CEWEP Outlines Role of Waste to Energy in Circular Economy to EU Representatives

The twofold role that waste-to-energy plays in sustainable waste management and energy production was discussed at a dinner debate by members of the European Parliament and representatives of the European Commission and industry in the European Parliament yesterday. Dr. Ella Stengler (pictured), managing director of the Confederation of European Waste-to-Energy Plants (CEWEP) Managing Director, explained that waste-to-energy plants thermally treat waste that cannot otherwise be recycled in a sustainable way, helping to divert it from landfills, and use it to produce local energy. According to CEWEP it is worth considering that the EU still landfills more than 80 million tonnes of municipal waste despite the major impact landfilling has on the environment. In light of their recent waste target proposals organisation is urging the Commission to hold to its pledge to phase out landfilling of recyclable and recoverable waste, as this would unleash the full potential of waste as a resource. The Commission has also proposed to increase the recycling rate of municipal waste to 70% for 2030. However, CEWEP argue the quality of the recycled material is more important for protecting the environment and human health than the mere rate in percent. According to the organisation, quality recycling is key in order to enable industry and consumers to have full confidence in recycled materials. In other words: Only a clean circular economy is a good circular economy. It said that waste to energy helps to achieve quality recycling as it keeps harmful substances out of the circular economy. It treats polluted materials, destroys bacteria and viruses, to ensure that they do not re-enter the consumer/product cycle. Heat Waste to energy not only produces electricity, but also heat for district heating. In 2012 waste-to-energy supplied around 10 % of the total heat delivered through district heating networks in the European Union, representing 50 TWh (Terawatt hour) per year. However, according to CEWEP the potential for using heat is estimated at 200 TWh per year by 2050. To achieve this, the industry body said that better infrastructure for district heating and cooling, and diverting more waste from landfill to quality recycling and energy recovery are necessary in order to develop. “Connecting more people to district heating rather than heating homes with individual boilers (with high emissions) would additionally contribute to better air quality in our cities”, asserted Dr. Stengler. Lorenzo Zaniboni from Italian multi-utility company, A2A, showed that the cities of Brescia and Milano have doubled their separate waste collection of municipal waste in 15 years to around 40% and 50% respectively. The waste that is not good enough for sustainable recycling is sent to the local waste-to-energy plants. The plant in Brescia, for instance, treats some 728,000 tonnes per year and produces some 561 GWh of electricity and 805 GWh of heat for district heating. This was said to represent fuel savings of about 150,000 toe (tonnes of oil equivalent) and avoids 400,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions. These figures were achieved with stack emission parameters often significantly lower than the legal restrictions. In Brescia the waste-to-energy plant delivers 68% of the local district heating demand. In addition CEWEP said that 15% to 25% more materials (e.g. metals) were recycled from the bottom ash of the plants than could have been recycled without waste incineration. The case studies from Italy underlined the synergy between sustainable waste management, including the complementary between waste-to-energy and recycling, and the generation of local and affordable energy. It was also noted that waste-to-energy is also a pillar of European energy security, with a potential by 2020 to equal one third of current gas imports from Russia. Given the cross-sectorial role waste-to-energy plays, the debate was enhanced by the participation of Ms Paula Abreu-Marques, the Head of Unit for Renewable Energy from DG Energy, and Mr Julio García Burgués, the Head of Unit for Waste Management and Recycling form DG Environment. The event was hosted by CEWEP and organised by the European Energy forum. It was held under Chatham house rules. Copies of the presentations given during the debate can be downloaded HERE For further information, please contact Dr. Ella Stengler CEWEP Managing Director ella.stengler@cewep.eu Read More CEWEP Congress - Local Energy from Local Waste The theme of the 7th Confederation of European Waste-to-Energy Plants (CEWEP) Congress, which took place on 24-25 September 2014 in Brussels, was Local Energy from Local Waste : Affordable, Secure & Sustainable’. Incineration in the Spotlight: Revised WI BREF For many years European industrial emissions policy has taken an integrated approach, with the use of Best Available Techniques at its heart. While not originally mandatory, by 2010 the reference document outlining best practice for waste incineration became legally binding. Now however, those reference documents are to be revised, along with the emission limits they set. By Hubert de Chefdebien and Guillaume Perron-Piché. CEWEP: End of Waste Criteria Must not be Applied to SRF With a number of EU states developing their own end-of-waste criteria for waste derived fuels, European associations with a stake in waste management, including the Confederation of European Waste-to-Energy Plants (CEWEP), have urged the European Commission to ensure that Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) and Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF) from waste remain under the control of waste legislation.