 Energy from Waste Material Incinerators
Special Interest Team
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Various technologies have been, or are being, developed to provide energy from virtually all waste without producing CO2 or other harmful chemical emissions.
Bio-mass burners
These are nearest to traditional incinerators but are clean and comply with current regulations. Highly efficient. These incinerators are capable of burning most organic material.
Fluidised bed Incinerators
Work with a bed of sand which is kept moving to prevent waste burning the furnace wall. Working at temperatures in excess of 800°C they are capable of burning most wastes with over 90% thermal efficiency. All gases scrubbed. These incinerators are capable of burning most organic waste, sewage sludge, shredded rubber, plastics and clinical waste.
Pyrolytic Processors
Pyrolysis is not a combustion process. Waste is destroyed in the absence of oxygen. The organic waste material is subjected to high temperatures producing a high calorific gas. This is then used to generate electricity or in boiler applications for steam or hot water. This process does not require flue treatment. Potentially harmful pollutants are destroyed internally. These incinerators are capable of burning shredded rubber, organic waste including sewage sludge, wood wastes, plastics and clinical waste.
Any of these methods have the capability of reducing landfill by up to 90% while producing energy from that waste.
Presently operational waste power plants of varying sizes have been planned or are operational in Coventry, Birmingham, Nottingham, Sheffield, Dundee and London. Approval has recently been given in September 2008 for a plant in Cheshire potentially handling waste from Manchester, Merseyside, Halto, Cheshire and Warrington.
This of course is on a grand scale so, it must be underlined that these processes can be undertaken to produce energy, on a much smaller scale in units about the size of a large garden hut. These units would cater for a local neighbourhood, care home or retirement complex. In Otley, there are a number of areas to which this would be a great advantage. Trade waste that would otherwise go unsorted to landfill in particular could provide a significant amount of energy for the community.
Benefits of Clean Incineration / Processing
- Reduction of waste - in Volume (90%) and weight (75%).
- Destruction and detoxification of waste.
- Reduction of waste produced methane gas which may be over 40% of the UK total emissions.
- Energy recovery from organic waste.
- Replacement of fossil fuel for energy.
- Steam or gas depending on system used to heat/generate power to the community.
This Special Interest Team will examine the case for these modern incinerators running within a small town. It will open the public debate to the pros and cons of such a scheme and seek grant funding to set up a feasibility study.
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The City of Amsterdam had been incinerating municipal waste since 1919 with two successive incinerators. Ater 12 years of operation, it can be confidently said that it has been an important success. .. 580,000 MWh of electrical energy, 102,000 GJ of heat and 180,000 tonnes of construction materials .. and with a positive reaction from the population.
Waste Management World ...
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Incineration has particularly strong benefits for the treatment of certain waste types in niche areas such as clinical wastes and certain hazardous wastes.
Wikipedia ...
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Value can still be recovered from waste which can not be recycled or composted - by using it to generate energy, heat and to collect materials for recycling.
Environmental Services Association ...
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Waste incinerator operators have improved their environmental performance greatly in recent years.
Environment Agency ...
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Jump in -- join the team -- share your ideas -- let's do this together
info@SURE-energy.org.uk
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