05/16/2022 | News release | Distributed by Public on 05/16/2022 12:10
The problem of how to dispose of waste in an environmentally responsible way is a problem that has confronted humanity for centuries. Until recently, most jurisdictions have simply buried all their waste in landfill sites - essentially big holes in the ground covered when filled to capacity. Then the disposal process repeats at a new location.
Unfortunately, this disposal method is neither desirable nor sustainable. Working landfills are unsightly, produce odors, and are known to attract pests. Decommissioned sights often produce methane, a significant contributor to climate change, and gas 80 times more potent at warming than carbon dioxide. Furthermore, leachate, formed when rainwater passes through buried wastes, is a significant source of pollution for rivers, lakes, and groundwater. Even with recycling and composting, global waste production will grow 70% by 2050, so more effective waste management solutions are needed.
The pressing need to minimize environmental impacts and create more sustainable, healthy communities is driving locales across the globe to take a closer look at Waste-to-Energy (WtE) options.
WtE refers to a range of technologies used to convert waste that cannot be recycled into usable forms of energy, such as heat or electricity.
The most common and economically viable WtE application is incineration, where waste is used as fuel in an ultra-high combustion process that generates steam to produce electrical power. Modern plants feature a variety of pollution control measures to prevent harmful emissions and bear almost no resemblance to the garbage incinerators from past decades. In fact, WtE is viewed by many as a good long-term waste management option that offers significant benefits that include:
Although incinerating waste to produce electricity may sound straightforward, doing so with peak efficiency and in an environmentally sound manner can be highly demanding.
Three key challenges facing WtE plants can be addressed through advanced technology and integrated solutions spanning the entire plant's lifecycle, including:
WtE generating plants are evolving, and modern facilities are helping contribute to the reduction of biomass's negative environmental impacts, thanks in part to more advanced process control and machine learning technologies that enable efficient, safe feedstock sorting. They are also becoming highly integrated and circular, utilizing renewable energy sources that aid in landfill diversion, greenhouse gas emission reduction, and sustainable energy production. Learn more about how Schneider Electric can help your WtE efforts.