area indicat- weighted average of characteristic fractions of the
ing a combustible fuel (Figure 2.1). The waste is theoreti- waste is further illustrated in Table 2.4.
cally feasible for combustion without auxiliary fuel when: See “Waste Survey,” page 17, for more accurate liter-
W < 50 percent, A < 60 percent, and C > 25 percent. ature values on Hawf.
A more accurate way to assess the fuel quality of a
waste is to divide it into characteristic components
(organic waste, plastics, cardboard, inerts, and the like), Waste Surveys/Forecasts
determine the water content (%W), the ash content
(%A) and the combustible matter (%C). The lower Estimating the amount and composition of solid
calorific value for each component can be found in lab- waste requires in-depth knowledge of the waste col-
oratory or literature values for Hawf for that compo- lection area’s demographic and commercial/industri-
Table 2.3 Fuel characteristics of municipal wastes

Guangzhou China
8 districts-93 /7/ 5 districts-94 /8/ Philippines
Parameter Units Range Mean Mean Manila - 97 /9/
Combustible % 14.6 – 25.5 22.3 31.4 37.6
Ash % 13.8 – 43.1 28.8 22.0 15.6
Moisture % 39.2 – 63.5 48.9 46.6 46.7
Lower calorific value kJ/kg 2555 – 3662 3359 5750 6800
Table 2.4 Example of calculation of lower calorific value from analysis of waste fractions and Hawf values
from literature
Mass basis Fraction basis Calorific values
% of Moisture Solids Ash Combustible Hawf Hinf
Fraction Waste W% TS% A% C% kJ/kg kJ/kg
Food and organic waste 45.0 66 34 13.3 20.7 17,000 1,912
Plastics 23.1 29 71 7.8 63.2 33,000 20,144
Textiles 3.5 33 67 4.0 63.0 20,000 11,789
Paper & cardboard 12.0 47 53 5.6 47.4 16,000 6,440
Leather and rubber 1.4 11 89 25.8 63.2 23,000 14,265
Wood 8.0 35 65 5.2 59.8 17,000 9,310
Metals 4.1 6 94 94.0 0.0 0 –147
Glass 1.3 3 97 97.0 0.0 0 –73
Inerts 1.0 10 90 90.0 0.0 0 –245
Fines 0.6 32 68 45.6 22.4 15,000 2,584
Weighted average 100.0 46.7 53.3 10.2 43.1 7,650
al structure. Reliable waste generation data and fore- income areas. Literature on investigations from similar
casts are scarce in most countries. Data and key figures societies may also be useful. Annual variations are like-
are often related to the overall waste generation/dis- ly to continue according to the present pattern.
posal of large cities and municipalities. Significant dif- As an example, the forecast for the domestic waste
ferences will, however, exist between waste generation for the year (n) may be calculated according to the for-
and composition in a city’s various zones such as its mula below. Variables include the present population,
high or low income residential, commercial and the expected long-term annual growth, the most recent
industrial areas. waste generation key figure, and the foreseen increase
Literature is available on key figures for waste gen- in this figure.
eration and composition. When properly selected and
applied, such data may be used for a preliminary assess-
ment of the feasibility of various waste treatment Domestic waste = PP × (1+ GRPP)n × wc × (1+GRKF)n
methods. For design purposes, however, it is best to PP is the present population, GR the growth rate and wc
establish and apply specific data for the area. It is rec- is the actual key figure, waste generation per capita.
ommended that waste quantity and quality be sur-
veyed year-round to monitor the seasonal variation
both in amounts and in waste characteristics. This may If available, the per capita generation key figure (wc)
be particularly important in regions with distinct should be determined by assessing reliable existing
tourist seasons, high monsoon rains, and the like. waste data. If reliable data is not available, an accurate
waste survey should be carried out. An example of per
Waste Forecasts capita generation key figures are shown in Table 2.6.
To be economically feasible, waste incineration plants
must have a life span of at least 15 to 20 years. Waste Waste Survey
quantity and composition should be forecast over the If reliable waste data and recordkeeping systems are not
lifetime of the incineration plant. A waste generation available, a waste survey should be used to generate sta-
forecast requires a combination of data normally used tistically significant results. The survey must consider a
for town planning purposes along with specific waste large number of parameters selected according to the
generation data. objective of the study—for example, waste quantity or
Changes in waste composition will be influenced by composition. Also, to detect seasonal variations, the
government regulations of issues such as recycling and survey should be performed all through the year.
the overall economic development of society. However, Generally, continuous reliable waste data recording
possible development trends maybe obtained by study- and recordkeeping are important for developing real-
ing the waste composition in different parts of the same
metropolis—for instance, in high-, medium-, and low-
Table 2.6 Per Capita Generation Data for Selected
Countries
Table 2.5 Waste generation forecast parameters Estimated Domestic Waste Generation
Parameter Development trend Country Year Ref. kg/capita/day
Population Growth/year (overall and by China general 1990–96 /10/ 0.5
district) cities 1990–96 /10/ 0.8–1.2
Industrial employment/industrial USA 1990 /11/ 2.0
area build up Growth/year 1985 /11/ 1.8
Commercial sector employment Growth/year Japan 1990 /11/ 1.1
Gross domestic product (GDP) Annual general prosperity 1985 /11/ 1.0
growth France 1990 /11/ 1.0
Waste generation key figures Growth/year 1985 /11/ 0.8
Waste composition Function of socio-economic Denmark 1996 /12/ 1.5
development 1990 /12/ 1.0
Waste as Fuel 15
istic waste management plans, monitoring the effects divided into collection districts to reflect characteris-
of waste management strategies, and publicly control- tics of waste generation.
ling waste flows and the performance of waste man- In places with no waste registration records, typical
agement organizations. districts may be outlined according to Table 2.7. Then,
The degrees of freedom are statistically reduced the collected waste should be systematically weighed.
when the sampling point moves away from the origin The registration should continue for at least a full year
of the waste and towards the disposal site—that is, to detect any seasonal variations. Great care must be
fewer samples are required to obtain the desired preci- taken to ensure that no changes are introduced in the
sion of the data. In return, a number of systematic collection districts, which could make the results
errors may be introduced. For example, scavenging and ambiguous.
other recycling activities will reduce weight and change Introducing a waste incineration plant will reduce
the composition of the waste. In developing countries, the livelihood of landfill scavengers. They may move to
where there is much scavenging, the calorific value of a new place in front of the treatment plant, thus chang-
the waste may be reduced considerably due to recovery ing the composition and calorific value of the waste. It
of wood, plastic, textiles, leather, cardboard, and paper. is important to assess the impact of such a change,
Plus, the weight of the waste may be influenced by cli- according to the amount the scavengers remove at the
matic conditions on its way from the point of origin to existing landfill.
ultimate disposal. During dry seasons, weight is lost
through evaporation, and precipitation during the wet Waste Composition
season may increase the weight. Waste composition varies with the waste type, the
socio-economic conditions of the collection area, and
Waste Quantity—Key Figures and Annual Variation seasonal variations. Planning a comprehensive survey
For well-organized waste management systems where of the composition of waste types therefore requires
most of the waste ends up in controlled landfills, long- input from a town planner, a waste management
term systematic weighing of the incoming waste will expert, and a statistician.
allow a good estimate of the key figures for waste gen- The survey planners should do at least the following:
eration and the annual variation. Thus, landfills and
other facilities receiving waste must have weighing • Divide the waste collection area into zones accord-
bridges to produce reliable waste data. ing to land use.
To establish waste generation key figures, waste • Subdivide land-use zones according to types of
quantity should be registered systematically and fairly waste generated (see Table 2.6).
accurately. For every load, the collection vehicles must • Identify well-defined and representative waste col-
submit information about the type of waste and its ori- lection districts for the types of waste.
gin. Further information about the district where the • Choose one or more representative districts to sur-
waste was collected can be obtained from town plan- vey for each type of waste.
ning sources and the socio-economic aspects can con- • Select the point of waste interception in such a way
sequently be included in the key figure calculations. that the waste will reflect what will reach a future
Table 2.7 indicates how a waste collection area may be treatment facility or incineration plant.
Table 2.7 Waste types and collection districts

Waste type Collection District
Domestic High income Medium income Low income
Commercial Shopping/office complexes Department stores Markets
Industrial Large enterprises Medium industries Small industries
• Establish baseline data for the district (population, Sorting waste to a reasonable degree of accuracy
industry, trade, and such). requires that staff have advanced training. The
• Monitor the amount of waste generated in the dis- pickers must learn to recognize the different waste
trict and the daily number of truck loads. categories—especially different types of plastics.
• Statistically assess the number of samples required They must empty cans, jars and bags before placing
to obtain a 95 percent confidence level on the waste them in containers. To ensure consistency, the sam-
composition. The distribution of the individual pling and sorting process must be controlled and
waste component can be assumed to be Gaussian. supervised by the same person throughout the
However, there should never be less than 25 of each waste survey. Furthermore, all procedures, includ-
type of waste. ing laboratory analyses and methods of calculation,
• Assess whether the seasonal variation necessitates must be described in detail in a waste characteriza-
more than one round of sampling (for example, tion manual.
summer/winter or wet/dry). Sorting categories should be based on the amount of
the characteristic categories and their influence on the
Executing the practical part of the waste composi- calorific value. Table 2.9 presents some of the typical
tion survey requires additional careful planning. The characteristic categories. The recommended minimum
physical facilities must be prepared to protect the staff number of categories are presented together with
performing the sorting and ensure that samples and optional subdivisions. Typical lower calorific values for
results remain representative. Sorting is best carried the ash and water free samples (Hawf) are given for each
out in well-vented buildings with concrete floors to type of material. These values are approximate, and
ensure that no waste is lost. The sorting station must be laboratory measurements of Hawf should to a certain
furnished with sorting tables, a screen, easy-to-clean- extent be applied to supplement and confirm or sub-
buckets or containers, and at least one scale. The logis- stitute literature values when calculating the overall
tics are summarized in Table 2.8. heat value of the waste.
Table 2.8 Logistics and Principles of Sampling and Analysis of Waste Data
Sampling The collection vehicle from the representative collection district is intercepted according to the plan.
Weighing The vehicle is weighed full and later empty resulting in the total weight. The waste volume is determined/ esti-
mated and the average density calculated.
Subsampling Sometimes sorting of full truck loads is too time consuming. Preparing a representative subsample (perhaps
100 kg) often makes it possible to sort waste from more trucks and thereby makes the result more significant.
However, preparing a representative subsample is not simple, and a detailed procedure for this routine must
be prepared – for example, accounting for drained-off water.
Sorting The waste is unloaded on the floor of the sorting building. It is then spread in layers about 0.1 meter thick on
sorting tables covered by plastic sheets. The waste is manually sorted according to the predetermined material
categories. The leftover on the table is screened (with a mesh size of about 12 mm). The screen residues are
again sorted manually, and the rest is categorized as “fines.”
This procedure is followed until the entire load or subsample – including floor sweepings – has been divided
into the appropriate fractions.
Physical Analysis All fractions are weighed and the moisture content determined through drying after shredding at 105˚ C until
a constant weight is obtained (about 2 hours). The moisture content is determined on representative samples
of all fractions on the day of collection.
Chemical Analysis The chemical analysis should be performed at a certified laboratory. The key parameters are ash content and
combustible matter (loss of ignition at 550˚ C for the dried samples) and Net Calorific Value for at least the
food and the fines fractions. Samples must be homogenized through proper repetitive mixing and grinding,
and at least three analyses should be performed on each fraction to minimize analytical errors.
Data Processing The wet and dry weight waste composition are calculated together with the interval of confidence.
Waste as Fuel 17
Table 2.9 Ash and Water Free Calorific Value (Hawf) for Selected Types of Waste
Component
Main category Subcategories Hawf
(mandatory) (optional) (MJ/kg)
Food scraps and vegetables 15–20
(to be analyzed in each case)
Plastics Polyethylene (bottles, foil, etc.) 45
PVC (bottles, etc.) 15–25
Polystyrene (wrapping) 40
Polypropylene 45
Textiles 19
Rubber and leather 20–25
Paper Dry 16–19
Wet 16–19
Cardboard Dry 16–19
Wet 16–19
Wood and straw 19
Other combustible *
Metals 0
Glass 0
Bones 0
Other non combustible 0
Hazardous wastes *
Fines (<12 mm mesh) 15
(to be analyzed in each case)
Note: * = Depends on chemical makeup of material.
Ultimately, the waste survey allows a calculation of Waste Load Design Calculation
the average lower calorific value for each type of waste.
The formula for determining the lower calorific The waste survey and forecast will establish the expect-
value (Hinf) for each type of waste is: ed amount and composition of waste generated during
the lifetime of the facility (for example, a 20-year peri-
od). The actual volume of waste arriving at the incin-
Hinf = Hawf * C/100 – 2445 * C (kJ/kg) eration plant will depend on the efficiency of the col-
lection system, together with negative and positive
incentives for supplying the waste to the plant. The
By weighting these individual Hinf for each type of most negative incentive may be an increased gate fee
waste with the percentage wet weight (M), the overall compared to fee of landfilling.
lower calorific value can be found by applying the fol- Before deciding on the plant’s design capacity, it is
lowing formula. recommended to apply a factor for collection efficien-
cy to the theoretical amounts. This is especially impor-
tant for commercial and industrial waste, which may
Hinf, overall = M1/100 * Hinf,1 + M2/100 * Hinf,2 + include a larger proportion of materials suitable for
. . . . +M /100 * H recovery and recycling.
n inf,n
The waste load on the incineration facility will consist tion at the source and the additional cost involved in
of a combination of domestic, commercial, and indus- the collection system. Incineration of waste from cer-
trial waste. tain areas (typically the more affluent ones) may, how-
The basic load will, however, be domestic waste, ever, be feasible.
which can be assumed to be supplied almost entirely to Mechanical sorting is another way to raise the
the incineration plant. average calorific value before incineration. This is
Separate collection of waste with a high energy con- typically a step in the production of waste derived
tent can theoretically increase the calorific value of the fuel, and suitable technology is available, but it usu-
waste fuel. However, this method is likely to fail in the ally isn’t used before mass burning because of addi-
practical world due to a lack of efficient waste separa- tional costs.
3 Institutional Framework
Key Issues trolled, thus ensuring that it is delivered to the most

appropriate plant and, in particular, that indiscrimi-
The success of an MSW incineration plant depends as nate dumping is avoided. Waste flow can be controlled
much on the institutional framework as on the waste by a combination of tariff policy (including cross-sub-
and technology. There are four main institutional sidization via the tipping fee at the licensed facilities),
framework areas to consider: the waste sector, the orga- enacting and enforcing waste management legislation,
nization and management of the incineration plant and a waste data and recordkeeping system.
itself, the energy sector, and the authorities responsible Traditionally, the waste management sector is
for control and enforcement. viewed as an undesirable place to work. In some
The institutional framework for the waste sector and regions, this has resulted in poorly managed waste ser-
the waste management system must be sufficiently vices. Plus, it has been difficult to recruit and maintain
developed to ensure supply of the design waste flow qualified staff—for instance, in rapidly growing
and quality of waste for the life span of the incineration economies where the public sector cannot match the
plant. The waste sector must further design and oper- salaries of private companies.
ate a controlled landfill for environmentally safe dis- In particular, operating and maintaining waste
posal of the incineration residues. incineration requires a highly skilled and effective
An organizational set-up that can administer the management—which means that new and skilled
plant and support the waste incineration project so managers may have to be attracted. Existing staff will
that it becomes an integral part of the waste man- have to be trained and capacity will have to be expand-
agement system is crucial. There should be a high ed. Also, it should be decided whether to involve the
degree of interaction between the different parts of private sector in operation and maintenance. The nec-
the waste management system and the waste incin- essary skills and education resemble the human
eration plant either through ownership or long-term resource demands in the energy sector, for example,
agreements. management of power plants.
Incineration is significantly more costly than To ensure proper and environmentally safe opera-
using landfills. The waste generators—that is, the tion, authorities responsible for control and enforce-
population and the commercial sector—must there- ment must be on hand. These authorities must be inde-
fore be willing to pay the additional cost, or else there pendent of the owner and operator of the waste
must be a subsidy scheme. Insofar as the operator/ incineration plant.
owner of the MSW incineration plant is supposed to In general, incineration plants are influenced by and
collect treatment charges, there must be ways to depend on numerous legal, institutional, and socio-
enforce this. economic factors in the environment. To assess fully
When ownership is private, there may be institu- the appropriateness of a proposed institutional frame-
tional borderline problems in the delivery of a suffi- work, a comprehensive stakeholder analysis must be
cient quantity and quality of waste, the pattern and performed for both the existing and projected situa-
price of sale of energy, or both. Waste flow must be con- tions.
19
Key Criteria lection, transportation, and final disposal of all types of

✓ ✓ ✓ A well-functioning solid waste manage- solid waste. Generally, collection of waste from house-
ment system, including a properly engi- holds and shops in residential areas is based on a pub-
neered and controlled landfill, has been pre- lic initiative. Large commercial centers, office com-
sent for a number of years. plexes, and industries are, however, often required to
arrange their own waste collection and disposal. Thus,
✓ ✓ ✓ Solid waste collection and transportation there may be many operators involved in solid waste
(domestic, commercial, and industrial) are collection and transportation.
managed by a limited number of well-regu- A fully developed and controlled solid waste man-
lated and controlled organizations. agement system is a precondition for establishing an
MSW incineration plant. A functional management
✓ ✓ ✓ There are signed and approved letters of system should have been in placefor at least a few years
intent or agreements for waste supply and before implementing the incineration plant.
energy sale. A well-functioning solid waste management system
ensures that all domestic, commercial, and industrial
✓ ✓ ✓ Consumers and public authorities are able wastes are collected, transported, and disposed of in a
and willing to pay for the increased cost of hygienic and environmentally safe manner at sanitary
waste incineration. landfills. Where such systems do not exist, the collec-
tion is much less efficient, and a significant part of the
✓ ✓ ✓ Authorities responsible for control, moni- waste is likely to be disposed of through uncontrolled
toring, and enforcing operation are present. dumping.
If the waste management system is not fully con-
✓ ✓ The authorities responsible for control, trolled, increased incineration costs are likely to insti-
monitoring, and enforcement are indepen- gate more illegal waste disposal activities. The ultimate
dent of the ownership and operation of the effect may be that the supply to the plant becomes
plant. insufficient in quantity or quality.
From waste generation to disposal, various kinds of
✓ ✓ Skilled staff for plant operation are available more or less organized recycling activities take place.
at affordable salaries. Otherwise, reliable The commercial sector and the industries employ their
operation and/or maintenance contracts own staff to salvage materials to sell and recycle.
are in place either in the form of operation Scavengers may be found at any stage of the handling
and service contracts or via BO/DBO/ system. They search dust bins and containers close to
BOOT/BOO schemes. the point of origin of the waste dump sites. Disturbing
the waste flow by introducing solid waste treatment
✓ The waste management authority owns the facilities may “force” the scavengers to shift their oper-
incineration plant. ation from the end of the waste chain toward the begin-
ning—thus changing the waste composition believed
✓ Municipal guarantees cover any shortfalls in to be available.
the plant economy due to insufficient sup- The complexity of the waste management system
ply or quality of waste. has occasionally caused legal problems regarding the
ownership of the waste. The crucial question is: When
does waste change from private property to a public
Waste Sector nuisance or asset? If this is not clear from a legal point
of view, it is difficult to commit or ensure the supply of
The waste sector includes public institutions and orga- waste to the treatment facility. Thus, regulatory
nizations as well as private companies involved in col- changes may be necessary.
Institutional Framework 21
Payment for services rendered is generally crucial in The purpose of solid waste incineration plants is to
waste management. Public health protection requires treat waste and hence reduce the waste volume for dis-
waste to be collected and disposed of away from inhab- posal. The design and layout of an incineration plant
ited areas, but not all areas or sectors may be willing or are based on continuous operation at 100 percent
able to pay for such services. The only secure way of load. In principle, the energy output will be almost
recovering the costs is through mandatory service constant 24 hours a day. The waste energy can there-
charges collected from the waste generators—possibly fore be regarded as a supplement to other fossil fuel-
together with property taxes or service charges for based energy sources that are operated at a load corre-
water and electricity. sponding to the actual energy demand. Normally, the
Private waste operators serving trade and industry energy produced from incineration plants is regarded
are likely to dispose of waste in the cheapest possible as base load. Depending on the price pattern, the price
way, even using an illegal method such as indiscrimi- of the waste generated energy will reflect this base load
nate dumping. Strict control and enforcement are status.
required to prevent such activities. To use all the energy produced, incineration plants
should mainly be established in large energy networks
where they can function as base load units with both
Energy Sector diurnal and seasonal variation.
Incineration plants consume and generate large

amounts of energy and are therefore important players Incineration Plant Organization and Management
in the local energy market—especially in relatively
small communities. It is thus important to establish Ownership and Operation
whether an incineration plant for solid waste can be MSW incineration plant ownership and allocation of
integrated into the legal and institutional framework of operational responsibility is of great importance.
the energy sector. Different kinds of borderline problems may arise
The energy sector is often heavily regulated. depending on the model. These problems are related to
Concession to produce and sell electricity is generally supply and quality of waste, as well as sale and distrib-
granted only to a limited number of public or private ution of heat, or both—depending on whether the
operators. An incineration plant established by anoth- plant belongs within the waste sector, the energy sec-
er organization may therefore face opposition in tor, or to a private operator.
obtaining necessary approval. Cooperation with exist- Incineration plants belonging to the solid waste
ing energy producers or consumers can therefore be management organization responsible for waste col-
useful. lection, transportation, treatment, and ultimate dis-
Prices of energy paid by consumers may be subsi- posal generally experience few problems regarding the
dized or taxed rather than based solely on production supply of “fuel”or disposal of residuals. The main insti-
costs. The prices of energy from waste incineration may tutional problems are related to the selling and distrib-
therefore have to be fixed by the government—which uting energy.
brings up important political and socio-economic con- Alternatively, the incineration plant may be located
siderations. A high price resulting in a reduced gate fee within the energy sector and belong to the power sup-
will subsidize the waste sector, whereas a low price will ply companies. Here, there are no problems with sell-
favor the energy consumers. ing and distributing energy. However, there may be
It is most feasible when the energy can be sold to a problematic cultural differences between the energy
single consumer for its own use or resale. The con- sector and the waste sector.
sumer may be a utility company with an existing dis- The energy sector is accustomed to a highly stan-
tribution network for district heating or power or a dardized fuel quality and is not used to variations in
large steam-consuming industrial complex. quantity and quality of waste. Normally, energy pro-
ducers modulate the operational pattern according to ager the freedom to acquire local spares and mainte-
the energy demand. MSW incineration plants, howev- nance contracts quickly.
er, have to follow the pattern of supply rather than Waste incineration is significantly more costly than
demand. They must therefore accept variations in waste disposal in sanitary landfills, even after incorpo-
quantity and quality of the fuel and energy output. An rating the revenues from sale of energy. The addition-
energy sector-based incineration plant owner will al costs can seldom be collected as a gate fee alone,
therefore try to exercise control over maximum and because the waste might be taken and disposed of in an
minimum waste supply and quality. uncontrolled manner. The budget deficiency must be
Privatization of incineration plants can include covered by general waste service charges, otherwise col-
combined ownership and operation or operation only. lected or compensated for through subsidies.
Fully privatized facilities may experience borderline Waste management charges should generally be col-
problems towards both the waste management and lected by an authority which holds sufficient legal
energy sectors. Establishing the necessary agreements power to apply reprisals when payments are not made.
is complicated, and problems monitoring and control- Establishing new entities solely to collect incineration
ling the waste supply and energy sale will develop. fees is costly and must be accompanied by an allocation
The borderline problems between the sectors must of enforcement power to collect overdue payments.
be solved through firm and irrevocable agreements
before plans are made to build the plant. Otherwise, the Tender Models for Waste Incineration Plants
feasibility of the plant is jeopardized. Table 3.1 outlines the principal tender models and
Staff recruitment and maintenance may be crucial ownership and management models for waste inciner-
when deciding on the plant’s ownership. In booming ation plants.
economies, the government often pays significantly The traditional tender model is the multiple contract
smaller salaries than the private sector. In return, the or single turnkey contract model. After commissioning
government and other authorities often provide pen- the plant, the client—typically the municipality, a group
sion schemes and greater job security than the private of municipalities or a public waste management insti-
sector. tution—begins operating the plant.
This may make it difficult for the public sector to These models ensure the most public control of ser-
attract enough qualified staff. Staff trained at the vice level, plant performance, plant finance, and tariff
plant’s expense may leave for better paying jobs. The setting. However, the client must bear the financial bur-
privately owned and operated facilities can better den of the investment and acquire the management
retain staff, since they can pay competitive salaries and and technical skills for implementing and operating
incentives. Both private and publicly operated plants the plant. A time-limited management and training
must, however, expect to have a continuous human (HRD) contract (about 1 or 2 years) must be included
resource development (HRD) program to maintain in the scope of supply.
staff for plant operation and maintenance. If the multiple contract model is applied, the divi-
The organizational set-up and financial manage- sion into lots must be limited and respect the natural
ment system for the incineration plant can influence entities. The furnace and boiler, for instance, must be
plant upkeep and maintenance. Several special equip- in one lot. However, unless the client has experienced
ment spares and components may be available only personnel with firm knowledge of procurement and
from abroad. Because spending foreign currency can waste incineration skills, it is strongly advisable to
be restricted or may require an extended approval divide the lots into no more than two main supplies:
process, procuring emergency replacement parts may complete machinery and structural.
cause the plant to shut down for long periods of time. The operation contract has been applied where
It is preferable for the incineration plant to be an municipalities wish to free resources from opera-
economic entity of its own, whether publicly or pri- tional duties or where it has been more economical to
vately owned and operated. This gives the plant man- let an experienced private contractor operate and
Table 3.1 Applicable Tender and Contracting Models for Waste Incineration Plants
Tender Model Client’s Obligations Contractor’s Obligations Advantages Constraints
Multiple contracts Financing. Function specifica- Supply and detailed design of Full client control of specifica- Absolute requirement for project management
tions, tendering, project coordi- individual parts for the plant. tions. Possible to create the and waste incineration skills in the client’s
nation, and construction super- optimum plant based on most organization.
vision. Ownership and feasible plant components.
operation.
Single turnkey contract Responsible for all project One contractor has the full Limited client control of choice of plant com-
Financing. Function specifica- design, coordination, and pro- responsibility for design, erec- ponents.
tions, tendering, and client’s curement activities. tion, and performance.
supervision. Ownership and
operation.
Operation contract Operation of the completed and Limited strain on the client’s Difficult for client to secure affordable tariffs,
Multiple or single turnkey con- functional plant in a certain peri- organization. (put or pay contract), control finances, and
tract. Ownership. Supply of od. monitor the contractor’s performance and ser-
waste. vice level.
Build Detailed design, project manage- Contractor committed to Difficult for client to secure affordable tariffs
Operate Financing, function specifica- ment, contractor’s supervision, well-functioning and effective (put or pay contract), control finances, and
tions, tendering, and client’s operation, and maintenance. solutions. Limited strain on monitor the contractor’s performance and ser-
supervision. Ownership. client’s resources. vice level.
23
Supply of waste.
Design Detailed design, project manage- Contractor committed to Difficult for client to secure affordable tariffs
Build Financing. Overall function ment, supervision, operation, well-functioning and effective (put or pay contract), control finances, and
Operate specifications and tendering. and maintenance. Ownership. solutions. Limited strain on monitor the contractor’s performance and ser-
Ownership. Supply of waste. client’s resources. vice level. Limited client control of choice of
plant components.
Build Financing, design, project man- Contractor finances, con- Difficult for client to secure affordable tariffs
Own Overall function specifications agement, supervision, operation, structs, and operates the plant (put or pay contract), control finances, and
Operate and tendering. Ownership after and maintenance. Ownership for a period after which the monitor the contractor’s performance and ser-
Transfer transfer. Supply of waste. until transfer. plant is transferred to the vice level. Limited client control of choice of
client. Very limited strain on plant components.
client’s resources.
Build Financing, ownership, design, Client does not need to Difficult for client to secure affordable tariffs
Own Overall function specifications project management, supervi- finance the project. (put or pay contract), control finances, and
Operate and tendering. Supply of waste. sion, performance guarantees, Contractor committed to monitor the contractor’s performance and ser-
operation, and maintenance. well-functioning and effective vice level. Limited client control of choice of
solutions. Very limited strain plant components.
on client’s resources.
maintain the plant. It is also applicable where the The client will also be asked to issue guarantees for
client has established a plant according to one of the the servicing of the loans used by the contractor to
aforementioned models but wants a different con- finance building the plant.
tractor—for example, a local company—to operate Deciding whether to contract out the establishment,
the plant. operation, financing, or ownership of incineration
There are several variants for using private contrac- plants to private contractors should not be taken light-
tors in designing, financing, and operating incinera- ly. It is important to weigh consciously the advantages
tion plants. In one common variant of privatization, and constraints of all options against the local condi-
supervision and control of private contractors is per- tions—in particular, the client’s creditworthiness and
formed by highly skilled clients (municipalities/ resources in terms of capital and staff skills, as well as
authorities). In particular, the client must have highly the actual legal framework for publicly monitoring and
skilled legal, contractual, and financial specialists to set controlling a private contractor.
up contracts for implementing, operating, owning, and
financing incineration plants with private contractors. Authorities
Detailed and professional contracts must be estab- Authorities responsible for control, monitoring, and
lished to protect the client’s obligation to provide effi- enforcement must be present to ensure proper plant
cient, affordable, and environmentally sustainable operation and compliance with the environmental
waste management services to the community. standards against which the incineration plant was
In general, the client loses financial and technical approved and intended. These authorities must be
maneuverability when entering into long-term service independent of the ownership and operation of the
contracts with private contractors, but on the other plant.
hand, financial resources and staff are liberated for About once a month, the plant management must
other purposes. The client must also offer guarantees submit reports on the average flue gas emission values,
on the supply of waste, sale of energy, and payments to amounts and composition of residues, flue gas reten-
the contractor (put or pay contracts). The put or pay tion times, and other operational parameters (for more
contracts are the contractor’s insurance against information, see Part II). The report must clearly state
increased net treatment cost if major preconditions all exceeded limits and explain them.
fail—for example, minimum waste supply or calorific Based on these reports, correspondence with the
value of the waste. (For information on the conse- plant management, and inspections, the authorities
quences when preconditions fail, see chapter 4—par- must take proper action if the plant is not operated in
ticularly Figure 4.4.) an environmentally safe way.
4 Incineration Plant Economics and Finance
Key Issues fee must be lower than (or at least, no greater

than) the fee at the landfill. Willingness and
Waste incineration involves high investment costs with ability to pay must be addressed.
a large share of foreign currency and high operating
and maintenance costs. Hence, the resulting net treat- ✓ ✓ ✓ Foreign currency is available for purchasing
ment cost per metric ton of waste incinerated is rather critical spare parts.
high compared to the alternative (usually, landfilling).
Depending on the actual costs (which are sensitive ✓ ✓ To be economically feasible, the capacity of
to the size of the plant) and revenues from the sale of the individual incineration lines should be
energy, the net treatment cost per metric ton of waste at least 240 t/d (10 t/h). A plant should have
incinerated will normally range from US$25-$100 (in at least two individual lines.
1998) with an average of about US$50. Depending on
the quality (for example, number of membrane layers ✓ ✓ When surplus energy is to be used for dis-
and leachate treatment) of the actual landfill site, the trict heating, the incineration plant must be
net cost of landfilling ranges from US$10-$40. located near an existing grid to avoid costly
Thus, higher net treatment cost is a critical issue new transmission systems.
when considering implementing a waste incineration
plant. Financing can be done in terms of tipping fees, a ✓ If a regular market for the sale of hot water
general levy, public subsidies, and combinations there- (district heating or similar) or steam is pre-
of. However, the ability and willingness to pay should sent, the plant should be based on the sale
be considered thoroughly to avoid the risk of uncon- of heat only—both in terms of technical
trolled dumping or burning is latent. complexity and economic feasibility. A cer-
tain extent of cooling to the environment
during the warm season may be preferable
Key Criteria to costlier solutions.
✓ ✓ ✓ There is a stable planning environment (15
to 20 years) with relatively constant or pre-
dictable prices for consumables, spare parts, Economics
disposal of residues, and sale of energy.
Furthermore, the capital costs (large share The mass burning principle with a moving grate is
of foreign currency) can be predicted. applied in the following economic analysis and esti-
mate of the investment costs for the machinery. This is
✓ ✓ ✓ Financing the net treatment cost must the most widespread and well-tested technology for
ensure a waste stream as intended in the incinerating MSW. Furthermore, other technologies
overall waste management system. cannot be recommended for incineration of normal
Consequently, the waste incineration tipping MSW (see Part II of this Guide).
25
Investment Costs • Flue gas cleaning. The plant is equipped with dry or
The actual investment cost for a waste incineration plant semidry scrubbers and a subsequent electrostatic pre-
depends on a wide range of factors, especially the size cipitator or bag-house filter to exercise medium level
(capacity) of the plant—the number of metric tons per emission control.
year or day and the corresponding lower calorific value of
the waste. Low-capacity plants are relatively more expen- The total investment cost can be reduced by approxi-
sive than high-capacity plants in terms of investment cost mately 10 percent if the plant is equipped for compliance
per metric ton of capacity. with basic-level emission control.However,if the plant has
The machinery (and hence, the investment costs) to comply with advanced-level emission control, the total
depends on the type of energy production, ranging from investment cost must increase approximately 15 percent.
simple cooling of all excess heat (no energy sale) to com- In Figure 4.1, the average investment cost per daily
bined heat and power production.Furthermore,the equip- capacity in metric tons is calculated according to the
ment necessary for flue gas cleaning is to a great extent aforementioned preconditions.
determined by the desired or required emission quality Normally,at least 50 percent of the investment costs for
level, which consequently influences the investment costs. the machinery part of the plant has to be covered by for-
The investment costs as a function of the annual (and eign currency.
daily) capacity for a typical new waste incineration plant
are estimated in Figure 4.1. A lower calorific value of the Operating and Maintenance Costs
waste of 9 MJ/kg (2150 kcal/kg) is assumed as the design The operating and maintenance costs comprise:
basis. A higher calorific value will increase the actual
investment costs and vice versa. • Fixed operating costs
Furthermore, the following preconditions corre- Cost of administration and salaries
sponding to a typical plant configuration in South and
Southeast Asia apply. • Variable operating costs
Cost of chemicals for the flue gas cleaning system
• Number of incineration lines. The minimum capacity of Cost of electricity (if the plant is equipped with a steam
each incineration line is 240 t/d (10 t/h) and the max- turbine and a turbine/generator set, there will be a net
imum is 720 t/d (30 t/h). There should be at least two production of electricity)
incineration lines—so plants should be at least approx- Cost of water and handling of waste water
imately 500 t/d. When calculating the necessary daily Cost of residue disposal
capacity based on the annual dimensioning waste vol-
ume, an availability rate (number of operating hours a • Maintenance costs
year) of 7500 is presumed. Furthermore, 5 percent Cost to maintain the machinery (such as spare parts)
excess capacity is presumed to cover conditions such as Cost to maintain the buildings
seasonal variations.
Figure 4.1 Investment Costs
• Energy production. The plant produces steam primari- Plant Capacity (metric tons/day)
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500
ly for electricity production but if it also is involved in 350 210
combined heat and power production or sale of elec- 300 180
1000 US$/metric ton/day
Investment/capacity Total
tricity and steam, excess heat is cooled away. Hence, the 250 150
Million US$
plant is equipped with steam boilers,turbine units,and 200 120

condensing/cooling units. 150
Machinery
90
100 60
Civil
• The total investment cost can be reduced by approxi- 50 30
mately 30 percent if the plant is equipped for hot water 0

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700
0
800
production only. Plant Capacity (1000 metric tons of waste/year)
Incineration Plant Economics and Finance 27
The fixed operating costs depend heavily on the is average in Europe and North America, with waste
number of employees, the percentage of skilled and having a lower calorific value in the range of 9 to 13
unskilled workers and engineers, and the local salary MJ/kg.
level. The annual fixed operating costs for plants in However, it is important to remember that the main
South and Southeast Asia are estimated at 2 percent of purpose of an incineration plant is treatment resulting
the total investment. in a volume reduction and in rendering the waste
The variable operating costs will to a certain extent harmless.
depend on the specific flue gas cleaning system. But The potential energy production—and income
more important, the actual cost of disposal of the from energy sale—depends heavily on the energy con-
residues from the flue gas cleaning has a strong influ- tent (net calorific value) of the waste. In Table 4.1, rep-
ence on the variable operating costs. Based on a dis- resentative energy production per metric ton of waste
posal cost of approximately US$100 per metric ton of incinerated is listed for heat production, electricity
APC (Air Pollution Control) residue and US$5 per production, and combined heat and power production
metric ton of bottom ash reused or disposed of, the (see Part II of this guide for further information).
overall variable operating costs are estimated at US$12 Furthermore, the potential income from sale of energy
per metric ton of waste incinerated. is stated—based on a heat price of US$15/MWh and an
According to customary practice, the annual mainte- electricity price of US$35/MWh.
nance costs are estimated at 1 percent of the investment The specific energy demand must be taken into con-
for the civil works plus 2.5 percent of the investment for sideration—especially for heat production only. Unless
the machinery. the district heating network is relatively large, it is nor-
Figure 4.2 presents the resulting annual operating mally necessary to cool off some of the produced heat
and maintenance costs. The figures are based on the in the summer period, thus reducing the annual
actual amount of waste treated and the investment cost income from sale of heat.
discussed earlier. In addition, the annual capital costs If production and sale of process steam are part of
and the total costs of incineration are indicated. The the overall concept, this income must be evaluated
figure uses a real rate of interest of 6 percent and a plan- according to a specific sales agreement. The income in
ning period of 15 years. terms of U.S. dollars per metric ton of steam supplied
depends especially on the pressure and temperature of
Sale of Energy the steam.
The sale of energy is a significant element in the econ-
omy of waste incineration. In extreme cases, the Calculation of Net Treatment Cost
income from energy sale can cover up to 80 percent to The net treatment cost (balanced tipping fee) can be
90 percent of the total costs. A figure around 40 percent calculated based on the estimates of costs and potential
income from sale of energy. Using the preconditions
stated in the previous sections, the following figure can
Figure 4.2 Costs of Incineration per Year
Plant Capacity (metric ton/day)
be applied for a rough estimate of the net costs of waste
60.0
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500
120 incineration.
The income from sale of energy is based on the lower
50.0 Total Costs/metric ton 100
Total Costs calorific value (LCV) of the waste of 9 MJ/kg. In case
Million US$/year
US$/metric ton
40.0 80 the LCV is lower than 9 MJ/kg, the income from sale of
30.0 60 energy is reduced, resulting in a higher net treatment
Capital Costs
cost.
20.0 40
O%M Costs By assuming an annual amount of waste suitable for
10.0 20 incineration per capita of 0.25 metric tons (0.7 kg/capi-
0.0 0 ta/day), the resulting annual cost per capita can be esti-
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800
Plant Capacity (1000 metric ton of waste a year) mated. Depending on the size of the plant, this cost will
Table 4.1 Energy Yield and Income from Energy

Heat value CHP Heat Only Power Only
Hinf Power Heat Income Heat Income Power Income
MJ/kg MWh/t MWh/t US$/t MWh/t US$/t MWh/t US$/t
6 0.33 1.08 28 1.33 20 0.58 20
7 0.39 1.26 33 1.56 23. 0.68 24
8 0.44 1.44 37 1.78 27 0.78 27
9 0.50 1.63 42 2.00 30 0.88 31
10 0.56 1.81 47 2.22 33 0.97 34
Note: CHP 76 percent of yield as heat.
Figure 4.3 Estimated Income from Energy Sales and Recovery of Energy
60.0 Estimated Income from Energy Sales 3.00 Energy Recovery
50.0 2.50
Total Yield (MWh/metric ton)

Income (US$/ton)
40.0 2.00
30.0 1.50
20.0 1.00
10.0 0.50
0.0 0.00
6 7 8 9 10 11 6 7 8 9 10 11
Calorific Value (MJ/kg) Calorific Value of Waste (MJ/kg)
CHP Heat only Power only CHP Power only Heat only
Figure 4.4 Net Treatment Cost outlined in Example 4.1. Furthermore, the economic
Metric Tons/Day consequences of failing preconditions (waste supply
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500
60.0 80 and LCV) are analyzed.
50.0
70 The calculation of the net treatment cost in this
Total Costs
Net cost/metric ton example is based on a lower calorific value of the waste
million US$/year
60
US$/metric ton
40.0
50 of 9 MJ/kg. Furthermore, the incineration plant is
30.0 40
dimensioned for an annual waste supply of 300,000
30
20.0 Net Costs metric tons. These preconditions together with the
20
10.0
10
assumptions stated in the example result in an esti-
Income
0.0 0 mated net treatment cost of US$43/metric ton.
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800
1,000 Metric Tons of Waste a Year
However, in case one or more of the critical precon-
ditions fail (especially waste supply and/or calorific
value of the waste), the incineration plant will be oper-
normally be within the range of US$10- ated “off design.” If the waste supply or the calorific
$20/capita/year. This is the treatment cost only and value is lower than forecasted, the actual net treatment
does not include the collection of waste, recycling sys- cost may be severely influenced. Figure 4.5 graphically
tems, and other waste services. depicts the sensitivity of the calculated net treatment
As an example, the economy for an MSW incinera- cost.
tion plant with an annual capacity of 300,000 metric The bold line in the figure shows the effect of a vary-
tons of waste (approximately 1,000 metric tons/day) is ing waste supply on the net treatment cost. The graph
Example 4.1 Calculation of Net Treatment Cost

Preconditions:
Capacity 300,000 t/y 960 t/d 40 t/h
Output
– Bottom ash 75,000 t/year
– APC residues 10,500 t/year
– Electricity for sale 265 GWh
Investment 145.0 mill.
Annual capital costs (6% p.a., 15 years) 13.0 mill. 43 US$/metric ton
Annual operating cost

– Administration and salaries 3.0 mill.
– Electricity, lime, water, chemicals 2.0 mill.
– Disposal of residues (100 US$/metric ton) 1.0 mill.
– Disp/re-use of bottom ash (5 US$/metric ton) 0.4 mill.
– Maintenance (machinery & civil) 3.0 mill. 9.4 mill. 31 US$/metric ton
Total annual costs 22.4 mill. 74 US$/ metric ton
Annual revenue energy sale (35 US$/MWh) 9.3 mill. 31 US$/ metric ton
Net cost 14.3 Mill. 43 US$/ metric ton
Figure 4.5 Sensitivity of the Net Treatment Cost amount of waste treated. Only the variable part of the
6 MJ/kg (min. Calorific Value)
operating and maintenance cost will be reduced when
85.0
9 MJ/kg
the waste supply decreases, but at the same time, the
income from energy sale will decrease.
75.0
B In case the calorific value of the actual waste sup-
Net Treatment Cost (US$/metric ton)
Design Load Max. Capacity plied is only 6 MJ/kg (point B), the net treatment cost
11 MJ/kg
65.0
will increase from US$43 to US$53/metric ton.
This sensitivity analysis stresses the importance of a
55.0 A
thorough, reliable waste survey and forecast.
45.0
Min. Capacity Financing

35.0
25.0
The primary sources of financing for incineration
180000 200000 220000 240000 260000 280000 300000 320000 340000 plant facilities are free income from the user popula-
Waste Supply (metric tons/year)
tion, income from sale of energy and heat, and public
subsidies. These financing forms are not mutually
shows that if the actual waste supply is only 200,000 exclusive and are often used in combination.
metric tons/year (point B), the net treatment cost will
increase from US$43 to US$75/metric ton. If the waste Fee income from user population: Ideally, the
supply is lower than 200,000 metric tons/year, the plant annual net capital and operating costs of the plant
cannot be operated continuously. are financed largely through user fees from house-
The high sensitivity of the net treatment cost is a holds and industry. Public commitments are nec-
consequence of the different nature of the costs. All essary to allow the incineration facility autonomy
fixed costs must be financed independently of the in defining fee schedules, which again will allow
the facility to be self-financing—that is, revenues ments for selling energy to distributors may be a
must cover all operating and maintenance costs, financing prerequisite.
including depreciation and financing expenses.
Obviously, low-cost alternative energy sources in the
Household service fees are generally collected region decrease the value of energy sales by offset-
together with taxes for other municipal services ting annual costs. Additionally, an unstable energy
and are based on average waste amounts generated market makes forecasting of operating costs difficult
by various categories of household (apartments, and increases the risk of facility financing.
single-family homes, and so on). These service fees
represent a reasonably secure income stream, Public subsidies: Public subsidies in various forms
depending on the local government’s success in from local government or donor organizations can
collecting local taxes. decrease the user’s tariff burden. Subsidies may
include grant financing, favorable term loans for
Gate or tipping fees are commonly used for large plant facilities, or general tax levies. Subsidies can be
industrial customers, who pay a fee for waste financed from the budget or linked to environmen-
delivered directly to the incineration facility. tal taxes.
There is a greater risk that waste will not be col-
lected, which causes plant income to vary. “Stray” While fee subsidies generated by general tax levies
customers may seek alternative, less expensive, take the fiscal burden from the user population, the
waste treatment through landfilling, or they ille- burden is placed on local government and may lead
gally dump or burn waste. Controls must be in to inefficient plant operations. Fee subsidies may
place to ensure that sufficient volumes are deliv- reduce the management’s incentives to reduce costs
ered to the facility to cover capital and operating and can erode professional management practices.
costs. It is often necessary for local authorities to
commit to delivering acceptable minimum levels The financing structure must allow the facility to pro-
of waste to the incineration facility before bank vide a service which the consumer can and will pay for—
loans are financed. the investment program is viable only to the extent that
it is also affordable. Generally, 3 percent to 4 percent of
Public controls or incentives are necessary to com- the household income is the maximum acceptable level
pel the customers to use the incineration facility. for the waste fee by international development banks. To
Measures may include directly billing industrial help “sell” any increase in waste fees, they should coin-
customers based on estimated waste generation as cide with a service improvement or reduced environ-
an alternative to gate fees; capping competing mental impact.
landfills; equalizing costs through increased land- In developing countries, it is recommended to survey
filling tipping fees or subsidised incineration fees; the population’s willingness and ability to pay as part of
and fines for using landfill facilities, illegal dump- the financial and economic project evaluation. Such a
ing, and burning. The agreement of local govern- survey must be carefully designed to determine the actu-
ment to set up and enforce controls is critical in al and real incomes and expenditures of the waste gen-
evaluating project risk. erators. There may be a considerable difference between
official and actual incomes, as well as differences among
Income from sale of energy or heat: While the sale household incomes. It may be necessary—and in some
of energy or heat is not a necessary component of countries also a tradition—to provide specific conces-
an incineration plant, it can significantly reduce sions to pensioners, soldiers, war veterans, the unem-
net annual facility expenditures. A stable demand ployed, students, and so on.
for plant-generated energy can in some cases be Average tariffs must be fixed at such a level that cash
critical to securing plant financing, and agree- needs are covered, including—where possible—an
adequate self-financing margin, but the average tariff • Stable energy demand and prices.
should not exceed accepted affordability standards.
Investments are not sustainable if the user population By carrying out a cost-benefit assessment (CBA), the
finds them unaffordable and seeks undesirable alterna- higher net treatment cost (and higher risk) must be jus-
tives to waste handling and treatment. tified for the specific waste incineration project before
The service population’s ability to pay for incinera- proceeding. The CBA should be performed in the fea-
tion services is a key factor in determining plant size sibility phase (see chapter 5).
and treatment capacity. Long-term forecasts of house- The outcome and content of the CBA strongly
hold income and the financial situation of local indus- depend on the local socio-economic environment.
tries are necessary to determine affordability. Some of the elements to be considered are:
• Waste transport distance

Cost-Benefit Assessment • Land use and land reclamation
• City development and tourism
The estimate and calculations in this chapter draw the • Environmental impact of waste disposal (short and
conclusion that the net treatment cost per metric ton of long term)
waste incinerated is normally at least twice the net cost • Technology transfer and raise in the level of work-
of the alternative controlled landfilling. At the same ers’ education and skills
time, when applying waste incineration, the economic • Local jobs
risk in case of project failure is high because of: • Sustainability of energy generation.
• The high investment cost and the need for foreign Sometimes political issues also play a major role in
currency deciding whether to implement waste incineration—as
• The complexity of the technical installations, which many countries would like to be identified with this
requires qualified and skilled staff, availability of technology.
spare parts, and so on If the CBA is negative, disposal of waste at well-engi-
• Special requirements in terms of quantity and com- neered and well-operated landfills is an economically
position (for example, minimum net calorific value) and environmentally sound and sustainable solution.
• The need for a comprehensive and mature waste man- Indeed, upgrading existing landfill capacity and quali-
agement system and institutional set-up in general ty is often the better alternative.
5 The Project Cycle
Key Issues components is about the same. However, the pre-

feasibility study will often be based mainly on exist-
The project cycle for implementing a waste incinera- ing data and literature references. Hence, the pre-
tion plant involves three main phases: feasibility, pro- feasibility study may be regarded as only a
ject preparation, and project implementation. After preliminary assessment of the applicability of waste
finishing one phase, major political decisions have to incineration for the waste from the area in question
be made regarding whether to continue to the next and of the existing institutional framework. The
phase. The phases themselves contain a number of feasibility study requires an in-depth investigation
minor steps also involving the decision makers. of all the local preconditions and a sufficiently
Figure 5.1 outlines the steps. The cumulative time detailed conceptual design of the entire plant,
from the project start is indicated after the duration transmission systems, and necessary infrastructure
of the individual steps. From the launch of the pro- for a reliable economic assessment of the entire
ject idea, it takes approximately six years before the project.
plant opens, assuming there are no delays. Developing an MSW incineration project requires
the combined skills of a variety of experts, most of
Key Criteria whom are not available locally. The project initiator
✓ ✓ ✓ A skilled, independent consultant with should therefore consider hiring an independent
experience in similar projects should be consultant to work closely together with local orga-
employed at the onset of the planning. nizations and staff. This consultant will offer experi-
ence gained from similar projects and also act as a
✓ ✓ ✓ The public perception of waste incinera- mediator in case of conflicting local interests.
tion should be taken into consideration. The feasibility report is a valuable tool for the deci-
The public should be involved in and sion makers, not only when deciding whether to pro-
informed about all phases—but particu- ceed with the project but also in assessing the entire
larly the feasibility and project prepara- institutional framework. The ideas and proposals
tion phases. outlined in the feasibility phase will be transformed
into concrete project agreements and documents in
the following phase.
Feasibility Phase
The feasibility phase comprises a prefeasibility and a Project Preparation Phase

feasibility study. A political decision needs to be
made between them to determine whether it is worth Project preparation is a highly political phase dur-
progressing to the more detailed investigations. ing which many fundamental decisions are made.
The main considerations of the feasibility phase The objectives are to ensure that the accepted ideas
are presented in Figure 5.2. The content for the two from the feasibility study materialize.
33
Figure 5.1 Generic Implementation Plan for Constructing a Waste Incineration Plant
Phase and Step Purpose and Issues to Consider Duration
Feasibility Prefeasibility Study Waste quantities, calorific values, capacity, siting, energy 6 months
Phase sale, organization, costs, and financing
Political Decision Decide whether to investigate further or to abort the project 3 months
Feasibility Study Waste quantities, calorific values, capacity, siting, energy 6 months
sale, organization, costs, and financing in detail
Political Decision Decide on willingness, priority, and financing of incineration 6 months

plant and necessary organizations
Project Establishment of an Establishment of an official organization and an 6 months

Preparation Organization institutional support and framework
Phase
Tender and Financial Detailed financial engineering, negotiation of loans or other 3 months
Engineering means of financing, and selection of consultants
Preparation of Reassessment of project, specifications, prequalification of 6 months

Tender Documents contractors and tendering of documents
Political Decision Decision on financial package, tendering of documents and 3 months

procedures in detail and final go-ahead
Project Award of Contract and Prequalification of contractors. Tendering of documents. Selection 6 months
Implementation Negotiations of most competitive bid. Contract negotiations.
Phase
Construction and Construction by selected contractor and supervision by 2 1/2 years

Supervision independent consultant
Commissioning and Testing of all performance specifications, settlements, 6 months

Startup commissioning, training of staff, and startup by constructor
Operation and Continuous operation and maintenance of plant. 10–20 years

Maintenance Continuous procurement of spare parts and supplies.
Project Implementation Unit manage the project overall—including supervision and

The amount of work the institution or agency devel- commissioning.
oping and implementing the project faces is so great The PIU may be dissolved when the plant is taken over by
that a dedicated organization/unit must be established the plant management organization,or it may become inte-
for the project. This Project Implementation Unit grated therein, or—on a smaller scale—continue to super-
(PIU) and its attached independent consultants will vise the performance of an independent plant operator.
The Project Cycle 35
Figure 5.2 Key Activities to be part of the Prefeasibility and the Feasibility Studies
Prefeasibility Study Feasibility Study
Waste collection area Land use and demographic information Land use and demographic information
Waste sector Stakeholder identification Stakeholder analysis

Existing waste management system and Detailed system description and analysis
facilities (collection through disposal) SWOT analysis
Preliminary SWOT assessment
Energy sector Stakeholder identification and assessment Stakeholder analysis

Institutional setup Institutional setup
Market evaluation Market analysis
Detailed information about energy generation
and consumption pattern
Waste generation Waste generation forecast based on Waste survey

current data and literature values Revised waste generation forecast
Calorific value of waste Annual variation of surveyed waste calorific value
Incineration plant design load Plant design load and calorific value
Plant siting Identification of siting alternatives Selection of plant location
Plant design Tentative plant design Conceptual plant design

• Furnace • Furnace
• Energy recovery • Energy recovery
• Flue gas cleaning • Flue gas cleaning
• Building facilities • Building facilities
• Mass balance • Mass balance
• Staffing • Staffing
Cost estimates Investments Investments

Operating costs Operating costs
Energy sale Energy sale
Cost recovery Cost recovery
Environmental assessment Preliminary EA Full EA according to OD4.01
Institutional framework Project organization Project organization

Waste supply Draft waste supply and energy sale agreements
Energy sale Plant organization and management
Plant organization and management Tender model
Training needs assessment HRD plan
The PIU and its consultants will be responsible for • Contracts

developing: • A plan to monitor construction activities
• A plan to monitor plant acceptance tests and com-
• Waste supply agreement(s) missioning.
• An energy sales agreement
• An environmental assessment The degree of details of these individual documents
• An arrangement on the ultimate disposal of incin- depends on the selected tender model. If the plant is to
eration residues be established on the basis of multiple contracts, every-
• Financing and loan agreements thing must be elaborated on in full detail and all the
• Project tender documents agreements must be signed.
If, on the other hand, the selected tender model is Political Decision
based on BOT or BOO, it is necessary only to estab- When all consequences of the project have been clari-
lish functional demands and outline the responsibili- fied to the extent possible, the PIU prepares a report for
ties of the various stakeholders. Establishing stake- political decisionmaking before entering the imple-
holder responsibilities is crucial in avoiding or mentation phase.
helping settle future claims. Claims may arise—for
example, regarding insufficient waste supply, energy
consumption, environmental performance, or loan Project Implementation Phase
servicing. Because of the size of the project, the
financing institution is likely to ask the city or even the Tendering
government to cosign the loan financing the estab- Independently of the selected tender method, the ten-
lishment of the plant. der process should always be carried out in two stages:
The PIU will supervise the contractors, regardless prequalification of eligible contractors and tendering
of the tender model. It will check that projects are among those selected.
designed according to the proper specifications and The PIU performs a tender evaluation, negotiates
that the quality of work and materials is of the pre- amendments, and submits a tender report with recom-
scribed standard. mendations to the political decision makers before any
The PIU must thus possess managerial, technical, contracts are closed.
and financial expertise or engage independent con- Most countries have detailed procurement rules
sultants. ensuring a fair and unbiased award of contract as well
If the city responsible for the project development as the best combination of cost and quality when pur-
decides to manage it on its own, the PIU will also chasing services and equipment for the public.
become involved in staff recruitment and training International development banks have established
before startup. similar rules.
It is important to review the procurement rules care-
Draft Agreements/ Letters of Intent fully, including the optimum tendering form (see Table
The project preparation phase eliminates any “killer 3.1). To ensure the most cost-effective and operational
assumptions”—which could cause the project to implementation procedure, it is useful to review the
fail—before proceeding to the implementation availability, competitiveness, and skills of local suppli-
phase. ers of equipment and services as well.
To eliminate killer assumptions, the project must
be redesigned technically, financially, and institution- Construction, Erection, and Commissioning
ally. Borderline issues must be settled through irrevo- The PIU tasks during construction, erection, and com-
cable letters of intent or even finalized agreements. missioning will depend on the tender model. The tasks
Outstanding issues regarding the plant economy may range from a simple financial control function to
must be settled during the project preparation phase. a detailed supervisory function.
The project financing must be decided, loans have to For process plants, the commissioning will comprise
be negotiated, and it must be clarified whether and on not only the scope of supply and quality of work, but
what conditions the client (city or government) is also a control that the functional demands are fulfilled.
prepared to guarantee or cosign loans taken out by a Seasonal variations in waste composition may require
contractor. Alternative systems for collecting the costs functional controls during both periods with high and
of incineration must be investigated. A feasible distri- low calorific values of the waste.
bution between gate fees and city budget payment Final acceptance testing is essential. Other impor-
must be established based on an assessment of the tant issues include timely and adequate staff training
waste generators’ ability and willingness to pay (as and provision of operational support. However, the
discussed in chapter 4). most important factor in establishing a cost-effective
and efficiently operating plant is having skilled and Socio-Economic Aspects and Stakeholder
internationally experienced consultants to support the Participation
client in specifying and supervising performance crite-
ria and plant layout. Stakeholders
Any changes made to the waste management system will
Staffing and Training have a socio-economic impact—for example, on those
Engaging staff must start from 6 to 12 months before individuals, companies, and groups making a living
plant commissioning. Key management, operational. from waste management; citizens of neighboring areas;
and maintenance staff should be trained at similar and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Possible
plants for at least three to six months. stakeholders and interest groups are shown in Figure 5.3.
It is advantageous if the plant operation and main-
tenance crews participate in the last part of the erection Scavenging and Unofficial Economic Activities
and the commissioning so they can gain intimate In developing countries, scavengers and unofficial
knowledge of how the plant is built and functions. recycling companies are often important in the actual
Staff training programs must be initiated well before collection, disposal, and recycling of waste. They may
startup. This is often included in the services to be involve low-income citizens, the city’s waste collection
delivered by the vendor or equipment supplier, under crews, and a number of small-scale waste recyclers
supervision of an international waste incineration con- located at or near the city dump, at waste transfer sta-
sultant or a corporate partner with long-term experi- tions, or along major roads leading to waste manage-
ence in operating incineration plants. ment facilities.
Figure 5.3 Typical Stakeholders for Construction of an Incineration Plant

Stakeholders Stakeholder InterestsPossible Stakeholder Influence
Scavengers Changed waste management may affect Scavengers’ activities may affect the properties and
or eliminate their source of income. amounts of waste.
Community groups and Project may lead to adverse community Termination, delay, or change of projects due to
nearby citizens impact – for example, traffic, noise, community protests.
visual impact, etc. Positive impacts
could include work opportunities.
Nature NGOs Reduced impact of waste management Termination, delay, or change of projects due to
on nature. NGO protests.
Environmental NGOs Reduced impact of waste management Termination, dela, or change of projects due to
on the environment. NGO protests.
Neighbors Reduction of noise, dust, traffic loading, Termination, delay, or change of projects due to
and visual impact. Impact on real neighbor protests.
estate prices.
Collection and transportation Wish to maintain or expand the business. New requirements for sorting, containers, and
companies vehicles.
Energy producers Opposition to purchase of energy from Barriers to sale of energy at local market prices.
smaller external producers.
Waste generators Wish to maintain low waste management Opposition to large investments and increased
service charges. service charges.
In some developing countries, income from sale of Many countries have implemented Environmental
reusable materials such as aluminum or steel cans, plas- Impact Assessment (EIA) requirements. Likewise, all
tic, cardboard, paper, metals, and bottles is the prima- major development banks and lending institutions
ry income for a whole community of scavengers and have their own EIA requirements. Typically, such
waste recyclers. Hence, any changes made to the waste requirements include public participation or hearing
management system may seriously affect their liveli- procedures for relevant NGOs and community groups.
hood. Likewise, the interests and activities of such An EIA and hearing procedures could provide a way to
unofficial scavenging may seriously reduce the calorif- communicate actual environmental and neighbor-
ic value or the amounts of waste received at the waste hood impacts. Generally, a waste incineration plant
incineration plant. equipped with energy recovery and international air
Hence, it is important to pay attention to scavenging pollution control measures will be environmentally
and other unofficial waste management activities. This more desirable than dumping, even if the dumping
helps address possible constraints in planned service takes place in state-of-the-art sanitary landfills
improvements and mitigates the socio-economic equipped with engineered lining, leachate treatment,
problems that a waste incineration plant can bring— and landfill gas management systems. Hence, it is key
which in turn, influences the waste flow. to identify the optimum site and to mitigate potential
neighborhood nuisances.
Combatting the NIMBY Syndrome
In areas with no public experience with state-of-the-art Socio-Economic Impact of Advanced Waste Treatment
waste incineration plants, there is normally resentment Facilities
and distrust towards the environmental and technical Typically, introducing more advanced waste treatment
performance of such a facility. facilities requires investments and, hence, public or pri-
Typically, incineration and stacks are associated with vate capital and higher incomes to cover increased
emission of black smoke and particles, and waste is operation and maintenance costs. Also, typical
associated with odor problems. Citizens are often well advanced waste treatment facilities, other than engi-
acquainted with occasional open burning of accumu- neered sanitary landfills, produce a salable output, such
lated solid waste, for example. Also, contrary to dumps, as steam or heat, electricity, and recovered materials
waste incineration plants are normally constructed in (for example, metals).
or near residential areas. Hence, “not in my backyard” When salable outputs are generated, it is necessary
(NIMBY) can become a common protest. To combat to decide on a cost recovery system which balances the
this, it is important to make sure that citizens have a cor- income from salable output and from treatment fees to
rect picture of the pros and cons of waste incineration be paid by the waste generators. The income from sale
through a public participatory consultation process. of steam or heat and power from waste incineration
It is important to communicate information on plants varies between 0 and 40 percent of the total
waste incineration technology, as well as the global and annual costs, depending on the national legislation and
local environmental impacts, in a trustworthy and the regional energy market.
detailed manner. The community should be encour- National or regional traditional power and district
aged to express its concerns at an early stage—for heating companies may be reluctant to purchase ener-
example, during public information meetings and gy produced at waste incineration plants because:
hearings. Here, the client can present the potential risks
and impacts as well as the environmental protection • Energy can be produced with higher profit margins
measures that will be introduced. If necessary, addi- by using the supplier’s own plants and other fuels
tional environmental protection measures or commu- • Capacity of the supplier’s own plants will be redun-
nity nuisance control measures can be planned and dant and, hence, return on investments already
announced after the public meetings. made will be less
• The supplier is unwilling to rely on external energy to pay the full cost of an advanced waste management
suppliers system. Surveys can be used to determine the actual level
• Supply is not sufficiently stable or guaranteed of affordability. For example, differentiated service fees
• The incineration plant is not suitably located with- can be charged—for example, households with incomes
in the current energy infrastructure system. below a certain threshold; households with incomes
above a certain threshold; private production compa-
Therefore, national or regional legislation favoring nies; private service companies; and public institutions.
energy produced from solid waste (renewable energy A political decision should be made on how to deal
source) is important for securing high income from with waste generators who are unable to pay the full
sale of energy from waste incineration plants. Such reg- service fees. Service fees for less affluent waste genera-
ulating procedures have been introduced in practically tors can be cross-subsidized by the public budget or the
all developed countries with waste incineration plants, more affluent waste generators; or each low-income
thus forcing electricity and district heating companies waste generator can be subsidized directly.
to purchase energy from waste incineration plants at a In any case, a suitable policy for collection of service
specific price. fees should correspond with an overall fee policy for
Affordability is particularly important in developing other public services, such as water, sewage, heating,
countries. Citizens with low incomes may find it difficult and power.
References
/1/ The World Bank. Decision Maker’s Guide to Solid Waste /7/ Data obtained from pre-appraisal of Guangzhou solid waste
Landfills. project. Draft preliminary findings. 1997.
/2/ OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and /8/ DANIDA (Danish International Development Agency).
Development). 1991. The State of the Environment. Paris. January 1995. Pre-appraisal Working Report II. Guangzhou
Solid Waste Project.
/3/ Eurostat ECSC-EC-EAEC. 1995. Europe’s Environment.
Statistical Compendium for the Dobris Assessment. Brussels, /9/ Manila Smokey Mountain Waste Incineration Project.
Luxembourg. March 1997. Waste Characterisation Study—Final Results.
/4/ APEC. June 1996. Environmental Priorities in Asia and Latin /10/ Haukohl, J., and T. Kristiansen. 1996. Waste Incineration.
America. Tasman Institute. . WHO (World Health Organization).
/5/ MSW-management. Regional Overviews and Information /11/ The World Bank data. 1998. Communication by Mr. J.
Sources—Asia. UNEP (United Nations Environment Fritz.
Programme).
/12/ Kaila, Dr. Juha. 1996. Waste Collection. WHO.
/6/ MSW-management. Regional Overviews and Information
Sources—Latin America and the Caribbean. UNEP. /13/ Statistical Yearbooks of Denmark Statistics, 1990-1998.
41
PART 2
TECHNICAL
43
Technical Plant Overview
A typical incineration plant comprises the unit function zones on the movable grate. Flue gases are com-
tions and processes shown in Figure 0.1 on the follow- pletely burned out in the after-burning chamber.
ing page.
The components of the unit functions and process- • Energy recovery system. Energy is recovered as
es are briefly described as follows: power, heat, or steam (or a combination thereof),
depending on the local energy market.
• Waste registration and control. For billing, moni-
toring, and control purposes, the waste is declared, • Ash and clinker removal system. The burned-out
weighed, and registered after it enters the plant. ash and clinkers are collected and transported in a
conveyor or pusher system. The ash and clinkers can
• Size reduction, sorting, and inspection of waste be sieved, sorted, and used for filling purposes, road
(optional). Depending on the type of waste and its construction, or the like. Rejected ash and clinkers
origin, it may be necessary to reduce the size (for are disposed of in a sanitary landfill.
example, of bulky waste), sort, and inspect all or part
of the waste received. • Air pollution control (APC) system. The principal
APC systems are—depending on the desired level
• Unloading and hopper for waste. Waste is unloaded of cleaning—electrostatic precipitators or bag-
into a bunker or hopper system. The storage capac- house filters for physical removal of dust and some
ity should allow for both daily and weekly variations heavy metals; additional chemical flue gas cleaning
in the waste quantities and for mixing (homoge- in dry/semidry scrubbers followed by fabric filters
nization) of the waste to be fed into the furnace. or wet scrubbers for washing/spraying the flue gas;
and additional NOx, or dioxin removal in special
• Feeding system. The homogenized waste is fed from the filters.
hopper into the furnace, normally by overhead cranes.
• Stack. The treated flue gas is finally emitted via the
• Furnace. The waste is first dried, then ignited, fol- stack. The stack height depends on the local topog-
lowed by complete burning in a series of combus- raphy and prevailing meteorological conditions.
45
1 Plant Location
Key issues
✓ ✓ MSW incineration plants should be located
A municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration plant is a in land-use zones dedicated to medium or
public service facility. The location should always be heavy industry.
determined with respect to both economic and envi-
ronmental issues. The environmental impact must ✓ MSW incineration plants should be located
always be assessed (see the chapter on Environmental in industrial areas close to power plants.
Impact and Occupational Health).
Properly constructed and operated, a waste inciner- ✓ It should take no longer than one hour to
ation plant will be comparable to a medium to heavy drive a truck from the waste generation area
industry in its environmental impact, potential public to the plant.
nuisances, transport network requirements, and other
infrastructure needs. ✓ MSW incineration plants should be at least
An MSW incineration plant will generate surplus 300 to 500 meters from residential zones.
energy, which may be made available in the form of
heat or power depending on the demand of the local ✓ MSW incineration plants should be located
energy market. In that respect, an MSW plant is com- near suitable energy consumers.
parable to a fossil fuel power plant. It is further com-
parable to a coal-fueled power plant in respect to flue
gas emissions and solid residues from the combustion Site Feasibility Assessment
process and flue gas cleaning.
Therefore, a waste incineration plant should be close Siting the MSW incineration plant will generally take
to an existing fossil fuel power plant for the two plants place when the demand for such a facility has been
to enjoy mutual benefits from the service facilities established through waste surveys. The surveys will
needed—or it could be adjacent to or part of a new identify the amount of waste, how it is collected or
power plant. transported, and provide information about the area to
be serviced—including the approximate location of
Key Criteria the waste generation’s center of gravity.
✓ ✓ ✓ A controlled and well-operated landfill The considerations when evaluating locations for a
must be available for disposing residues. waste incineration plant are similar to the environ-
mental impact assessments. The main difference is that
✓ ✓ In relation to the air quality in the site area, the siting process considers a multitude of locations,
frequent and prolonged inversion and smog then ranks them by applying existing information to
situations are not acceptable. the variables. However, the environmental impact
47
assessment looks at a plant’s impact on the environ- Air Quality

ment in more detail—and often only after providing Waste incineration plants equipped with a modern
additional and more dextailed information on both the standard flue gas cleaning system create little air pollu-
site and the plant. tion or odor (see the chapter on Air Pollution Control).
The siting phase should deal with a number of top- Therefore, siting seldom poses a problem with regard
ics—including proximity to the waste generation cen- to air quality. The plants should, however, be located
ter, traffic and transport, air quality, noise impact, with due respect to meteorological conditions—that is,
proximity to energy distribution networks, utilities, in open areas where emissions will not normally be
and landfill. If any such topic is irrelevant for a specif- trapped. For example, plants should not be sited in nar-
ic location, this should nevertheless be noted. row valleys or areas prone to smog.
Waste emits odor during transportation and han-
Proximity to Waste Generation Center dling in the plant. However, using the bunker area ven-
Long-distance waste hauling is both costly and envi- tilation air in the incineration process normally elimi-
ronmentally unsustainable (because of CO2 and NOx nates most odor.
emissions). Therefore, waste incineration plants
should be as close as possible to the center of gravity of Noise
the area delivering waste to the plant. This is even more Most noise will come from flue gas fans and the venti-
imperative if the plant also produces heat and will be lators used in cooling, which operate 24 hours a day.
connected to a district heating network servicing the Ventilators are usually on the roof of the plant, which
same area. makes them particularly noisy. Handling the waste and
Proximity to the waste center of gravity is important residues inside the plant may also emit noise.
for using the collection vehicles and crews as efficient- Transportation to and from the plant will create noise,
ly as possible—that is, to minimize idle time on the particularly during the day.
road. Extended transport time due to long distances or Therefore, waste incineration plants should be at
traffic jams requires more vehicles and staff for collec- least 300 to 500 meters away from residential areas to
tion and transportation, or transfer of the waste to larg- minimize the noise impact and to protect against odor
er vehicles at transfer stations. Both solutions increase nuisances.
costs.
Proximity to Energy Distribution Networks
Traffic and Transport A waste incineration plant will generate surplus ener-
Incineration plants attract heavy traffic, with waste and gy. The recoverable energy is an important asset, as it
consumables coming in and treatment residues going can be sold to bolster the plant’s income considerably.
out. The plant should therefore be near major roads or The recovered energy can be used for heating, power
railway lines (or, in special circumstances, rivers) that generation, and process steam. It is normally most eco-
allow heavy traffic. nomical when the energy is used for heating and similar
A location close to the center of gravity of waste gen- purposes, as this is technically simpler in respect to the
eration minimizes collection vehicles’ idle time on the plant’s construction and operation. The demand for heat-
road. Depending on the size of the plant and the col- ing may, however, be limited in terms of either the size of
lection vehicles, 100 to 400 trucks can arrive at the plant the distribution network or seasonal variations, thus cre-
daily. A traffic study may be required to minimize traf- ating an excess which could be used for power production.
fic jams and avoid wasting time. Regardless of the how the energy is used, it is impor-
Besides contributing to traffic congestion, the trucks tant that the incineration plant be near the distribution
will vibrate, emit dust, and generate noise. Waste trans- network so the plant’s delivery system can be connect-
portation vehicles should therefore not pass through ed to an existing distribution network (thus avoiding
residential streets or other sensitive areas. high construction or operating costs).
Plant Location 49
Utilities be disposed of in landfills will remain. These residues

An incineration plant demands the same kind of utili- consist of bottom ash (slag) from the burned waste and
ties as medium to heavy industries. fly ash and other residues from flue gas cleaning.
The heat generated in the combustion process is Depending on the environmental and geotechnical
generally assumed to be used wisely in district heating demands, the bottom ash can be recycled for construc-
or power production. There will, however, be times tion purposes or disposed of with no special measures.
when cooling is needed, either as direct water cooling In all circumstances, the plant must have access to a
or via air coolers or cooling towers. properly designed and operated landfill for ultimate
An incineration plant will also discharge waste residue disposal.
water, which will be polluted to a certain degree The residues from the flue gas cleaning techniques
depending on the slag cooling and the flue gas cleaning with acid gas removal are highly soluble and may cause
system (see the chapter on Air Pollution Control). ground water pollution. Proper lining and coverage of
Waste water generation is most significant with a wet the landfill can control this, together with treating the
flue gas cleaning system. Storm water will be dis- leachate to remove heavy metals before discharge. Even
charged from the paved areas (although it may, to some after treatment, the leachate will have a concentration
extent, be collected and used for cooling purposes of salts and should be discharged somewhere with suf-
before discharge). If the plant has a wet flue gas clean- ficient flow for a high degree of dilution.
ing system, it must be located at a watercourse or near Although the incineration plant should be relative-
public sewers with sufficient capacity to receive the ly close to a landfill, the distance is not crucial, as the
waste water discharge. weight of the residues to be disposed of will equal about
25 percent of the amount of the waste incinerated at the
Landfill plant (depending on the ash content and the flue gas
Although waste incineration significantly minimizes cleansing technique), and the volume will reduce to
the volume of waste for disposal, residues that have to about 10 percent of the original waste.
2 Incineration Technology
Key Issues Mass burning of “as-received” and inhomogeneous

waste requires little or no pretreatment. Mass burning
The heart of an incineration plant is the combustion sys- systems are typically based on a moving grate.
tem—which can be divided into two broad categories: Mass burn incineration with a movable grate incin-
mass burning of “as-received” and inhomogeneous erator is a widely used and thoroughly tested technol-
waste,and burning of pretreated and homogenized waste. ogy. It meets the demands for technical performance
For an overview of the different technologies and and can accommodate large variations in waste com-
combinations hereof, see diagram 3.1, “Technological position and calorific value. A less common mass burn-
Overview.” ing alternative is the rotary kiln.
Diagram 3.1 Technological Overview
Pretreatment Incineration Energy Energy Production Efficiency

Recovery
Sorting Homogenization Furnace Boiler Power Generation Heat Production End Use Recovery Overall
Recovery
Heat Only 80% 80%

No Sorting Moving Grate Hot Water Boiler Heat Exchangers
Steam Only 80% 80%
No Recovery 0% 0%
Coarse Mechanical Mixing Rotary Kiln Condensing Steam

Sorting LP Steam Boiler Cooling Tower
Turbine
Power Only 35% 35%
0-35%
75%
Automatic Fluidized Bed Steam Boiler Extraction
Shredding Turbine
Sorting
Combined Steam
and Power 35–75%
20–25%
65–60%
Fine Manual Back Pressure Condensing Heat Combined Heat

Sorting Turbine Exchanger and Power 85%
51
Burning pretreated and homogenized waste ✓ ✓ ✓ The technology must be based on mass burn
requires size reduction, shredding, and manual sort- technology with a moveable grate.
ing—or even production of “refuse-derived fuel,” Furthermore, the chosen (or proposed) sup-
which is a demanding complication. Therefore, the plier must have numerous reference plants in
incineration technologies for burning pretreated and successful operation for a number of years.
homogenized waste are limited.
An alternative for burning pretreated and homoge- ✓ ✓ ✓ The furnace must be designed for stable and
nized MSW may theoretically be a fluidized bed. continuous operation and complete burn-
However, the fluidized bed is a fairly new technology out of the waste and flue gases (CO<50
and hence still limited in its use for waste incineration. mg/Nm3, TOC<10 mg/Nm3).
It has a number of appealing characteristics in relation
to combustion technique, but these have not been thor- ✓ ✓ The annual amount of waste for incineration
oughly proven on MSW. The fluidized bed may be a should be no less than 50,000 metric tons,
good alternative and widely applied for special types of and the weekly variations in the waste supply
industrial waste (for example, in Japan). to the plant should not exceed 20 percent.
When implementing an MSW incineration plant,
the technology must be feasible and proven. At present,
only the mass burning incinerator with a moveable Pretreatment of Waste
grate fulfills these criteria. Furthermore, suppliers with
numerous reference plants in successful operation for Depending on the quality of the waste and the inciner-
a number of years also in low- and middle-income ation system, sorting and homogenizing the waste
countries (preferably) must be chosen. before incineration may be necessary.
The combustion system must be designed to hinder
the formation of pollutants, especially NOx, and Sorting
organic compositions such as dioxins. Appropriate The waste may be sorted manually, automatically, or
measures to ensure an efficient combustion process mechanically—or as a combination thereof.
(complete burnout of the bottom ashes and the flue Manual and advanced automatic sorting allows
gases, low dust content in the raw flue gas, and such) the waste to be divided into
comprise a long flue gas retention time at high tem- recyclable materials, waste for
perature with an appropriate oxygen content, inten- treatment, and waste which is
sive mixing and recirculation of flue gases, optimal suitable only for direct land-
supply of combustion air below the grate and before filling. Fine Manual
inlet to the after-combustion chamber, and proper Advanced sorting processes, Sorting
mixing and agitation of the waste on the grate. however, are time consuming
The content of CO and TOC (total organic carbon and costly, take up a lot of space,
excluding CO) in the raw flue gas (before inlet to the and require special precautions
APC system) is a good indicator of the efficiency of the to ensure that the sorters do not
combustion process. suffer any health problems as the
result of their work. Automatic
Sorting
Coarse mechanical sorting
Key Criteria may not be sufficient for flu-
✓ ✓ ✓ The lower calorific value (LCV) of the waste idized bed incineration, but can
must be at least 6 MJ/kg throughout all sea- be used for mass burning incin-
sons. The annual average LCV must not be eration. It may be performed on
less than 7 MJ/kg. the reception hall floor. Coarse Mechanical
Sorting
Incineration Technology 53
With a movable grate, the waste The Grate

may be burned without sorting,shred- The grate forms the bottom of the furnace. The mov-
ding, or drying. However,an overhead ing grate, if properly designed, efficiently transports
crane typically removes inappropriate and agitates the waste and evenly distributes combus-
bulky waste from the pit through a tion air. The grate may be sectioned into individually
coarse and simple sorting. No Sorting
adjustable zones, and the combustion air can usually be
preheated to accommodate variations in the lower
Homogenization calorific value of the waste.
Some degree of waste homoge- There are several different grate designs—including
nization is always necessary. forward movement, backward movement, double
To control the energy input movement, rocking, and roller. Other alternatives may
and the combustion process, be suitable as well.
proper mixing of the waste is The detailed design of the grate depends on the
necessary before incineration. Mixing manufacturer, and its applicability should therefore be
For mass burn incineration, the carefully evaluated for the actual waste composition.
mixing is typically done by the Moreover, the design of the grate must be well proven
overhead crane in the pit. by the manufacturer by thorough experience and sev-
A shredder may be used when eral relevant references.
there are large quantities of
bulky waste. For fluidized bed The Furnace
incineration, shredding is a Shredding The walls in the furnace of the incinerator can be
minimum requirement and fur- refractory lined or water-wall designed. Most water-
ther pretreatment is necessary. wall furnaces operate with less excess air, which reduces
the volume of the furnace and size of the air pollution
Moving Grate Incineration control equipment.
The conventional mass burn incinerator based on a See page 54 for selected design criteria and layout
moving grate consists of a layered burning on the grate data for mass burning incineration based on a moving
transporting material through the furnace. grate.
An overhead crane feeds waste
into the hopper, where it is trans- Rotary Kiln Incineration
ported via the chute to the grate in The mass burning incinerator based on a rotary kiln
the furnace.On the grate,the waste consists of a layered burning of
is dried and then burned at high the waste in a rotating cylinder.
temperature with a supply of air. Moving Grate The material is transported
The ash (including noncombustible fractions of through the furnace by the rota-
waste) leaves the grate as slag/bottom ash through the tions of the inclined cylinder.
ash chute. The rotary kiln is usually
The following table shows the main advantages and refractory lined but can also be Rotary Kiln
disadvantages of the moving grate. equipped with water walls.
Advantages Disadvantages
• No need for prior sorting or shredding. • Capital and maintenance costs are relatively high.
• The technology is widely used and thoroughly tested for waste
incineration and meets the demands for technical performance.
• It can accommodate large variations in waste composition and
calorific value.
• Allows for an overall thermal efficiency of up to 85 percent.
• Each furnace can be built with a capacity of up to 1,200 t/day
(50 metric tons/hour)
The cylinder may be 1 to 5 meters in diameter and 8 A main disadvantage of the fluidized bed for waste
to 20 meters long. The capacity may be as low as 2.4 incineration is the usually demanding process of pre-
t/day (0.1 t/hour) and up to approximately 480 t/day treating the waste before the fluidized bed so that it
(20 t/hour). meets the rather stringent requirements for size,
The excess air ratio is well above that of the moving calorific value, ash content, and so forth. Because of the
grate incinerator and even the fluidized bed. heterogeneous composition of MSW, it can be difficult
Consequently, the energy efficiency is slightly lower to produce a fuel that meets the requirements at any
and may be up to 80 percent. given point.
As the retention time of the flue gases is usually too The main advantages and disadvantages of the flu-
short for complete reaction in the rotary kiln itself, the idized bed are listed below.
cylinder is followed by, and connected to, an after-
burning chamber which may be incorporated in the
first part of the boiler. Advantages Disadvantages
• Relatively low capital and • At present, not a common
The rotary kiln may also be used in combination
maintenance costs due to nor thoroughly tested tech-
with a moveable grate—where the grate forms the igni- a simple design concept. ology for MSW incineration.
tion part and the kiln forms the burning-out section. • Allows a overall thermal • Relatively strict demands to
This allows for a very low level of unburned material in efficiency of up to 90 size and composition of the
percent. waste,which usually requires
the slag. The slag leaves the rotary kiln through the ash • Suitable for a wide range thorough pre-treatment.
chute. of fuel and mixtures of fuel
and can handle liquid or
Main advantages and disadvantages for the rotary solid waste either in
combination or separately.
kiln are as follows.
Advantages Disadvantages Design and Layout of the Mass Burning

• No need for prior sorting • A less common technology
Incineration System
or shredding. for waste incineration.
• Allows an overall thermal • Capital cost and mainte-
efficiency of up to 80 nance costs are relatively This section covers selected main design criteria and
percent. high. layout data, particularly related to the mass burning
• Able to accommodate • The maximum capacity of
large variations in waste each furnace is limited to
incineration technology.
composition and calorific approximately 480 t/day
value. (20 t/hour). Grate
The grate has two principal purposes: to transport,
Fluidized Bed Incineration mix, and level the “fuel” (waste), and to supply and dis-
Fluidized bed incineration is based on a principle where- tribute primary combustion air to the layer of waste.
by solid particles mixed with the fuel are fluidized by air. Various grate designs are available, usually charac-
The reactor (scrubber) usually consists of a vertical refrac- terized by the way they transport the “fuel”: slanting or
tory lined steel vessel containing a bed of granular mate- horizontal forward- and backward-pushing grates,
rial such as silica sand, limestone, or a ceramic material. roller grates, or rocking grates.
The fluidized bed technology As the grate performance is important to the entire
has a number of appealing charac- plant, the grate and grate design should be chosen care-
teristics in relation to combustion fully. As a basic principle, the grate should in every
technique: reduction of dangerous respect be suitable for the specific waste the plant will
substances in the fluidized bed treat. The grate should be able to accommodate a great
reactor itself, high thermal effi- variation in calorific value and waste composition.
ciency, flexibility regarding multi- Moreover, in connection with selecting and dimen-
fuel input, and cost. Fluidized Bed sioning the grate, special attention should be given to
possible changes in the calorific value and waste com- thermal grate width load, and a grate length which—
position. focusing on a good slag quality—allows for satisfacto-
Regardless of the specific properties and varying ry thermal final treatment of the slag in the furnace.
“quality” of the waste, the grate should meet the Moreover, a maximum of 65 to 70 percent of the
requirements for waste capacity, operational reliability, length of the grate must be applied as a drying and
combustion efficiency, and operation at partial load. combustion zone when operating in the design point
The grate should be designed for mass burning— at nominal load.
that is, the waste, except for particularly bulky waste, The remaining part of the grate should always be
should be fed into the furnace and combusted without available to ensure final combustion and complete
any special preseparation or crushing. burnout of the slag and the ash.
The grate system should also be designed so that
waste can be transported automatically from feeding to Air Supply Ensuring Optimum Grate Performance
slag extraction without obstacles or clogging and with- The grate should be able to intensively agitate, mix, and
out any manual intervention. level the waste layer to create the largest possible “fuel”
surface and, thus, efficient drying, ignition, combus-
Division into Grate Sections tion, and final burnout of the slag/ash.
The grate should be divided into individually The variations in load and calorific values require a
adjustable sections. This division may be longitudinal flexible primary air supply system in respect to both the
and, in cases where the grate is very wide, it should be amounts supplied and the supply spots—it should be
divided into separate tracks. The number of grate sec- possible to change the extent and location of the dry-
tions depend on several factors, including the grate ing and primary combustion zones in relation to the
type, the waste composition, the required capacity, and waste composition and the waste load.
the requirements made for operation at partial load Consequently, a number of adjustable air zones
and maximum load at varying calorific values. should be established under the grate—about four to
Depending on the type of grate, the longitudinal six, depending on the type of grate.
division may vary from one to six sections—where the The primary combustion air should be supplied to
lowest number represents the backward pushing grate the waste layer through small slots in the front side of
and the highest number represents the roller grate. It the grate bars or through 1- to 2-mm slots between the
should be noted, however, that each roller is, in princi- grate bars.
ple, individually adjustable. Experience shows that, to ensure satisfactory air dis-
Some types of grates, including the different for- tribution, the air supply area should be no more than 1.5
ward-pushing grates and the double motion overthrust to 2.0 percent of the total grate area. The air supply will
grates, typically require three or four individually typically go through the slots at a rate of 10 to 15 m/sec.
adjustable grate sections to ensure optimal treatment
and combustion. Furnace
In principle, the furnace and the secondary combus-
Grate Length, Grate Width tion chamber, the after-burning zone, should be
The approximate dimensions of each type of grate can designed to ensure a long retention and reaction time
be estimated based on the grate suppliers’ own recom- of the flue gases at high temperatures. Most important
mendations or guidelines for thermal grate load is the secondary combustion chamber, the first radia-
(MW/m2), mechanical grate load (tonne/m2/h), tion pass of the boiler, which should be designed with
mechanical grate width load (metric ton m/h), thermal a large volume and height so that all processes and reac-
grate width load (MW/m), permissible length/width tions in the flue gas end before they reach the unpro-
ratio, and so on. tected boiler walls.
One requirement should be a dimensioning which Moreover, the size, volume, and geometry of the fur-
ensures an appropriate grate width in relation to the nace should minimize the risk of slag deposits and ash
fouling on the furnace walls, which requires an ade- • Reduces the dioxin generation (connected with a
quately low thermal furnace load and as well as a low low amount of excess air and a low oxygen content)
relative flue gas velocity in the furnace. • Stabilizes or improves the flow and turbulence con-
The flue gas velocity in the furnace should be main- ditions—particularly at partial load
tained at a level lower than 3.5 to 4.0 m/sec. It should • Minimizes the risk of “bursts” in the secondary
be possible to control the furnace temperature in such combustion chamber, the first pass of the boiler
a way to avoid undesired peaks. The furnace sections • Decreases the amount of flue gas entering the flue
depend to a great extent on the chosen flue gas flow, gas cleaning system.
which may be the so-called mid-flow, co-flow, or
counter-flow principle. Consequently, establishing flue gas recirculation
The choice of flue gas flow in the primary combus- has operational, economic, and environmental
tion chamber depends to a great extent on the prevail- advantages.
ing type of waste, the calorific value, and the specific If flue gas is recirculated, all duct connections must
grate concept. be welded and a minimum of flex connections should
Another precondition for optimal furnace perfor- be used. Otherwise, there may be leaks, and any escap-
mance is the design of the secondary air supply system, ing flue gas is likely to cause corrosion.
which ensures effective mixing of the flue gases both
above the waste layer and at the inlet to the secondary Secondary Combustion Zone (After-Burning Chamber)
combustion chamber or the first pass of the boiler. The secondary combustion zone, which consists of the
The secondary air should be supplied through rows first part of the first radiation pass of the boiler, starts
of nozzles in the zones at the inlet to the secondary after the last injection of secondary air or recirculated
combustion chamber, and possibly through rows of flue gas.
nozzles in the furnace—depending on the furnace’s Efficient turbulence of the flue gas at the inlet to the
flue gas flow. secondary combustion zone should be ensured at any
The furnace and the combustion control concept load except at startup and shutdown.
should be designed to recirculate flue gas to partially According to standard legislation, including the
replace secondary air to the furnace. draft EU directive of 1997.04.24, the flue gas tempera-
The furnace should be prepared for establishing ture should be increased to a minimum of 850°C for at
startup and auxiliary burners. least two seconds under the presence of at least 6 per-
cent oxygen in the actual secondary combustion zone,
Flue Gas Recirculation even under the most adverse conditions.
Establishing flue gas recirculation is part of the furnace
design. After passing through the dust filter, part of the Combustion Air Systems and Fans
flue gas (20 to 30 percent) is limited and retained Special attention should be given to the design and
through an insulated duct to the furnace. The recircu- regulation of the combustion air systems, which pro-
lated flue gas is injected through separate nozzles in the vide a excess air in the flue gas—to ensure a high com-
furnace and in the turbulence zone at the inlet to the sec- bustion efficiency and avoid a reducing (corrosive)
ondary combustion chamber, the first pass of the boiler. atmosphere, incomplete burnout of the flue gases, and
Among its primary advantages, flue gas: related problems.
The primary air should be drawn from above the
• Recirculates flue gas, which leads to a higher thermal crane slab in the waste pit and injected through the
efficiency, as the excess air and the oxygen content pressure side of the primary fan below the grate in at
can be significantly reduced (efficiency can increase least four to six air zones regulated automatically by
about 1 to 3 percent) motorized dampers.
• Reduces NOx (20 to 40 percent when recirculating Intakes for the secondary air are situated at the top of
20 to 30 percent of the flue gas) the furnace or boiler—possibly in the waste pit—and
should be supplied to the furnace and at the inlet to the An air preheater manufactured in a bare tube struc-
first pass of the boiler (after-burning chamber) through ture should preheat the primary air at low calorific val-
three to five rows of nozzles (depending on the design). ues and with moist waste.
The amount of secondary air supplied to each of the It should be possible to heat the primary air from
rows of nozzles is regulated automatically by motorized 10°C to approximately 145°C, depending on the waste
dampers. composition and moisture content.
3 Energy Recovery
Key Issues the costs of the necessary technical installations are

relatively low.
A main benefit of solid waste incineration is the possi-
bility of reusing the waste as fuel for energy production. Key Criteria
Waste incineration may thus both reduce methane ✓ ✓ ✓ The flue gases from the furnace must be cooled
gases at the landfill and substitute fossil fuel, reducing to 200˚C or lower in a boiler in order to apply
the emission of greenhouse gases overall. available flue gas treatment technology.
The flue gases carrying the energy released in a waste
incineration furnace have to be cooled in a boiler ✓ ✓ The plant economy should be optimized
before entering the air pollution control system. The through energy recovery and sale.
boiler is also a necessary technical installation for ener-
gy recovery. The feasible type of boiler, however, ✓ ✓ Irrevocable agreements for energy sale (type
depends whether the energy is used for hot water for and quantity) should be in place before any final
district heating, process steam for various types of decision is made on the design of the energy
industries, or electricity. recovery section of an MSW incineration plant.
For an overview of different technologies and com-
binations of them, see Diagram 3.1. ✓ ✓ When surplus energy is to be used for dis-
The end use possibilities depend on the local energy trict heating, the incineration plant must be
market conditions, including: located near an existing grid to avoid costly
new transmission systems.
• Infrastructure for energy distribution—for exam-
ple, the availability of a power grid and district heat- ✓ If there is a regular market for the sale of hot
ing network water (district heating or similar), or if steam is
• Annual energy consumption pattern (the energy present, the plant should be based on produc-
output from MSW incineration plants is fairly con- tion of hot water or steam only. These configu-
stant) rations are normally preferable both in terms of
• Prices of the various types of energy and possible technical complexity and economic feasibility.
agreements with the consumer(s). During the warm season, a certain extent of
cooling to the environment may be preferable
The overall thermal efficiency of an MSW inciner- to solutions demanding greater investments.
ation plant equipped for energy recovery depends on
the end use of the energy recovered. Production of
electricity has a low thermal efficiency, but results in Energy Recovery Technology
high-priced energy, whereas hot water for district
heating is considered inexpensive energy, but the over- See Diagram 3.1 for the most common technologies for
all thermal efficiency is high, and the complexity and energy recovery.
59
Table 3.1 summarizes the efficiency of energy recov- and maintain. Technically, special attention must be
ery for each use of energy with respect to the heat input. paid to the corrosive nature of the flue gases from waste
Assuming that the heat input is known, the efficiency incineration.
numbers can be used to compute the absolute amount Hot water (approximately
of energy recovered and the revenues from the energy 110˚-160˚C) may be produced. It
sale. can be heated to higher temper-
Part I of this Technical Guidance Report discusses atures depending on the operat-
the importance of the revenues from energy sale to the ing pressure level of the boiler.
overall economy of the plant . A boiler efficiency of up to Hot Water Boiler
Energy is released from the incineration and leaves approximately 80 percent can be achieved. The recov-
the furnace as flue gases at a temperature of approxi- ery is limited by the temperature of the returning cool-
mately 1,000-1,200˚C. The hot flue gases from the ing water.
incineration must be cooled before they can be passed
on to a flue gas cleaning system. The flue gases are The Hot Water Boiler Circuit
cooled through a boiler, where the energy released The energy from the hot flue gases is via a hot water
from incineration is initially recovered as hot water or boiler transferred to an internal circuit of water which
steam. again passes the energy to the end user circuit (district
As illustrated Diagram 3.1, the end use possibilities heating system). The end user circuit is separated from
of power, district heating, or steam depend on the type the boiler circuit by heat exchangers.
of boiler. The boilers are divided into three broad cat- The internal circuit for the transfer of energy via the
egories, as follows: hot water is illustrated in figure 3.1.
• The hot water-producing boiler produces heat only Hot Water Application
(hot water). This boiler is also used if heat recovery The relatively low energy content of hot water limits
is not possible (cooling of the surplus heat). its uses. In temperate climates, it is commonly used in
• The low pressure (LP)-producing boiler produces district heating systems to heat homes and public
LP steam only. buildings.
• The steam-producing boiler generates power and When there is no beneficial
combines power and process steam or heat. use for the waste generated ener-
gy, a hot water boiler connected
The Hot Water Boiler to a cooling facility is the most
The hot water boiler is fairly simple to design, accom- economical way to cool the flue Heat Only
modate in building arrangements, finance, operate, gases before cleaning.
Cooling may take place through a number of well-
known methods—including cooling towers, a fan-
mounted air cooler (radiator),
Table 3.1 Summary of efficiencies in different energy
recovery systems
and heat exchangers using river
or sea water.
Energy utilization Recovery Overall efficiencya
A cooling tower uses water as
Heat only Heat 80% 80%
the cooling medium and emits
Steam only Steam 80% 80%
Power only Power 35% 35% steam. A heat exchanger requires
Combined steam Steam 0-75% river or sea water, and hot water
and power Power 0-35% 35-75% is led back to the recipient.
Combined heat Heat 60-65% Cooling Tower
and power Power 20-25% 85%
If cooling water is not avail-
able, a fan-mounted air cooler can serve the purpose,
a. Efficiencies defined as usably energy related to energy content (lower
calorific value) of the waste although it is less energy-efficient. Moreover, an air
Energy Recovery 61
Figure 3.1 Hot water boiler circuit
Boiler
Flue gas District heating system
Feed water pump
Feed water tank
cooler is less appropriate in hot environments, as the Moreover, the industries with demands for process
cooler dimensions increase with the ambient air tem- steam should be located near the plant to prevent
perature. extensive heat loss and eliminate the need for expensive
pipelines. The risks related to supplying the steam to a
The Low-Pressure Steam Boiler single or a few industrial facilities must be thoroughly
If a district heating network is not available and there assessed.
is a demand for process steam, a low-pressure boiler A boiler efficiency of up to approximately 80 percent
may be an alternative to the hot can be achieved. The recovery is limited by the tem-
water boiler. perature of the water returned to the boiler.
The low-pressure boiler is
similar to the hot water boiler in The High-Pressure Steam Boiler
terms of complexity, accommo- A steam boiler requires more attention to design than
dation in building arrangements, the hot water-producing or LP steam boiler because of
financing, operation, and main- the highly corrosive nature of the flue gas. It also
tenance—although the design requires more attention to its operation and more
LP Steam Boiler
requires more attention because space.
the flue gases are so corrosive. Special attention must be paid to several character-
Depending on the operating pressure level of the istic of the steam boiler—including design and
boiler and the extent of superheating, the steam may be arrangement and steam parameters.
approximately 120° to 250 °C.
A steam pressure of up to approximately 20 bar may Design and Arrangement
be relatively low. This allows for saturated steam at The steam boiler is divided into one to three open radi-
approximately 210 °C. A certain amount of superheat- ation passes and a convection part.
ing may be necessary, depending on the vicinity of the After passing the radiation part, the flue gases enter
end users—as uses for low-pressure steam depend on the convection heating surfaces. Here, they first pass
its energy content. See Table 3.2 for relevant parame- heat to the steam in the superheaters. Then, in the
ters for steam demand in various industries. economizers, the flue gases are finally cooled to approx-
Cooling capacity must remain available, as the imately 160° to 220 °C before being passed on to the
demand for process steam may not be continuous. flue gas cleaning system.
The radiation part of the boiler requires a room up ing, short continuous operation periods, insuffi-
to 30 to 40 meters in height. cient availability, and extensive repair and mainte-
The convection part of the boiler can be arranged nance.
either horizontally or vertically. The horizontal The risk of corrosion and erosion can be reduced
arrangement takes up approximately 20 meters more by observing a number of specific design criteria and
space than the vertical arrangement in the longitudinal by designing the boiler for moderate steam parame-
direction. The arrangement of the convection section ters (pressure and temperature). The waste-fired
can significantly affect building costs and should be plant cannot be designed with steam parameters sim-
determined as early as possible. ilar to those of traditional power plants fired with
coal, gas, or oil. This is because waste differs from fos-
Horizontal layout sil fuel, particularly in terms of the content of chlo-
rine, which—combined with sulfur—may lead to
high-temperature corrosion, even at relatively low
temperatures.
Some combustion processes may, furthermore,
have a risk of CO corrosion.
The corrosive nature of the flue gas from waste
Steam Boiler incineration usually limits the steam parameters to a
Steam Boiler
maximum temperature of approximately 400 °C and a
Vertical layout pressure of approximately 40 bar.
The temperature of the water returning to the boil-
er (feed water) is maintained at a minimum of 125 to
Steam Parameters 130 °C to limit the risk of low temperature corrosion in
The energy recovery from the steam boiler may be the coldest part of the boiler.
more significant than that of the hot water or LP boil-
er. However, there is a tradeoff between high recov- The Steam Circuit
ery and reliability of the boiler because of the highly The energy recovery from a steam-producing boiler is
corrosive nature of the flue gases. conventionally known as the Rankine process. The
The steam boiler must be designed to operate Rankine process allows energy outputs in the form of
with a waste furnace to avoid potential serious oper- power, steam, and combinations of power, steam, and
ational problems such as erosion, corrosion, foul- hot water.
Figure 3.2 The Rankine process
Turbine
~ Generator
Flue gas Boiler

Process steam
District heating
water or cooling
Feed water pump Condenser
Feed water tank

Energy Recovery 63
The energy from the hot flue gases is recovered sure turbine is used. The back pressure is determined
through the boiler and passed to the internal circuit of by the temperature and the flow of the coolant,
steam. which is usually water from a district heating net-
The steam energy may be converted to power by a work.
turbine and generator set. The superheated and high-
pressurized steam from the boiler expands in the steam Combined Process Steam and Power Generation
turbine, which transforms the energy content of the When producing both process steam and power, the
steam to kinematic energy, which is further trans- electrical output may be found
formed to electrical energy by the generator. somewhere between the values
The excess heat of the low-pressure steam is con- for power production only and
verted to hot water within the heat exchanger (con- combined heat and power pro-
denser) and either passed to a district heating network duction—that is, between 35
or cooled away. and 20 percent, depending on
the amount of process steam
Steam Application extracted from the turbine.
Electrical Power Generation Only During this process, a mini-
When producing electrical power only, it is possible to mum amount of the steam has
recover up to 35 percent of the available energy in the to pass all the way through the Combined Steam
waste as power. The surplus heat has to be cooled in a turbine. This means that at least and Power
condenser or a cooling tower. 10 percent of the low pressure
This option is attractive if steam has to be cooled away.
the plant is situated far from When power and process steam are produced, an
consumers who demand or extraction turbine is used, which combines the two
industries that require process aforementioned concepts. It may be operated as a fully
steam. condensing turbine cooled by seawater or air and then,
When only power is pro- when needed, steam can be extracted from a bleed in
duced, a fully condensing tur- Power Only the turbine at relevant parameters (pressure and tem-
bine is used. The excess heat is perature).
produced at such a low temperature in this condenser To prevent extensive heat loss and avoid expensive
that it is not attractive for recovery. The cooling medi- pipelines, the industries that need process steam
um is usually seawater or air. should be located near the plant.
Combined Heat and Power Generation

When producing a combination of heat and power, it Table 3.2 Steam parameters for process steam in various
is possible to use up to 85 per- industries
cent of the energy of the waste. Industry Steam temperature
With a boiler designed for waste Breweries 150 to 250 °C
incineration (moderate steam Chemical industries 200 to 500 °C
Sugar production 100 to 200 °C
parameters), an output of elec- Paper industries 100 to 300 °C
tricity of 20 to 25 percent and Wood industries 100 to 200 °C
an output of heat of 65 to 60 Concrete elements,
percent can be achieved. cement production 120 to 150 °C
Absorption cooling 150 to 200 °C
When a combination of Food industries 150 to 200 °C
power and district heating is Drying purposes
produced, a so-called back pres- Combined Heat and Power (e.g., sludge drying) 150 to 200 °C
Energy Recovery Systems Overview tions of waste pretreatment, furnace type, boiler, and
Diagram 3.1 gives an overview of equipment and energy recovery equipment. The diagram further com-
processes for feasible energy recovery systems of MSW pares the efficiency of energy recovery depending on
incineration facilities. It presents applicable combina- end usage.
Diagram 3.1 Technological Overview
Pretreatment Incineration Energy Energy Production Efficiency

Recovery
Sorting Homogenization Furnace Boiler Power Generation Heat Production End Use Recovery Overall
Recovery
Heat Only 80% 80%

No Sorting Moving Grate Hot Water Boiler Heat Exchangers
Steam Only 80% 80%
No Recovery 0% 0%
Coarse Mechanical Mixing Rotary Kiln Condensing Steam

Sorting LP Steam Boiler Cooling Tower
Turbine
Power Only 35% 35%
0-35%
75%
Automatic Fluidized Bed Steam Boiler Extraction
Shredding Turbine
Sorting
Combined Steam
and Power 35–75%
20–25%
65–60%
Fine Manual Back Pressure Condensing Heat Combined Heat

Sorting Turbine Exchanger and Power 85%
4 Air Pollution Control
Key Issues are that they precipitate, adsorb, absorb, or transform

the pollutants.
Incinerating MSW generates large volumes of flue gases. The selection of the APC system depends primarily
The flue gases carry residues from incomplete combus- on the actual emission limits or standards, if any, and
tion and a wide range of harmful pollutants. The pollu- the desired emission level. In this context, the different
tants and their concentration depend on the composition APC systems can be grouped as basic, medium, or
of the waste incinerated and the combustion conditions. advanced emission control.
However, these gases always carry ash, heavy metals, and Basic emission control, which involves only reduc-
a variety of organic and inorganic compounds. ing the particulate matter, is simple to operate and
The pollutants are present as particles (dust) and maintain, and the investment is minimal. At the same
gases such as HCl, HF, and SO2. Some harmful com- time, a significant part of the most harmful substances
pounds such as mercury, dioxins, and NOx can be fully is also retained because dust particles (fly ash) and pol-
removed only through advanced and costly chemical lutants adsorbed on the surface of the particles can be
treatment technologies. removed in efficient dust removal equipment like elec-
Primary and secondary measures can help reduce trostatic precipitators. Basic emission control is a min-
emission of pollutants. imum requirement.
Primary measures—which are initiatives that actu- When moving from basic to medium or advanced
ally hinder the formation of pollutants, especially NOx emission control, the increased efficiency must be eval-
and organic compositions such as dioxins—must be uated in the light of factors such as the increased com-
applied as much as possible. Primary measures complexity, the amount and types of residues, the invest-
prise an efficient combustion process (long flue gas ment, and operating cost. The state-of-the-art flue gas
retention time at high temperature with an appropri- cleaning systems (advanced emission control)—
ate oxygen content, intensive mixing and recirculation applied in Europe and the United States—are quite
of flue gases, and so forth—as discussed in the complex, and the benefits in terms of reduced emissions
Incineration Technology chapter), preprecipitation of should always be compared to other emission sources.
ashes in the boiler, and short flue gas retention time at The figures in the APC Systems Overview show the
intermediate temperatures. The content of CO and most common flue gas cleaning techniques, possible
TOC (total organic carbon excluding CO) in the raw combinations thereof, and the resulting emission of
flue gas before inlet to the cleaning system is a good pollutants.
indicator of the efficiency of the combustion process. Flue gas treatment generates residues in the form of
The air pollution control (APC) system comprises partly soluble dry products or, if a wet system is
electrostatic precipitators; bag house filters; dry, semi- applied, of salty waste water requiring advanced treat-
dry, and wet acid gas removal systems; catalysts; and the ment before being discharged to a recipient or even a
like. Some characteristics of the secondary measures municipal sewage treatment facility.
65
Key Criteria Volume and Composition of the Flue Gas

✓ ✓ ✓ The furnace must be designed for stable and
continuous operation and complete burn- As a rule of thumb, all fuels may be assumed to produce
out of the waste and flue gases (CO<50 a dry, stoichiometric flue gas quantity of 0.25 Nm3 per
mg/Nm3, TOC<10 mg/Nm3). MJ. Stoichiometric means that the fuel is burned com-
pletely with just the quantity of air needed for combus-
✓ ✓ ✓ The flue gases from the furnace must be tion. Consequently, the oxygen content in the resulting
cooled to 200 °C or lower in a boiler before flue gas is zero. Moreover, the volume of the water vapor
flue gas treatment technology can be formed during the combustion is deducted.
applied. The actual flue gas flow rate may be estimated
according to the formulas in box 4.1.
✓ ✓ ✓ The flue gas treatment installation must be
capable of removing dust at least as effi- • Particulate pollutants: Fly ash, including the heavy
ciently as a two-stage electrostatic precipita- metals of antimony (Sb), arsenic (As), cadmium
tor (basic emission control, dust<30 (Cd), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu),
mg/Nm3). lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), mercury (Hg), nickel
(Ni), thallium (Tl), and vanadium (V).
✓ ✓ ✓ A controlled and well-operated landfill
must be available for residue disposal. • Gaseous pollutants: Hydrogen chloride (HCl),
mainly from the combustion of PVC; sulfur dioxide
✓ Elimination of hydrogen chloride (HCl) (SO2) from combustion of sulfurous compounds;
from the flue gases should be considered. hydrogen fluoride (HF) from combustion of fluo-
Box 4.1 Flue gas volumes
Calorific value: Hinf [MJ/kg]
Stoichiometric flue gas volume: Hinf x 0.25 [Nm3/kg] (dry, 0% O2)
Dry flue gas at y % O2: Hinf x 0.25 x (21/(21—y)) [Nm3/kg]
Wet flue gas at z % H2O: Hinf x 5.25 /(21—y) x (100/(100—z)) [Nm3/kg]
Actual flue gas volume at t ˚C: Hinf x 525 /(21—y) / (100—z) x (273 + t)/273 ≅
(273 + t)
2Hinf ; [m3/kg]
(21 – y) (11 – z)
Example:
Calorific value Hinf =8 MJ/kg, oxygen content y =11%, water vapor content z
=15%, flue gas temperature t = 100 ˚C :
(273 + 100)
Actual flue gas volume 2x8 ≅ 7.0 ; [m3/kg]
(21 – 11) (100 – 15)
Air Pollution Control 67
rine compounds; and nitrogen oxides (NOx) from Emission standards are usually expressed in units of
part of the nitrogen in the waste and N2 in the air. concentration—for example, in milligrams of the indi-
vidual pollutant per cubic meter of flue gas. Since the
Some of the heavy metals evaporate in the combus- flue gas volume varies with the composition, pressure,
tion process, then condense to a varying degree on the and temperature of the gas, the volume must relate to
surface of the fly ash particles in the boiler section. At a reference or standard condition.
the exit of the boiler, part of each individual metal (par- For waste incineration, the standard condition is
ticularly Hg) may remain gaseous. most often 0 °C (= 273 K), 101.3 kPa (= ~ 1 Atm.), 0%
Table 4.2 shows international typical data on the H2O, 11% O2. This standard condition is used
content of pollutants in the raw flue gas from waste throughout this report. Volumes corrected to 0 °C and
incineration. 101.3 kPa are named Standard or Normal cubic meters
= Nm3.
The requirements for basic air emission control may
Environmental Standards be met by a two-stage electrostatic precipitator (ESP).
The ESP removes the dust physically in a dry state. The
Different countries adhere to different environmental medium and advanced levels may be fulfilled by either
standards, including standards for emissions to the dry or a combination of dry and wet chemical methods
atmosphere. Such standards may be based on air qual- yielding dry solids and liquid waste streams, respec-
ity considerations only, in which case the air pollution tively.
problems are solved primarily by building tall stacks. The waste water from wet flue gas cleaning must be
Other countries have emission standards that reflect treated at the site in accordance with the local waste
either what is deemed technically and economically water standards before being discharged to a sewer or
feasible in that country or what is considered state-of- directly into the final recipient. The presence of small
the-art within emission control technology. But very concentrations of toxic materials in the salty waste
often, countries where waste incineration is not com- water requires sophisticated chemical treatment tech-
mon have no emission standards that can be used nology to meet common standards. Additional solid
directly. In this case, the emission limits must be fixed
based on an evaluation of other sources, an environ-
mental assessment, and the complexity of the resulting Table 4.2 Raw flue gas concentrations and emission
APC system. standards (mg/Nm3, dry, 11% O2)
Raw Emission standard
Parameter flue gas Basic Medium Advanced
Table 4.1 Emission control levels Particles 2000 30 30 10
Emission control-level parameters controlled HCl 600 n.a. 50 10
HF 5 n.a. 2 1
Basic Particles only—e.g., < 30 mg/Nm3. SO2 250 n.a. 300 50
Medium Same standard for particle emission. NOx (as NO2) 350a n.a. n.a. 200
Additional standards for HCl, HF, SO2, and Hg 0.3 n.a. n.a. 0.05
the heavy metals As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Mn, Hg, Hg + Cd 1.8 n.a. 0.2 n.a.
and Ni. Cd + Tl 1.6 n.a. n.a. 0.05
Advanced State-of-the-art emission control. Stricter Ni + As 1,3 n.a. 1 n.a.
standards for the medium-level parameters Pb +Cr +Cu +Mn 50 n.a. 5 n.a.
and supplementary control of NOx, the Sb +As +Pb +Cr
metals Sb, Co, Tl, and V, and dioxins. +Co +Cu +Mn
+Ni +V 60 n.a. n.a. 0.5
Dioxinsb 3 n.a. n.a. 0.1
n.a.—Not applicable in the particular standard.
The corresponding emission standards to be met are a. Without any primary measures.
b. Polychlorinated para-dibenzoe dioxins and furans, ng/Nm3 2,3,7,8-
listed in Table 4.2. TCDD equivalents.
residues are formed during the waste water treatment lectors are commonly available, but only electrostatic
process. precipitators and fabric filters can meet the require-
The solid residues from the flue gas and water treat- ments when applied alone:
ment processes are normally useless and must be land-
filled, where they are exposed to rain water. The residues • Mechanical collectors (cyclones and multi-
are susceptible to a degree of leaching, depending on cyclones)
which flue gas treatment process was used. Therefore, • Wet scrubbers (such as Venturi scrubbers)
the landfill must be located and designed with a view to • Fabric filters (bag house filters)
preventing the leachate from polluting valuable ground • Electrostatic precipitators (ESPs)
water reservoirs and any nearby surface water bodies.
Some countries have design standards or minimum Mechanical collectors (such as the cyclone) do not
requirements for landfills. effectively reduce the dust content of the flue gas to 150
Properly designed controlled landfills for flue gas mg/Nm3 or below. Consequently, they are of interest
residues include drainage systems for leachate collec- only as a component of a more advanced flue gas treat-
tion and treatment. The treatment facility will be sim- ment system or as a secondary dust arrestor at hoppers
ilar to what is required at the incineration plant itself. and similar installations.
Because advanced flue gas treatment residues are Wet scrubbers (Venturi scrubbers) and electric pre-
soluble, they should be disposed of where there is no cipitators) can be designed to fulfill a specified emis-
risk of polluting ground water aquifers—for example, sion limit value—for example, 100 mg/Nm3. Scrubbers
in old mines. are not practical as the first or only air pollution con-
trol device, however, as the water applied will also
remove most of the HCl present in the flue gas.
Air Pollution Control Technology Consequently, it will produce a dust laden corrosive
waste water stream with a pH value around 0.
Basic Emission Control Fabric filters inherently have a high cleaning effi-
In basic emission control, only the particulate matter is ciency, and—whether required or not—they will
reduced. The recommended emission limit value is 30 remove the particles to about 10 mg/Nm3. However,
mg/Nm3. The following types of particle or dust col- fabric filters working directly on the gases from the
Box 4.2 Cyclone Box 4.3 Venturi scrubber
Application • Dust collector Application • Dust collector
Emission level • 500 mg/Nm3 Emission level • About 100 mg/Nm3,

depending on design
Advantages • Simple and robust
• Inexpensive initial cost Advantages • Inexpensive investment
• Low operating and maintenance costs
Disadvantages • High operating and
Disadvantages • Efficiency too low with fine particles maintenance costs
• Prone to wear • Prone to corrosion
• Produces salty waste water
Working principle: The dust-laden gas enters tangentially Working principle: The dust-laden gas accelerates through a
and is brought to rotate. Centrifugal forces cause the dust throat (a Venturi), atomizing the water injected. The water
particles to impinge on the wall and fall into the conical droplets collect the dust particles, and the droplets are sub-
bottom, where they are removed. The treated flue gas leaves sequently precipitated in something like a cyclonic settling
through the central outlet. chamber.
boiler are vulnerable to varying temperature, humidi- • A simple wet system: ESP plus single-stage wet
ty, and carryover of sparks from the combustion. scrubbing
Moreover they must be bypassed during plant startup • Dry or semidry flue gas cleaning (dry scrubbing).
and shutdown.
Electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) are therefore the In the simple wet system (see Box 4.6), the particles
preferred fly ash collectors at waste incineration plants. and most of the heavy metals, except Hg, are removed
They may be designed with one, two or three indepen- in the precipitator, whereas HCl, HF, and most of the Hg
dently controlled electric fields, according to the actu- are removed in a wet scrubber by washing with water.
al emission standard. A single-field ESP may reduce the As the precipitator operates at 150 to 200 °C, and
particle concentration to below 150 mg/Nm3, whereas since the scrubbing process requires the flue gas to be
a two-field ESP may fulfill the basic particle emission treated at its water vapor saturation temperature—that
standard of this report (30 mg/Nm3). is, 55 to 60 °C—the gas must be cooled between the ESP
A well-functioning two-field ESP will also generally and the scrubber. This may be done by spraying water
reduce the concentrations of heavy metals (except Hg) in a separate quencher or by a combination of a gas/gas
to below the limit values of advanced emission control. heat exchanger and a quencher. The heat exchanger is
A two-field ESP does not cost a great deal more than a cooled by the cold gas (55 to 60 °C) leaving the scrub-
single field, but yields great environmental benefits. By ber, which is then reheated. The latter solution is more
applying the basic standard for emission control, a sig- expensive from an investment point of view, but it saves
nificant part of the most harmful substances is also water and reduces the density of the white stack plume
retained. resulting from the scrubbing.
To keep the dioxin emission at the lowest possible level, The water enters the actual scrubber and absorbs the
the ESP must operate at a temperature below 200 °C. HCl and HF to concentrations below the emission limit
values of the medium control level and the advanced
Medium-Level Emission Control level under formation of diluted hydrochloric acid. The
Medium level emission control requires reduction of low pH value (~ 0) and the high chloride concentra-
acids (HCl and HF) and heavy metals, but normally not tion favor the absorption of Hg while hampering that
of SO2. Two different processes prevail: of SO2.
Box 4.5 Electrostatic precipitator
Box 4.4 Fabric filter Application • Dust collector
Application • Dust collector Emission level • 20-150 mg/Nm3,

depending on design
Emission level • 10 mg/Nm3
Advantages • Robust
Advantages • High efficiency • Low operating and maintenance costs
• Dust layer may also remove acid gases
• Moderate investment and Disadvantages • Expensive initial cost
operating costs • Dust cake does not remove acid gases
Disadvantages • Vulnerable to sparks and moisture Working principle: The dust-laden gas is led into a box in
which a number of grounded collecting plates are suspend-
ed. Discharge electrodes—negatively charged by rectified
Working principle: The dust-laden gas passes into a box, high-voltage DC—are located between each row of plates.
then is sucked or pressed through cylindrical bags. A dust This generates an electric field, charging the particles and
layer forms on the surface (most often, the outer surface, in causing them to migrate to the plates, forming a dust layer.
which case the bags are supported by cages). This layer is The plates are shaken from time to time, and the dust falls
removed by various shaking mechanisms. into the bottom hopper.
Box 4.6 Simple wet system
Application • Removal of particles, HCl, HF, and heavy metals
Efficiency • Medium control level
Legend:
1. Furnace 2. Slag removal
3. Boiler 4. ESP
5. Quencher 6. Scrubber
7. Stack
Advantages • Low consumption of chemicals

• Most of the HCl neutralized with inexpensive CaCO3
• Little formation of solid residues
Disadvantages • Waste water discharge

• Risk of corrosion
• Quencher and scrubber, and—if there is no reheating—ID fan and stack
pipe to be made of or lined with corrosion-resistant materials (plastics and rubber)
• Dense white plume (if no reheating)
The water is recirculated until a certain chloride carbonate (CaCO3) to pH 2.5 and further to pH 8 to
level is achieved, then it is passed on to the quencher. 9 by hydrated lime (Ca(OH)2) or sodium hydroxide
The chloride content is concentrated because of the (NaOH). At pH 8 to 9, the heavy metals precipi-
evaporation. A constant bleed-off maintains the tate—Hg, however, only at the expense of a separate
chloride concentration in the quencher and controls chemical, TMT 15—and are removed as a thin
the addition of fresh water into the HCl scrubber. sludge (approximately 10 percent dry substance).
The bleed-off contains the HCl, HF, and heavy This may either be further dewatered in a filter press
metals removed in the scrubbing process. This efflu- or used as it is for humidifying the fly ash from the
ent must be neutralized—for example, by calcium ESP.
The treated water is discharged. It is essentially a fate (CaSO3/CaSO4), and calcium fluoride (CaF2). The
solution of calcium chloride (CaCl2). Consequently, in reaction products are precipitated in a subsequent bag
this process, the HCl removed leaves the incineration house filter.
plant with the waste water. The difference between the two systems is that in
Dry and semidry flue gas cleaning systems (see dry flue gas cleaning, the lime is injected in a solid
boxes 4.7 and 4.8) are very similar concepts. In both form, whereas in semidry flue gas cleaning it is inject-
systems, the acid gases react with hydrated lime ed in the form of an aqueous suspension. In dry sys-
(Ca(OH)2). In this process, the gases are converted to tems, water is sometimes also injected, although
solid substances: calcium chloride, calcium sulfite/sul- through separate nozzles. The water has a twofold pos-
Box 4.7 Dry system
Application • Removal of particles, HCl, HF, and heavy metals
Efficiency • Medium control level
Legend:
1. Furnace 2. Slag removal
3. Boiler 4. Reactor
5. Bag house filter 6. Stack
Advantages • No waste water

• Less prone to corrosion
• May be fairly easily adjusted to fulfill the requirements of the advanced
control level
• Only visible plume in very cold weather
Disadvantages • Higher consumption of chemicals

• Uses the relatively expensive Ca(OH)2
• More solid residues
• In medium control level, the SO2 concentration is also reduced
Box 4.8 Semidry system with dioxin removal and SCR
Application • Removal of particles, HCl, HF, SO2, NOx, dioxins, and metals
Efficiency • Advanced control level
Legend:
1. Furnace 2. Slag removal 3. Boiler
4. Semidry reactor 5. Carbon injection 6. Bag house filter
7. Heat exchanger 8. SCR 9. Stack
Advantages • No waste water

• Less prone to corrosion
• No visible plume
Disadvantages • Expensive NOx removal process

• High consumption of chemicals and energy
• More solid residues
• Dioxins only adsorbed, not destroyed
itive effect. It cools the flue gas, which in itself residue and lock out the rest to increase the use of the
enhances the reactions, and the increased concentra- lime.
tion of water vapor also favors the reactions. As the Ca(OH)2 is produced by slaking burned lime, CaO
resulting CaCl2 is very hygroscopic (water absorbing), (which is in turn produced from limestone, CaCO3).
the flue gas temperature cannot, however, be reduced In semidry flue gas cleaning, CaO can therefore be
to less than 130° to 140°C, lest difficulties in the han- purchased instead of Ca(OH)2, and the slaking/sus-
dling of the residue arise. pension can be carried out on the site in a single
At this temperature, addition of lime in comparison process.
with the stoichiometrically required consumption is This solution may be economically attractive
necessary, primarily in connection with dry flue gas because CaO is less expensive than Ca(OH)2 and
cleaning. The excess amount of lime then becomes part because a greater amount of the active component, Ca,
of the residue. It is standard to recirculate some of the is produced per metric ton of lime. On the other hand,
a semidry system is usually more expensive than a dry gypsum by Ca ions—for example, by mixing in the
system. CaCl2 solution from the treatment of the water from
The reactions between lime and the acid gases are the HCl removal. If CaCO3 is used, the gypsum is
not affected by the simultaneous presence of fly ash. formed directly and may be removed as a sludge by set-
Therefore, the usual practice is to precipitate the ash tling or in a hydrocyclone and dewatered.
together with the reaction products in the bag house The gas from the SO2 scrubber is reheated in the gas
filter. This also removes the heavy metals, including Cd, or gas heat exchanger and led to a bag house filter. Before
to the emission limits of the advanced control level— this, activated carbon or a mixture of lime and activated
except for Hg, which is just removed to fulfill the Cd carbon is injected into the duct. Thus, the bags are pow-
plus Hg limit value of the medium level. dered, and when the gas penetrates them, Hg and diox-
The process does not result in any effluent. ins are removed to concentrations below the limit values
Consequently, dry and semidry systems are less compli- of the advanced control level. In addition, dust, HCl, HF,
cated than wet systems and require smaller investments. SO2, and the other heavy metals are further reduced.
None of these processes, however, has any effect on
Advanced Emission Control NOx. This constituent should first be controlled by pri-
The emission limit values of the advanced control level mary measures such as flue gas recirculation (see the
may also be met by: chapter on Incineration Technology).
NOx may be further controlled by injection of
• Dry and semidry systems with increased consump- ammonia (NH3), which selectively reduces NOx to free
tion of chemicals nitrogen and water vapor. Both of these gases are harm-
• Advanced wet systems combining ESP, gas/gas heat less and leave the plant through the stack.
exchanger, two-stage scrubbing, and bag house filter. Two process variants are available: selective noncat-
alytic reduction (SNCR) and selective catalytic reduc-
In addition, NOx must be removed in a NOx reduction (SCR). The chemical reactions are the same, but
tion system. the former requires a temperature around 900°C, while
the latter is effective down to some 250°C. The SNCR
The treatment efficiencies of dry and semidry sys- requires NH3 to be added in excess of the stoichiomet-
tems towards HCl, HF, and SO2 depend on the addition ric consumption, whereas SCR may be run at stoichio-
of chemicals. Increasing the consumption of lime can metric conditions.
help meet the emission limit values of the advanced Accordingly, SNCR is applied in the after-burning
control level to these three pollutants. A completely dry chamber of the furnace simply by injecting the NH3. The
system will, however, need lime in excessive quantities. surplus NH3 passes with the flue gas to the air pollution
The Hg and dioxin limits may be fulfilled by adding control system. If this is wet, the surplus is quantitative-
activated carbon to the lime. ly removed as ammonium chloride (NH4Cl), in the HCl
The increased consumption of chemicals increases scrubber and is discharged with the treated waste water.
the production of residues correspondingly. Dry and semidry flue gas treatment does not have
The advanced wet system differs from the simple the same capacity to remove NH3. Therefore, a SCR
systems because it has an additional wet scrubber in system tends to be the best choice.
which SO2 is reduced by reaction with a NaOH solu- TheSCRprocessisusuallyappliedafterthewetscrub-
tion or a CaCO3 suspension. Due to the excess oxygen bers, or after a dioxin filter in a wet system and after the
in the flue gas, the reaction products are a sodium sul- bag house filter in dry and semidry systems,respectively.
fate (Na2SO4) solution and a gypsum (CaSO4,2H2O) This requires the gas to be reheated by heat exchange and
suspension, respectively. a clean fossil fuel. Consequently, the SCR process is
If NaOH is applied, the scrubber system must have expensive, both in investment and operating costs.
an additional water treatment plant in which the sul- Box 4.8 shows a semidry system with SCR, and Box
fate ions of the Na2SO4 solution are precipitated as 4.9 shows an advanced wet system with SNCR. Both
Box 4.9 Advanced wet system with SNCR, limestone scrubber, and dioxin filter
Application • Removal of particles, HCl, HF, SO2, NOx, dioxins, and metals
Efficiency • Advanced control level
Legend:
1. Furnace 2. Slag removal 3. Ammonia injection
4. Boiler 5. ESP 6. Quencher
7. Acid scrubber 8. Limestone scrubber 9. Adsorbent injection
10. Bag house filter 11. Stack
Advantages • Nearly stoichiometric consumption of chemicals

• Inexpensive NOx removal process
• SO2 removed with cheap CaCO3
• Dioxins destroyed
Disadvantages • Expensive in investment costs

• Waste water discharge (incl. NH4+)
• Quencher and scrubbers to be made of plastics
• White plume in cold, humid weather
may fulfill all of the emission limit values of the Induced Draught Fan and Stack
advanced control level.
An induced draught fan is needed to overcome the
pressure drop across the flue gas treatment system and
APC Systems Overview maintain a certain underpressure in the furnace. This
is normally placed at the rear of the flue gas treatment
Simplified diagrams for the various APC systems are train and is furnished with a silencer.
presented on the next few pages. They indicate the unit The flue gas is then passed into the stack, which must
processes involved in obtaining basic, medium, and be of a certain height—depending on the emission
advance air pollution control. The emitted fraction of control level applied and other factors (see the chapter
key pollutants is indicated in bar charts. on Environmental Impact and Occupational Health).
Figure 4.1 Wet air pollution control system with dioxin control
Particle/Dust Control
Furnace/Boiler Collector HCI, HF, SO2, and Heavy Metals Dioxins NOx Emissions Level
Basic
Basic
Medium
Medium
Furnace/Boiler ESP 1st-Stage 2nd-Stage

Scrubbing Scrubbing
Medium
Dioxin Filter
Medium
* Located in the After-Burning Chamber in the Boiler SCR Advanced

Figure 4.2 Dry air pollution control system for incinerators
Furnace/Boiler Particle/Dust HCI, HF, SO2, NOx Emissions Control

Collector Heavy Metals and Dioxins Level
100
75
50
25 None
0
METALSs
DIOXIN
HEAVY
DUST
NOx
SO2
HCI
HF
Hg
Furnace/Boiler
100
75
50
25
Medium
0
METALSs
DIOXIN
HEAVY
DUST
NOx
SO2
HCI
Dry Separation Fabric Filter
HF
Hg
100
Furnace/Boiler 75
50
25 Medium
0
METALSs
DIOXIN
HEAVY
DUST
NOx
SO2
HCI
Semidry Fabric Filter with
HF
Hg
Separator Activated Charcoal
100
75
50
25
Advanced
0
METALSs
DIOXIN
HEAVY
DUST
NOx
SO2
HCI
HF
Hg
SCR
5 Incineration Residues
Key Issues pollution resulting from the leachate from

the residues
During the incineration process, most of the waste is
combusted and converted to harmless gases such as ✓ Scrap iron may be recovered for recycling by
carbon dioxide (CO2) and water vapor (H2O). These magnetic separation of the slag
gases are discharged as a flue gas into the atmosphere
through the stack of the plant, together with surplus ✓ By sorting or sieving the slag, a “synthetic
oxygen and the nitrogen of the combustion air. In gravel” fraction may be recovered for uti-
addition, the flue gas contains various air polluting lization.
compounds, the concentration of which must be
reduced (as explained in the chapter on Air Pollution ✓ The dry residues should be prevented from
Control). generating dust at the landfill site.
However, part of the waste is incombustible and is
removed from the incineration furnace as slag, a solid
residue. The flue gas cleaning processes also produce Slag
residues, either directly or by the subsequent treatment
of the spent scrubbing liquids, depending on the flue Formation and Composition
gas cleaning method applied. The major waste product stream from incineration is
Depending on the local circumstances, some of the the slag (sometimes called bottom ash or clinker). It
slag may be used or recycled, but the flue gas treatment amounts to 20 to 25 percent by weight of the waste
residues are normally useless and must be landfilled. combusted (or more, if there is a high amount of ash
Landfilled materials are exposed to precipitation, or other noncombustible material in the waste), but
which may dissolve the soluble components of the prod- only to 5 to 10 percent by volume. Its main components
ucts. Consequently, landfills for incinerator residues must are metals, glass, and mineral constituents of the waste,
be located, designed, and operated with consideration of but some salts—particularly sodium chloride
the leaching properties of the individual residues. (NaCl)—may also be found. For additional informa-
tion, see Table 5.1.
Key Criteria Ideally, the loss of ignition (LOI) at 550 oC of the slag
✓ ✓ ✓ A controlled and well-operated landfill should be 0, but—depending on the combustion condi-
must be available for residue disposal. The tions (for example, grate length and waste-loading fac-
landfill must be large enough to receive the tor)—LOIs of 2 to 5 percent by weight are common. The
entire quantity of solid residual products LOI is mainly incompletely burned organic material.
generated at the incineration plant The grain size distribution of the slag ranges from
about 1 mm to the largest waste components (such as
✓ ✓ ✓ The landfill must be located, designed, and discarded refrigerators), which can be fed into the fur-
operated in such a way as to prevent water nace.
77
Table 5.1 Chemical composition of incinerator residues, indicative

Dry/semidry Wet plus
Element Unit Slag Fly Ash plus fly ash fly ash
O g/kg 450 — — —
Si g/kg 250 150 75 80
Ca g/kg 75 100 250 150
Fe g/kg 75 25 15 50
Al g/kg 50 70 25 30
C g/kg 50 — — —
Na g/kg 25 30 15 2
K g/kg 15 35 25 5
Mg g/kg 10 15 10 75
S g/kg 5 25 15 5
Cu g/kg 3 1.2 0.7 1.2
Zn g/kg 2.5 30 15 30
Cl g/kg 2 75 200 35
Pb g/kg 1.5 10 10 10
F mg/kg 500 — — —
Cr mg/kg 350 650 200 250
Ni mg/kg 250 150 100 60
As mg/kg 15 150 175 90
Cd mg/kg 1.5 400 300 650
Hg mg/kg 0.05 8 15 650
Removal fractions reduce the amount to be landfilled and, thus,

The slag is removed from the rear end of the grate by require less landfill capacity.
gravity, and normally falls into a water bath, which cools Normally, however, utilization possibilities develop
the slag. Some of the water evaporates and must be slowly, and it is advisable to have a landfill capacity cor-
replaced by fresh water to maintain the water level in the responding to the total slag quantity available before
deslagger. Thus, it is possible to operate this removal commissioning a new incineration plant.
process in such a way that there is no waste water When placing or using the slag in the natural envi-
stream. It may, however, be advantageous to wash the ronment it is, of course, important to prevent it from
slag with more water, as this may dissolve and remove polluting water bodies like ground or surface water
some of the salt. The spent water may then be used in a reservoirs. Thus, its leaching properties and especially
medium or advanced flue gas treatment process. the salt content must be considered.
Disposal
The main disposal method is landfilling. The slag may Grate Siftings
either be landfilled as it is or pretreated in one of a
number of ways, depending on the requirements and A small part of the waste—0.1 to 2 percent, depending
the degree of environmental control measures taken at on the grate design—is able to penetrate the primary
the landfill. air openings of the grate elements and collects under-
Pretreatment could be done through the washing neath the grate. The material normally consists of very
process or various sorting processes. It is possible to use fine particles and of molten plastics and metals with a
magnets to recover the iron content of the slag, which low melting point—for example, lead (Pb).
may be sold or delivered to a steelworks. A sieving In most cases, the material is mixed into the slag, but
process can recover a gravel size fraction, which may be occasionally it is re-introduced into the incinerator
used as a road base material. Recovery and use of these furnace. Thus, the grate siftings are only seldom
Incineration Residues 79
Table 5.2 Maximum leaching of ions from incinerator residues, indicative

Concentration level Slag Fly ash and dry plus semidry product Wet product plus fly ash
Very higha Cl Cl, Ca, Na, K, Pb Cl, Na, K
Highb SO4, Na, K, Ca Zn, SO4 SO4, Ca
Mediumc Cu, Mo, Pb Cu, Cd, Cr, Mo Mo
Lowd Mn, Zn, As, Cd, Ni, Se As As, Cr, Zn
Very lowe Cr, Hg, Sn Hg Pb, Cd, Cu, Hg
a. Initial Concentration > 10 g/l.
b. 0.1—10 g/l.
c. 1—100 mg/l.
d. 0.01—1 mg/l.
e. < 0.01 mg/l.
removed from the plant as a separate residue stream, Removal

but in this event the disposal method is landfilling. The ash is removed from the bottom hoppers of the
boiler and the ESP and is transported in closed con-
veyors to something such as a silo. When enough is col-
Boiler and Fly Ash lected, the ash is loaded into a tank truck and hauled to
a landfill. Before this, it may be humidified by water or
Formation and Composition the fresh sludge from the treatment of spent scrubber
The finest, incombustible particles of the waste incin- liquid to prevent it from generating dust at the landfill.
erated pass with the flue gas out of the furnace and into An open truck may be used with slush, if a protective
the boiler. Since the flue gas velocity in the boiler is tarpaulin is applied. Humidification increases the
lower than in the furnace, some of the particles settle as weight by around 30 percent.
boiler ash and are removed from the bottom hoppers Alternatively, the ash may go into big bags in a big
of the boiler. bag station and landfilled without being humidified.
The finest particles, however, pass on to the flue gas
treatment installation. When the flue gas cools in the Disposal
boiler, various gaseous compounds—for example, Because of its relatively high content of salts and heavy
evaporated heavy metals and their compounds, includ- metals, the ash cannot be used for construction pur-
ing zinc, lead, and cadmium chloride (ZnCl2, PbCl2 poses, and so far, no industrial use is known for it.
and CdCl2), formed from hydrogen chloride (HCl) in Consequently, the only disposal method is landfilling
the flue gas—condense on the particles to form fly ash. under controlled conditions.
The fly ash is either collected alone, perhaps in an
ESP, or together with the reaction products of dry or
semidry flue gas treatment processes (see the chapter Residues from Dry and Semidry Flue Gas
on Air Pollution Control). In either case, it is most Treatment
common to mix the boiler ash into the fly ash or the
reaction product stream. This section considers the Formation and Composition
mixture of boiler ash and fly ash. As explained in the chapter on Air Pollution Control, dry
This mixture amounts to 2 to 3 percent by weight of and semidry flue gas treatment converts the acid gases of
the original waste. It consists of inert, mineral particles, HCl, HF and SO2 to the solid compounds CaCl2, CaF2,
variably soluble salts (for example, NaCl), and heavy and CaSO3/CaSO4, respectively, through reaction with
metal compounds (of which CdCl2 is readily soluble). lime, Ca(OH)2. The lime must be added in excess.
The grain size is very fine; thus the ash is very dusty. For Consequently, the treatment residue, which is col-
further information, see Table 5.1. lected in a bag filter, contains these compounds; and
since the fly ash is normally not collected before the ated (see Table 5.1). The raw, thin sludge, when
lime injection, the residue also contains the ash. If acti- removed from the settling tank, usually has a DS con-
vated carbon is injected, this material, of course, also tent of 8 to 10 percent. Accordingly, it is liquid and easy
ends up in the product. to pump.
The quantity depends mainly on the fly ash forma- Wet removal of SO2 normally forms a gypsum
tion rate and on the required reduction of the HCl and (CaSO4,2H2O) sludge. The quantity depends on the
SO2 concentrations, but it is often 30 to 50 kg per met- SO2 removal rate, but a typical figure is 3 kg DS per
ric ton of waste incinerated. See Table 5.1. metric ton of waste incinerated.
Removal Removal
As CaCl2 is highly hygroscopic and deliquescent at The sludges may be used as they are for humidifying
temperatures below 130 °C, the temperature in the bag the boiler and fly ash and landfilled together with these
house filter should be at least 140 °C. The product ashes. However, as the water in the thin sludge contains
should be removed at once from the bottom hoppers CaCl2 in solution, additional chloride is mixed into the
of the bag filter, transported in a closed conveyor to ash. On the other hand, it is claimed that the leaching
perhaps a big bag station and placed in the bags imme- properties of the mixture are better than that of the two
diately. The big bag station also usually receives the ingredients separately.
boiler ash. Alternatively, the two sludges may be dewatered sep-
arately or jointly in a filter press, on a vacuum filter, or
Disposal in a centrifuge.
The reaction product is a composite material, and no
practical uses have been found for it. Consequently, it Disposal
must be landfilled. The landfill exposes it to rain water The sludges are normally landfilled, and their leaching
which unfortunately dissolves the CaCl2 and to a slight properties are normally far better than those of the dry
(but important) degree, the surplus Ca(OH)2. The dis- and semidry treatment residues.
solving Ca(OH)2 creates a pH of the leachate water of In a few cases, the gypsum is recovered and used for
about 12. At this pH, Pb is readily soluble. industrial purposes.
Consequently, the leachate is alkaline and polluted by
CaCl2 and Pb (see Table 5.2).
It is therefore immensely important that the leachate Spent Adsorbent from Dioxin Filters
is kept from dissipating into any drinking water
resource. If possible, the product should be landfilled The spent adsorbents from dioxin filters are usually fed
below ground—in an old salt mine or another water- back into the incinerator and combusted, thus destroy-
tight cavity. ing the dioxins adsorbed. Or, they can be used to treat
the acid scrubber water ending up in the thin sludge.
Consequently, they do not normally constitute a sepa-
Sludges from Water Treatment rate waste product stream to be disposed of outside the
plant.
Formation and Composition
When the HCl and SO2 are removed from the flue gas
by wet methods, one or two waste water streams are Other Materials
produced. These must be treated as explained in the
chapter on Air Pollution Control. While the residual products are generated and must
The treatment of the acid water results in the for- be removed continuously, other waste products are
mation of a “hydroxide/TMT” sludge, approximately 1 only removed and disposed of from time to time—
kg DS (dry substance) per metric ton of waste inciner- including:
Incineration Residues 81
• Spent catalysts from SCR installations

• Spent ion exchange resins from the preparation of
boiler water
• Discarded refractory and other materials from
maintenance operations.
These materials are mostly landfilled.

6 Operation and Maintenance
Key Issues and capabilities of the employees as well as the pub-

lic and legal demands and constraints to be managed.
Efficient and competent operation and maintenance Incineration plants typically staff 50 to 200 persons
are the key to applying waste incineration technology depending on the size of the plant, the effectiveness
successfully and securing the optimum benefit of the and skills of its workers, whether subcontractors are
investments made. used, and the division of responsibilities with other
Such operation and maintenance require: waste management organizations.
The actual number and division of departments
• Well-structured and well-managed plant organization should be balanced according to the type of assign-
• Trained and skilled employees, managers, and oper- ments, the size of the plant, and the number of work-
ating personnel at all levels ers. Furthermore, some or all of the operation and
• A plant economy with sufficient cash flow for procur- maintenance tasks may be subcontracted to private
ing local and imported spare parts and consumables contractors or the original supplier. Hence, the orga-
• Efficient housekeeping and a clean and safe working nizational possibilities are manifold.
environment
• Efficient record keeping, including specifications Ownership and Top Management
and drawings of plant, machines, and other compo- Waste incineration plants are typically owned by one
nents; emission data; waste quantities and types; of the following:
operating data (for example, temperatures, pres-
sures, efficiencies, and consumption). • The municipality/local government or a group of
municipalities/local governments
Key Criteria • The county/regional government
✓ ✓ ✓ Foreign currency is available for purchasing • Private or public energy companies (for example,
critical spare parts. power or district heating companies)
• Private investors or a private investment associa-
✓ ✓ Skilled plant operation staff are available to tion
the plant owner at affordable salaries. • Suppliers, often in BOO or BOOT (build, own,
Otherwise, reliable operation and/or main- operate, transfer) arrangements
tenance contracts must be in place in the
form of operation and service contracts. For the owners, the most important issues are to
ensure continued supply of the planned quality and
quantity of waste; continued payment of tipping fees,
Typical Plant Organization and Staffing revenues from energy sale and fulfilment of instal-
ments on loans; and maintenance of the plant in
There are several types of plant organization world- good operating conditions under qualified manage-
wide. The actual organization should reflect the skills ment.
83
Figure 6.1 Typical plant organization chart
Board
Board of
Directors
Managing
Director
Financial Technical
Director Director
Economy and Salaries and Operation and Planning and

Plant Operations
Finance Personnel Maintenance Public Relations
Budgets and Guided plant

Salaries Foreman Shift 1 Recordkeeping
Forecasts tours
Billing and Personnel Affairs Foreman Shift 2 Routine O&M

Waste Forecasts
Clients Units
Waste
Financing Foreman Shift 7 Workshops Management
Planning
The owners will normally be represented by a board • Plant operations

that makes all crucial decisions based on sound rec- • Operation and maintenance
ommendations of the plant management. • Public relations
Normally, one managing director will ultimately be • Planning and forecasting
responsible for operating and maintaining the econo- • Finance
my of the plant. Typically, the managing director will, • Personnel.
in cooperation with the board, appoint a technical
director and a financial director for the plant’s day-to- The actual organization, number of depart-
day management. ments, staffing, and division of responsibilities
It is important that the management group, which among the departments may vary significantly.
consists of the directors, have access to reliable and rel- Also, plant management may choose to subcontract
evant operation and financial data for monitoring the any of the following assignments to private compa-
operation and the financial, technical, and environ- nies:
mental performance of the plant each day.
• Removal and transportation of ash, slag. and other
Departments of the Plant residues
Typically, the plant will include the following depart- • Cleaning and housekeeping
ments: • Salary management and payment
Operation and Maintenance 85
• Operation and maintenance of specific units of the ing littering or spreading of dust. Such vehicles can be
plant purchased and operated by the plant, or the services
• Periodic testing and analysis of effluents and emis- can be subcontracted to a private company. It is impor-
sions tant to make sure there is sufficient intermediate stor-
• Specific planning and feasibility studies required for age capacity and reliable and frequent transportation.
plant development.
Training of Workers, Codes of Practice, and

Crucial Supplies and External Services Occupational Safety and Health
The following supplies and external services are crucial The personnel or human resource development
for continued operation of the incineration plant: departments should be responsible for training work-
ers. The skills and training courses in table 6.1 may be
• Continuous and steady high-voltage power supply required.
• Water Codes of practices or documented work procedures
• Removal of residues (slag, ash and air pollution con- should be prepared for all key plant activities and facil-
trol residues)—that is, availability of an engineered ities. Furthermore, there should be contingency plans
and sanitary landfill for residues in case of accidents or equipment failure.
• Availability of spare parts—and sufficient local and The documentation should instruct the workers
foreign currency for purchasing spares how to operate the equipment, and what to do if it fails
• Availability of consumables (such as lime, oil, and or in case of accidents. Such documents can be used in
lubricants). new employee orientation, as well as a reference source
for employees throughout the year.
Typically, if the waste does not contain hazardous Equipment suppliers should be required to submit
compounds, the quality of the slag and ashes will allow work procedures as part of the contract. Ideally, these
for recycling after sieving—for example, for roadfill. should be used for preparing an integrated work pro-
Hence, slag may be transported to a sorting area, reject- cedure for the entire plant. The integrated proce-
ed slag and ashes may be transported to a landfill, and dures should be available in the operator’s room and
APC residues may go to secure landfill sections. with shift supervisors and other key personnel.
In any case, the residues should be transported by Relevant excerpts should be placed at each machine
suitable vehicles, in fully contained loads, thus avoid- or equipment.
Table 6.1 Required skills, education, and background for operating an incinerator
Employees Number Basic skills required Additional training courses required
Managing, financial, and Documented management skills (such as
technical directors 3 previous experience and relevant education) Public utility management
Economists, accountants,
and office clerks 6 Documented skills in economy, finance, Electronic information management
or accounting systems
Plant operators >14 Documented skills and certificates as Occupational safety and health (OSH),
chief facility operator or shift supervisors and plant operation
Crane operators >7 Experience in machine operation Sorting and homogenization of waste
before feeding, and fire extinguishing
Shift supervisors >7 Good management and planning skills; OSH, first aid, and plant operation
long experience with plant operation
Mechanics >5 Qualified mechanics, qualified welders OSH and first aid
Electricians >2 Qualified electricians OSH and first aid
General workers 30 Job-specific OSH and first aid
7 Environmental Impact and
Occupational Health
Key Issues tor (basic emission control, dust<30

mg/Nm3).
MSW incineration plants are generally located close to
densely populated areas for economic reasons (e.g., ✓ ✓ ✓ A controlled and well-operated landfill
sale of energy, transport distance). Any negative envi- must be available for the disposal of
ronmental effects of the plant can influence a great residues.
number of people. A combination of planning and
technical measures is required to minimize such ✓ ✓ To avoid noise, dust, and odor in residential
impacts. areas, MSW incineration plants should be
Of the MSW incineration residues, only the slag can located in land-use zones dedicated to
be considered environmentally safe to reuse. The flue medium or heavy industry.
gas cleaning residues are much more soluble than the
original wastes and have to be disposed of in an appro- ✓ ✓ The stack should be twice the height of the
priately designed and operated controlled landfill to tallest building within 1.0 km, or at least 70
avoid negative impacts on ground or surface waters. meters high.
MSW incineration plants may have a negative
impact on the air quality of a fairly large area. The waste
itself can create odor and dust in the immediate sur- Environmental Impact
roundings, and flue gases containing particles and
vapors are spread over a larger area—reducing the The environmental impact of the construction and
overall air quality if insufficiently treated. operation of an MSW incineration plant should be
Municipal solid waste may contain hazardous and assessed according to the requirements laid down in the
infectious matter (although it is not supposed to). World Bank Operational Directive (OD) 4.01:
Combined with the release of dust containing endo- Environmental Assessment. A waste incineration plant
toxins, this risks the health of those employed at the belongs to category A in the OD—and therefore, a full
reception area of the incineration plant. Special pre- environmental assessment should be conducted.
cautions have to be taken to minimize such risks. The present guidelines do not substitute an envi-
Occupational health risk and protective measures ronmental assessment carried out in accordance with
for the rest of the plant are similar to those identified OD 4.01, but describes the impacts to be expected from
or required at places such as coal-fired power plants. an incineration plant and a selection of measures
which can be taken to remediate them.
A properly constructed and operated waste inciner-
Key Criteria ation plant is expected to be comparable to medium to
✓ ✓ ✓ The flue gas treatment installation must be heavy industrial activities as far as environmental
capable of removing dust at least as effi- impact, transport requirements and other infrastruc-
ciently as a two-stage electrostatic precipita- ture needs, and potential public nuisances.
87
Because a waste incineration plants is similar to emission. It may be necessary to specify wall and ceil-
medium to heavy industrial activities, it should be ing structures with an appropriate sound reduction or
located within a zone dedicated for industrial activities. absorption index to keep noise from spreading via the
Besides, because it is similar to a power plant in its ener- building itself, and to safeguard the working environ-
gy output and residues, it should be located near power ment in the buildings.
plants, especially those that are coal fired. The draught fans and the flue gas fans are, together
This section describes possible environmental with the stack, the most significant sources of noise in
impacts and the measures designed to reduce them the environment.Ventilators will often be located at the
(elaboratied on in the chapter on Plant Location). building roof and therefore also produce noise in the
surroundings if not properly muffled. If the plant is
Noise located close to residential areas, it may be necessary to
Noise generated at incineration plants originates from provide the ventilators with attenuators or acoustic
transportation of waste and treatment residues to and enclosures. This is quite expensive and further proof
from the plant, handling waste and residues within the that the plant should be located within an industrial
plant premises, and noise emissions from the installed area.
equipment. Except for the traffic to and from the plant, all of the
Massive transportation of waste and residues will sources of noise can be assumed to operate for 24 hours
take place on the roads near the plant. This can hardly a day and seven days a week all year round. If the incin-
be avoided and is one reasons an incineration plant eration is combined with a plant for recycling of cin-
should be located within an industrial zone or estate ders and slag for construction purposes, the necessary
well connected to the major roads of the waste catch- treatment (mechanical sorting mainly) can be limited
ment area. If the vehicles arriving at or leaving the plant to the day shift.
are tempted to make shortcuts through residential
areas, forced routes for the trucks may have to be intro- Odors
duced. The combustion process destroys all odor-emitting
Waste and residue handling comprises unloading substances in the waste, and the slag and fly ash are ster-
the waste into a reception and storage pit and handling ile and odorless after cooling.
and treating slag and flue gas cleaning residues from the MSW incineration plant odor is thus emitted main-
combustion process. Waste should be unloaded within ly from handling and storing waste before combustion.
a confined or semiconfined building to prevent storm The main sources are the unloading activities and the
water from entering the pit and to keep wind from waste storage pit. The pit or hopper serves as a buffer
spreading dust and lightweight wastes. Confinement to equalize the feeding of the furnaces, and will thus
will also protect against noise emissions from these always contain a variable amount of waste. Some of the
activities. Slag and fly ash should also be handled inside waste may be in the pit for several days before being fed
a building that protects against climate and emissions to the furnace. In this period, the putrescible waste will
of noise, odor, dust, and the like. degrade under anaerobic conditions—especially at
Internal traffic on the premises and the noisy activ- high ambient temperatures—and emit an unpleasant
ities at ground level can be screened off by acoustic smell.
screens through soil barriers. The necessary handling of the waste in and around
The main equipment installed at a waste incinera- the pit will create odor—and will make bacteria and
tion plant includes the overhead crane that feeds the toxins airborne.
waste into the hopper or furnace, the furnace with To avoid emitting foul air into the environment, the
moving grate, the slag collection and cooling system, waste pit and the feeding section of the plant hopper
the boiler, the flue gas cleaning equipment, fans, and area must be enclosed with roof and walls. The air for
ventilators. Most of the equipment will be located the combustion process must be abstracted from the
inside the incinerator building, which muffles the noise top of this more or less open room (that is, from the
Environmental Impact and Occupational Health 89
crane or hopper deck) to generate an induced air flow cury, which is only poorly removed by dry filters). The
into the room and keep foul-smelling substances from scrubbers will also remove the flue gas content of acid
escaping. substances, including hydrogen fluoride (HF), hydro-
Besides this, the unavoidable spillage must be gen chloride (HCl), and sulfuric acid (H2SO4). An
cleaned and the general area must be kept tidy. This environmental drawback of the wet systems is the out-
must be specified in the staff training program and in put of heavily polluted waste water, which requires
the plant’s operation manuals. advanced treatment to remove substances such as
heavy metals before discharge.
Air Emissions The requirements for air pollution reduction must
Airborne pollutants from the combustion process are depend on the general environmental requirements of
emitted through the stack. Assuming an optimal com- the country. There should be a reasonable relation
bustion process for complete destruction of particles between the requirements for municipal waste inciner-
and gases, the applied flue gas cleaning and the height ators and the requirements for other industrial
of the stack are decisive for the resulting contribution processes.
to the air quality. The anticipated emissions, as a func- The stack height is decisive for the dilution of the
tion of cleaning technology, are described in detail in flue gases in the environment. A minimum height is
the chapter on Air Pollution Control. required to prevent the plume from reaching the
To reduce the pollution load on the atmosphere ground or entering tall buildings. This minimum
from the combustion process, various measures can be height will depend on the local atmospheric condi-
applied, as follows (described withan increasing degree tions, the topography (flat or hilly), and the height of
of complexity, cost, and efficiency). the buildings within a radius of at least 1.0 km. The
A two-field electrostatic precipitator (ESP) is con- stack height should be decided on the basis of com-
sidered the minimum requirement for flue gas clean- puter modeling, and should never be less than 70
ing at an MSW incineration plant. The ESP will remove meters.
the dust from the flue gas to a level of 20 to 30 mg/Nm3.
Most of the heavy metals adhering to the dust, such as Waste Generation and Access to Landfill
lead, will be removed rather efficiently from the flue In the combustion process, the volume of the waste will
gas. The advantage of the ESP is that it is robust, inex- be reduced by approximately 90 percent and the weight
pensive to operate and may even function (as a settling by 70 to 75 percent. The output (residue) from the com-
chamber)if the power supply is interrupted. It also bustion process will mainly be bottom ash (slag), and
operates at rather high flue gas temperatures and thus the boiler and fly ash will account for only a small per-
requires limited cooling of the flue gas only. cent of the waste incinerated.
A bag house filter will clean the flue gas better for the In addition to the slag, boiler and fly ash, the plant
smallest particles, and better remove heavy metals, than may generate residues from more advanced dry, semi-
the ESP. The disadvantages of the bag house filter are dry and wet flue gas cleaning processes. The amount
the cost of operation and the vulnerability—as the flue and its environmental characteristics will depend on
gas must be cooled before the filter to around 150°C, the technology applied.
and there is a risk that sparks from the combustion will The slag from a well-operated waste incinerator will
burn the bags. Thus, bag house filters require a flame be burnt out, with only a small amount of organic
and spark arrestor. Bag house filters are also vulnerable material. Besides, the heavy metals in the slag, which
when the combustion starts and closes, as the flue gas are normally leachable, will to some extent become vit-
will be cool and moist and must bypass the bag filter. rified and thus insoluble. The slag may therefore be
Both an ESP and a bag house filter may be combined used as road construction material, reducing the land-
with various scrubbers in which dry or wet lime is fill capacity requirement.
injected in the flue gas stream, thus further reducing The boiler and fly ash and other residues will, how-
the content of dust and heavy metals (particularly mer- ever, need to be disposed of in a controlled landfill, as
will the incombustible waste generated in the area. It is residues (spills) and thus have a relatively high concen-
therefore absolutely necessary to have a well-engi- tration of organic substances—at the same level as
neered and operated landfill available for these types of household effluents.
waste.
Water Supply Occupational Safety and Health

Supply of water is necessary for feed water to boilers
and for various processes at an MSW incineration Solid waste handling exposes staff to dust, microor-
plant: cleansing, slag cooling, flue gas scrubbers (if ganisms including gram-negative bacteria, fungi, and
implemented), and staff sanitary purposes. endotoxins, and gases and odor from biological
Slag cooling water has no quality requirements, so decomposition of the waste. MSW incineration plants
polluted river water or ground watercan be used. The further involve a risk of exposure to combustion prod-
water consumption for slag cooling can be assumed to ucts—for example, gases and particles at various stages
be in the magnitude of 0.05 to 0.01 m3/metric ton of of the process and applied chemicals.
waste if state-of-the-art slag extractors are applied. Combustion products can be inhaled or ingested.
Water will also be used if flue gas scrubbers or The incineration plant must be designed, operated
semi-dry reactors are installed. Drinking water quali- and maintained to minimize human exposure. This
ty is not required for this process, but the water must requires application of a combination of permanent
have a relatively low solid content, so lime can be installations and personal protection equipment.
diluted in it and sprayed through nozzles into the flue
gas stream. The water consumption will depend on Airborne Pollution
the technology applied, ranging from about 0.1 Workers in the waste reception hall are exposed to
m3/metric ton of waste in the semidry absorption exhaust fumes from the trucks delivering the waste.
process (which does not generate waste water) to During any manual unloading, the engines should be
about 0.25 to 0.4 m3/metric tons of waste in the wet turned off to minimize such exposure. The air quality
process (which generates 0.07 to 0.15 m3 of waste in the reception hall is also negatively influenced by
water per metric ton). odor, dust, and micro-organisms released during
unloading. Decomposition of waste in the pit/hopper
Waste Water Discharge further degrades the air quality. Prolonged storage of
The waste water generated from wet processes will have large volumes of waste may result in anaerobic condi-
high concentrations of salt(mainly as chloride) and tions followed by depletion of oxygen and formation of
soluble heavy metals. Cadmium can be assumed to be methane.
the most important of these with regard to emission Leaks in the furnace, flue gas, and duct systems will
limits. The actual concentrations will depend on the emit dust and flue gases inside the buildings. At the end
composition of the combusted waste. of the plant, handling of slag, fly ash and lime used for
The recipient must therefore be relatively robust advanced flue gas treatment increases the amount of
(that is, the discharge must be highly diluted). The level suspended matter in the air.
of discharge will depend on the technology applied, Generally, exposure to these health hazards must be
ranging from almost none if water is only used for slag minimized through proper design of buildings, equip-
cooling (in which case, almost all of the water will evap- ment, and installations. The building layout should
orate) to 0.3 m3/metric ton of waste if wet flue gas avoid direct connection between high-risk areas and
scrubbers are installed. permanently staffed rooms. Surfaces must be easy to
Aside from the waste water discharged from the clean and designed to prevent deposition and accumu-
processes at the incineration plant, cleaning water and lation of dust, especially in hard-to-reach places. Plenty
storm water will be discharged from the area. This of taps should be installed for washing and hosing
water can be assumed to be contaminated with waste down floors (rather than sweeping).
Environmental Impact and Occupational Health 91
Maintaining a slightly elevated air pressure in per- In areas where the noise level exceeds 85 dB(A), ear
manently manned rooms (such as the crane operator plugs or equivalently efficient protection should be
and control rooms), as well as offices, canteens, and mandatory.
kitchens, will reduce the dust and gases entering these
areas. Chemicals
The operation manual for the plant must call for The Chemicals Convention /1/ should be followed—
routine checks for, and repair of, leaks in the equip- including assessing all applied hazardous chemicals in
ment. Cleaning and maintenance can increase expo- respect to safe usage and taking necessary labor pro-
sure and should be countered through application of tection measures.
personal protection devices. Safety Data Sheets must be provided by the suppli-
Masks for protection against micro-organisms (type ers of hazardous chemicals. The employer should
P3) should be used in the waste reception area. In dusty ensure that all necessary precautions are taken.
areas with concentrations of dust larger than 3mg/m3,
type P2 masks should be applied. Physiology
Work stations should avoid torsion and bend-forward
Heat positions. Work must be executed in front of and close to
The temperature in the furnace hall may be elevated the body—that is, the level of the footbridges should be
considerably above ambient temperature and even adjusted according to the level of the actual site of work.
become uncomfortable. Working in this area induces a Ergonomic strain caused by lifting, pulling, and
risk of dizziness, sickness, visual disturbance, and pushing of heavy parts should be minimized through
headaches. lifts and cranes. The floors should be level, with suffi-
The room temperature and heat radiation should be cient slopes for drainage of cleaning water only.
reduced through ventilation and insulating or covering
hot surfaces. Efficient ventilation consists of vents for Risk of Accidents
exhaust of warm air from the ceiling above the furnaces Experience shows that the main risks of accidents at an
and supply of fresh air through openings or forced ven- incineration plant are falls from great height (into the
tilation vents. pit or down from the footbridges), collisions with
Drinking water should be available throughout the trucks transporting waste or residues, accidents at
plant. rotating equipment, scalding by hot water or steam,
equipment failure, explosions, and fire.
Vibrations Footbridges and elevated platforms must be equipped
The vibrations and sound pressure emitted from with safety rails—if not, access must be restricted.
numerous machines and activities may reach a level of Running traffic must be separated from pedestrians
concern to occupational health and safety. Vibration wherever possible.
dampers should be applied whenever required. Noisy Machinery must be shielded against moving and
equipment such as turbines and compressors must be rotating parts—and should be unable to operate if
shielded or placed in special rooms with sound-absorb- these shields are not installed properly. Emergency
ing cladding on the walls. Large ventilators should be stops must be installed in case of accidents.
located where the noise level is of no concern or Emergency response and evacuation plans must be
equipped with noise-reducing intake and outlet units. established.
References
/1/ General Conference of the International Labor /6/ Dalager, S. U. Marxen, I.Nymann, T. Hulgaard. May 1998.
Organization. 1990. Chemicals Convention. “Affaldsteknologi, Kapitel 4.2 Forbrænding: princip og
teknologi.” RAMBØLL, Denmark.
/2/ Thomé-Kozmiensky, Karl Joachim.1994. Thermische abfall-
behandlung, zweite Auflage EF-Verlag Für energie- und /7/ Hjelmar, O. 1996 “Disposal Strategies for Municipal Solid
umwelttechnik GMBH. Berlin, Germany. Waste Incinerator Residues.” Journal of Hazardous Materials
/3/ Chandler, A. John. September 1997.“Municipal solid waste /8/ International Ash Working Group : A.J. Chandler, T.T.
incineration technologies.” A presentation for the World Eighmy, J. HartlénO. Hjelmar, D.S. Kosson, S.E. Sawell, H.A.
Bank Seminar on Waste Management by A.J.Chandler & van der Sloot, J. Vehlow.1997. “Municipal solid waste incin-
Associates Ltd. Ontario, Canada. erator residues.” Studies in Environmental Science 67,
Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam.
/4/ McCARTHY/RAMBØLL J.V. April 1998. Richmond Hill
Incinerator, Final Summary Report. Isle of Man Government.
/5/ RAMBØLL. September 1993. “Review of Taiwan Tender

Document & Plant Design Specification.” China Engineering
Consultants, Inc.
93
Municipal Solid Waste Incineration Checklist
The checklist below is intended to serve two purposes:
First, the checklist is to be used in the planning process, when a decision is to be made on whether to build an
incineration plant or not. A range of questions should be answered before the decision is made. These questions
are generally the ones in sections 1-5 below, plus the initial questions in sections 8-10.
Second, the checklist is intended for use in feasibility studies in relation to outline projects for incineration plants.
In this context, all of the questions in the checklist should be answered and appropriate action taken.
The checklist is constructed as a simple table with options. Option A is the best and option D the poorest. Often,
checking the item in column D will result in a “no-go” decision. Those questions deemed most crucial for the deci-
sion (the “killer” answers) are shadowed in column D (and in some instances column C).
Throughout the checklist, LVC means Lower Calorific Value; MSW means Municipal Solid Waste, which includes
waste similar to MSW from commerce, trade, and industry; and SWM means Solid Waste Management.
PARAMETER A B C D
Explanation
A check in column A A check in column B A check in column C A check in column D
means that the condi- means that although means that conditions means that conditions
tions are close to opti- the conditions are not for establishing a MSW for establishing a MSW
mal for establishing a optimal, establishing a incineration plant are incinerator are poor.
MSW incineration MSW incineration doubtful. Some (shad- The shadowed answers
plant plant could be consid- owed) assumptions are “killer” answers
ered further may be “killer” answers
1. Waste as Fuel
Waste The characteristics ❑ The characteristics ❑ The characteristics ❑ The characteristics ❑
characteristics of the waste are of the waste are of the waste are of the waste are not
fully established by assessed by repre- assessed from grab known
sampling and sentative sampling samples and stan-
analysis and analysis dard data
Annual variation The annual varia- ❑ The annual varia- ❑ The annual varia- ❑ Nothing is known ❑
in characteristics tion is fully estab- tion is assessed by tion is assessed about annual varia-
lished by sampling representative sam- from grab sampling tion
and analysis pling and analysis
95
PARAMETER A B C D
Calorific value of The LVC is more ❑ The LVC is 8 MJ/kg ❑ The LVC is 6 MJ/kg ❑ The LVC is periodi- ❑
waste than 8 MJ/kg all or more 80% of the or more all year cally less than 6
year round time and never less round and the MJ/kg or the annu-
than 7 MJ/kg annual average is 7 al average is less
MJ/kg or more than 7 MJ/kg
Amount of waste The annual amount ❑ The annual amount ❑ The annual amount ❑ The annual amount ❑
of waste is more of waste is around of waste is more of waste is less than
than 100,000 tonne 100,000 tonne than 50,000 tonne 50,000 tonne
Weekly variation of Variations do not ❑ Variations are 20%- ❑ Variations are 30- ❑ Variations are 50% ❑
amount exceed 20% 30% 50% or more
Forecasts of waste Forecast is based on ❑ Rough forecast ❑ Rough forecast on ❑ No forecast exists ❑
generation survey on waste exists on waste waste amounts
amounts and com- amounts and com- exists
position (including position (including
LVC) for the next LVC)
10 years
2. Institutional
Framework, Waste
Main solid waste More than 10 years ❑ 5-10 years old ❑ 0-5 years old ❑ Not yet imple- ❑
management old mented
organization
Regulations Effective regula- ❑ Regulations are in ❑ Regulations exist ❑ Solid waste regula- ❑
tions exist regard- force regarding regarding collection tions exist but
ing collection and household and haz- and transport of enforcement is
disposal of all types ardous wastes only household wastes weak
of wastes only
Solid waste owner- The waste manage- ❑ The waste manage- ❑ The waste manage- ❑ Waste belongs to ❑
ship ment organization ment organization ment organization the generator, who
has ownership of has full ownership has ownership of can dispose of it
all waste of all waste in dedi- waste placed on freely, e.g., by trans-
cated dust bins and public roads. ferring ownership.
containers
Solid waste collection A single organiza- ❑ Household and ❑ Household waste ❑ Waste collection is ❑
tion is managing commercial wastes collection is man- performed by mul-
the collection of all collection is managed by one or a few tiple independent
solid waste aged by one organi- organizations, and operators
zation. Large opera- some large opera-
tors are found in tors exist in the
the industrial sector commercial and
industrial and sector
Present organized Incineration ❑ Composting in ❑ Sorting and recy- ❑ No organized waste ❑

waste treatment mechanical plant cling activities treatment
Present recycling Recycling is orga- ❑ Recycling is orga- ❑ Scavengers are ❑ Scavengers are pre- ❑
nized and based on nized for industrial active in the waste sent at the landfill
source sorting waste only collection stage site
Checklist 97
PARAMETER A B C D
Present waste disposal All solid waste is ❑ 75% of all waste is ❑ Household waste is ❑ A significant part of ❑
disposed of in con- disposed of in con- disposed of in a the waste from all
trolled and well- trolled and well- controlled and sectors is disposed
operated landfills operated landfills well-operated land- of in uncontrolled
fill or illegal dump-
sites.
MSW incinerator The MSW incine- ❑ The MSW incine- ❑ The MSW incine- ❑ The MSW inciner- ❑
organizational rator is an integrat- rator is an indepen- rator is an indepen- ator is an indepen-
position ed part of the SWM dent MSW treat- dent MSW treat- dent MSW treat-
system ment plant with ment plant with ment plant without
close formal rela- informal relations links to the SWM
tions to the SWM to the SWM system system
system
MWS incinerator Owned by public ❑ Owned by public/ ❑ Owned by private ❑ Owned by private ❑
ownership SWM company private utility com- SWM company large energy con-
pany (power or sumer, e.g., a large
heat production) industry
MSW incinerator The MWS incinera- ❑ The MWS incinera- ❑ The MSW incinera- ❑
rights and duties tor is granted right tor is granted right tor is an enterprise
to receive all com- to receive all com- with no rights and
bustible waste and bustible household duties in relation to
obliged to ensure waste and obliged MSW
the necessary to ensure the neces-
capacity sary capacity
3. Institutional
Framework, Energy
Energy buyer/ One single public/ ❑ One power compa- ❑ Many small power ❑ Individual energy ❑
distributor private utility com- ny and one district and/or district supply
pany heating company heating companies
Availability of District heating sys- ❑ District heating sys- ❑ Power lines ❑ Network to be ❑
distribution networks tem and power tem established
lines
Incineration energy All recovered heat ❑ Most recovered ❑ Some energy will be ❑ A substantial ❑
can at all times be energy can be uti- used for power gen- amount of the sur-
utilized for district lized for a combi- eration; the plus energy will be
heating purposes nation of power remaining will be cooled off
and heat cooled off
4. Incineration Plant
Economy
Cost and expense sta- Stable, predictable ❑ Uncertainty about ❑ Uncertainty about ❑ Severe cost and rev- ❑
bility plant expenses and expenses or rev- expenses and revenue instability
revenues can be enues enues
assumed
PARAMETER A B C D
Waste supply stability Long-term con- ❑ Contracts on waste ❑ Contracts on waste ❑ No or little waste ❑
tracts on delivery of delivery correspon- delivery correspon- supply security
all waste to inciner- ding to 80% of ding to 60% of
ation plant; 100% plant capacity plant capacity
capacity utilization
Current waste manage- All costs of waste ❑ Households pay a ❑ Costs of waste ❑ All costs are paid ❑
ment charges collection and dis- waste management management is from the public
posal are paid by fee. A tipping fee is paid partly by users budget
users collected from and partly from the
other users of, e.g., public budget
landfills
Incineration charges Costs of incinera- ❑ The incineration ❑ The incineration ❑ The incineration ❑
tion are covered by plants collects a tip- plant collects a tip- plant must collect
the budget. The ping fee, which cov- ping fee; remaining its own tipping fee
authorities charge a ers all costs costs are covered by from individual
waste management the public budget users
fee on households
and commercial
activities
Competitive charges MSW incineration ❑ MSW incineration ❑ MSW incineration ❑

tipping fee is small- tipping fee is equal tipping fee is con-
er than the tipping to or a little higher siderably higher
fee for, e.g., landfill- than the tipping fee than the tipping fee
ing for, e.g., landfilling for, e.g., landfilling
Energy sale Government- ❑ Agreement signed ❑ Letter of intent ❑ No agreement ❑

agreement(s) approved agree- but not yet available reached
ment or firm con- approved or con-
tract available tract agreed but not
signed
Budget Plant will have its ❑ The plant will have ❑ Plant economy will ❑ All expenses must ❑
own budget and its own budget be part of a public be approved of in
special privileges budget advance by the
regarding foreign funding agency
currency procure-
ment
Cash flow Plant budget and ❑ Plant budget and ❑

revenue allows for revenue do not
purchase of neces- allow for purchase
sary and sufficient of necessary and
spare parts and sufficient spare
consumables parts and consum-
ables
Foreign currency avail- Unrestricted access ❑ No access to foreign ❑

ability to foreign currency currency for spare
for spare parts pur- parts purchase
chase
Checklist 99
PARAMETER A B C D
5. Plant Localization
Air quality impact Windy area, inver- ❑ Few inversions and ❑ Occasional but ❑ Frequent and pro- ❑
sions nonexistent smog situations short inversion and longed inversion
smog situations and smog situa-
tions
Zoning of plant locality Heavy industry ❑ Medium to heavy ❑ Medium to heavy ❑ Light industry ❑
industry industry
Distance to residential > 500 meters ❑ 300-500 meters ❑ 200-300 meters ❑ < 200 meters ❑
areas/zones
Main access roads Existing major ❑ Planned major ❑ Main roads ❑ Local roads only ❑
roads thorough- roads
fares
Distance to waste gener- < 1/2 hour by truck ❑ 1/2-1 hour by truck ❑ 1 hour by truck ❑ > 1 hour by truck ❑
ation center
Sufficient capacity pub- < 500 meters from ❑ 500-1,000 meters ❑ 1,000-2,000 meters ❑ > 2,000 meters ❑
lic utilities (water, site from site from site
power, and sewers)
Connection point for < 1,000 meters ❑ 1,000-2,000 meters ❑ 2,000-3,000 meters ❑ > 3,000 meters ❑
surplus energy is avail- form site form site from site
able
6. Incineration
Technology
Waste pretreatment The waste can be ❑ Mechanical sorting ❑ Manual sorting out ❑ The waste needs ❑
fed into the incin- out and crushing of and crushing of extensive pretreat-
erator “as received” large items is neces- large items is neces- ment (sorting,
after mixing in sary sary crushing, homoge-
waste pit nizing) before
incineration
Furnace technology The incinerator ❑ The incinerator ❑ The incinerator ❑

concept is based on concept is a rotat- concept is fluidized
mass burning prin- ing kiln bed or other tech-
ciple nology unproven in
MSW combustion
Incinerator line capa- Each incinerator ❑ Each incinerator ❑ Each incinerator ❑ Each incinerator ❑
city line has a capacity line has a capacity line has a capacity line has a capacity
between 10 and 20 higher than 20 between 6 and 10 of less than 6
tonne /hour tonne /hour tonne /hour tonne/hour
Number of incinerator The MSW incinera- ❑ The MSW incinera- ❑

lines tion plants has two tion plants has one
or more incinera- incineration line
tion lines
PARAMETER A B C D
Flue gas burnout The flue gas is fully ❑ The requirements ❑
burnt out in an in A are not met
after-burner, result-
ing in emission
concentration of
CO < 50 mg/Nm3
TOC < 10 mg/Nm3
Startup and support burner
The furnace is pro- ❑ The furnace has no ❑

vided with burners startup and support
to heat the inciner- burners
ator during start-up
and keep afterburn-
er temperatures up
in case of low
Supplier’s experience calorific value of
waste
The supplier has ❑ The supplier has ❑ The supplier has ❑ The supplier has no ❑
extensive experi- good experience in some experience in experience in MSW
ence in MSW MSW incineration MSW incineration incineration
7. Energy Recovery incineration and
numerous
Flue gas temperature refer-
after boiler
ences
Energy recovery The flue gas tem- ❑ The flue gas tem- ❑
system perature is below perature is above
150-200oC to allow 200˚C
for optimum ener-
gy recovery and
flue gas cleaning
The recovered ener- ❑ The recovered ener- ❑ The recovered ener- ❑ The energy is ❑
gy is converted to gy is converted to gy is converted to cooled away
hot water for dis- steam for power steam for power
trict heating or low- production or production
pressure steam for industrial use and
industrial purposes for district heating
8. Incineration Residues
Landfill Controlled and ❑ Controlled and ❑ Controlled and ❑ No controlled and ❑

well- operated well- operated well- operated land- well-operated land-
landfills exist for all landfills exist except fills exist for domes- fills exist
types of waste for hazardous tic waste. Extension
including haz- wastes with section for
ardous waste incineration
residues feasible
Residue utilization Most residues can ❑ Slag can be utilized ❑ No utilization ❑

be utilized for in construction; options for residues
industrial or con- flue gas cleaning
struction purposes residues must be
landfilled
Checklist 101
PARAMETER A B C D
9. Operation and
Maintenance
Availability of staff Qualified staff ❑ The authorities ❑ An HRD organiza- ❑ Competition for ❑
available in suffi- assign staff with the tion is in place for qualified staff is
cient numbers necessary skills staff training fierce
Salaries The incineration ❑ Market price ❑ Incentives in addi- ❑ The plant is unable ❑
plant can pay mar- salaries are paid to tion to the basic to pay competitive
ket price salaries managers and salaries prevent salaries for skilled
skilled staff. excessive staff turn staff
over
Plant A builder’s imple- ❑ A builder’s imple- ❑ A builder’s imple- ❑ No implementation ❑

implementation mentation mentation mentation organization is
organization organization is organization is organization is established
established with established with established
skilled staff and staff and consul-
consultants experi- tants
enced in MSW
incineration
Plant organization A clear and well- ❑ An outline plant ❑ An outline plant ❑ No plant organiza- ❑
structured plant management orga- management orga- tion is established
management organization is drafted nization is drafted
nization exists and approved
Operation and The supplier or an ❑ The supplier or an ❑ The suppler will ❑ None of the provi- ❑
maintenance independent independent provide training of sion under A will
manuals, training of consultant will pro- consultant will pro- staff on manage- be made
staff, plant vide organizational vide organizational ment level
monitoring setup, relevant setup, relevant
manuals, staff train- manuals, staff
ing at all levels, and training at all levels
the SMW organiza-
tion will utilize it
10. Environmental
Issues (air pollution control included under this heading)
Environmental stan- Emission standards ❑ Emission standards ❑ Emission standards ❑

dards for incineration for incineration for incineration
plants at medium plants at basic level plants do not exist
level
Environmental Independent public ❑ Nearly independent ❑ The public authori- ❑

administration authority responsi- public authority ty responsible for
ble for environ- responsible for environmental per-
mental permit, environmental permit, supervision,
supervision, and mit, supervision, and enforcement
enforcement and enforcement owns the MSW
incinerator
PARAMETER A B C D
Flue gas treatment The flue gas treat- ❑ The flue gas treat- ❑ The flue gas treat- ❑ No flue gas treat- ❑
ment plant meets ment plant meets ment plant meets ment plant present
national emission medium emission basic emission
standards standards with standards with
respect to dust respect to dust
(<30mg/Nm3) and (<30mg/Nm3)
HCl (<50mg/Nm3)
Flue gas emission Stack is sufficiently ❑ Stack height results ❑ Stack height results ❑ Flue gas is emitted ❑
high to avoid in few and minor in frequent from a low stack
exceeding air ambi- instances of exceed- instances of exceed- and causes major
ent standards ing air ambient ing ambient air instances of exceed-
standards standards ing ambient air
standards
Odor emission The plant is con- ❑ The plant will ❑ The plant will ❑ The plant will cause ❑
structed and oper- result in occasional result in frequent unacceptable odor
ated so that odor odor emissions in odor emissions in emissions in the
inconveniences do the neighborhood the neighborhood neighborhood
not appear
Waste water Waste water dis- ❑ Waste water is dis- ❑

discharge charge meets charged untreated
national standards and does not meet
national standards
Noise emissions Noise emission is ❑ Noise emission will ❑ Noise emission will ❑ Noise emission will ❑
sufficiently muffled lead to minor lead to major lead to unaccept-
to avoid any incon- inconveniences in inconveniences in able noise level in
veniences in the the neighborhood the neighborhood the neighborhood
neighborhood
Monitoring A monitoring sys- ❑ A monitoring sys- ❑ No monitoring ❑

tem for all relevant tem for basic envi- foreseen to take
environmental ronmental parame- place
parameters is estab- ters is established
lished
11. Occupational
Health Issues
Building lay-out Same as B plus ade- ❑ Same as C plus sep- ❑ Separation between ❑ Direct access from ❑
quate emergency aration between permanently staffed furnace hall, waste
access/exits. Labor roads for vehicles rooms and produc- reception area to
protection and and pedestrian pas- tion areas. Showers control room
physiological mea- sages and dressing rooms
sures fully included for staff
in the design
Ventilation Same as B plus ❑ Same as C plus ❑ Forced ventilation ❑ Ventilation of per- ❑

maintenance of ele- additional point in all rooms with manent work sta-
vated pressure in all source ventilation frequent work. tions only
permanent work at critical places, Combustion air is
stations and recre- e.g., where chemi- drawn from waste
ational rooms cals are handled pit area
Checklist 103
PARAMETER A B C D
Mechanical plant State-of-the-art ❑ Low noise equip- ❑ Basic occupational ❑ Occupational ❑
equipment, e.g., low ment with basic health and safety health and safety
noise and elaborate protection devices measures included not considered
safety measures
Manual of Same as B plus reg- ❑ Same as C plus ❑ Basic manual exists; ❑ No operation and ❑
operation and ular emergency HRD organization organizational safety manual avail-
safety response exercises for enforcement of responsibilities able
regulations and established at all
training of new levels
staff

MunicipalSWIncin PDF

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

MunicipalSWIncin PDF

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

MunicipalSWIncin PDF

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

WORLD BANK

TECHNICAL GUIDANCE REPORT

Municipal Solid Waste

The World Bank

All rights reserved

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Kristalina Georgieva Keshav Varma

A Ash content per kg of dry sample h Hour

The Technical Guidance Report provides back- Methodology

MSW incineration is found at the most advanced level

Figure 1.1 Solid waste handling and treatment system components

Principal Solid Principal Final

Solid waste Sorting Recycling

Transportation Transfer stations

Composting Soil improver

Disposal / landfill Land reclamation

Figure 1.3 Typical MSW incineration project stakeholders

Authorities Waste Sector

Waste Incineration Plant

Community Energy Sector

Key Issues Waste from industries and the commercial sector

Table 2.2 Composition of municipal wastes (percentage of wet weight)

Hawf = Hinf,DS / (1–A) * MCW * 2445 in kJ/kg,

Figure 2.1 Tanner triangle for assessment of combustibility of MSW

% Ash (A) % Combustible (C)

Table 2.3 Fuel characteristics of municipal wastes

Table 2.7 Waste types and collection districts

Key Issues trolled, thus ensuring that it is delivered to the most

Key Criteria lection, transportation, and final disposal of all types of

Incineration plants consume and generate large

Key Issues fee must be lower than (or at least, no greater

plant is equipped with steam boilers,turbine units,and 200 120

mately 30 percent if the plant is equipped for hot water 0

Table 4.1 Energy Yield and Income from Energy

60.0 Estimated Income from Energy Sales 3.00 Energy Recovery

Total Yield (MWh/metric ton)

Example 4.1 Calculation of Net Treatment Cost

Capacity 300,000 t/y 960 t/d 40 t/h

Annual operating cost

Total annual costs 22.4 mill. 74 US$/ metric ton

Min. Capacity Financing

• Waste transport distance

Key Issues components is about the same. However, the pre-

The feasibility phase comprises a prefeasibility and a Project Preparation Phase

Phase and Step Purpose and Issues to Consider Duration

Political Decision Decide on willingness, priority, and financing of incineration 6 months

Project Establishment of an Establishment of an official organization and an 6 months

Preparation of Reassessment of project, specifications, prequalification of 6 months

Political Decision Decision on financial package, tendering of documents and 3 months

Construction and Construction by selected contractor and supervision by 2 1/2 years

Commissioning and Testing of all performance specifications, settlements, 6 months

Operation and Continuous operation and maintenance of plant. 10–20 years

Project Implementation Unit manage the project overall—including supervision and

Waste sector Stakeholder identification Stakeholder analysis

Energy sector Stakeholder identification and assessment Stakeholder analysis

Waste generation Waste generation forecast based on Waste survey

Plant siting Identification of siting alternatives Selection of plant location

Plant design Tentative plant design Conceptual plant design

Cost estimates Investments Investments