The UK’s capacity to recover valuable energy from its waste is under-developed. Rapid planning and commissioning of appropriate plants and technologies is needed to support three vital policy areas: meeting tough landfill diversion targets; combating climate change; meeting carbon management needs and helping satisfy future sustainable energy demand. The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) is urging Government to recognise the important contribution of energy from waste in addressing these issues and to take practical steps now to support its expansion.
Waste Recycling
With concerted efforts by many authorities, England now recycles 27% of its household waste – Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are close behind. With a sustained drive to improve recycling the UK should match good practice elsewhere in Europe – recycling up to 50% of its municipal waste. However, even with this level of performance a wide gap remains between what we must stop sending to landfill and what we can achieve through a commitment to waste prevention and recycling. High performing European States close that gap through energy recovery from waste.
CIWM believes:
• Experience throughout Europe shows that high recycling performance is compatible with efficient energy recovery from waste; for example Denmark and the Netherlands recycle 45% and 65% respectively of their municipal waste, whilst thermally treating 50% and 30% respectively [from Eurostat data 2003].
• Preventing, re-using and recycling wastes are usually more environmentally beneficial, so energy recovery should be from “residual” waste (ie after economically viable removal of recyclable materials) wherever possible.
Energy
Only 10% of UK municipal waste is currently managed through energy recovery [from Defra 2005/6 data]. Government’s Energy Review is considering security and diversity of energy supply, influenced by higher oil prices, ageing coal-fired and nuclear-fired power stations and concerns over future reliance on coal, oil and gas imports. Given that across Europe 48% of our energy has to be imported, this review must recognise the energy value of what we currently discard as “waste” to landfill, as recommended in the EU Thematic Strategy on the Prevention and Recycling of Waste. Biomass is an important fuel of the future and our residual waste in the UK has the energy equivalent of 5 million tonnes of coal – after having used the recoverable materials like paper for other purposes. Other wastes, such as wood could double that energy value. Energy from waste could therefore replace up to one-third of the coal used to generate electricity in the UK and easily satisfy Government’s 2010 target of 10% of electricity generated from renewable sources. However, it is unlikely to do so unless waste and energy markets are positioned to achieve this outcome.
CIWM was disappointed to note the lack of substance in the mid 2006 Energy Review document regarding the contribution energy recovery from residual waste could make, or positive steps to encourage its development. Preparation of the Government’s Energy White Paper in mid 2007 will provide an opportunity to link future energy strategy with development of waste strategies throughout the UK.
CIWM believes:
• National security of energy supply, especially for industry, means that we should exploit the energy value of UK generated waste before disposal;
• Generating both power and heat from waste is typically up to 2-3 times as efficient (over 80%) as generating only electricity (approximately 25%). Wherever possible, appropriately scaled combined heat and power generation schemes from waste should be favoured;
• Combined Heat and Power schemes will also offer more stringent emissions control at a single centralised plant than is possible at heat / power sources for individual organisations or buildings. CHP also avoids the CO2 omissions from those local boilers etc.
• Further clarification by Government is needed regarding proposals in the 2007 Budget to use Enhanced Capital Allowances to help fund such schemes.
• Government should increase its support for CHP in general and particularly urgently for the development of district heating networks – these may then provide a platform for the development of a competitive “heat supply” industry in which waste and other forms of biomass may compete as local providers.
• Government should provide further support for the development of district heating via the planning system – new developments and substantial regenerations should be given suitable incentives to provide district heating.
• Government, through the Renewables Obligation, has also considered the preferential (higher) rate paid for electricity generated from renewable sources, in proportion to the biomass remaining in the residual waste fuel to incentivise removal of plastics in particular. CIWM supports this decision and believes it encourages the manufacture of “clean” waste derived fuels and their efficient use. We understand that Government is actively considering clarification of the ROC System and this would be welcomed.
• Clear links will be needed between the mid 2007 Energy White Paper and future waste strategy development.
• Government should carefully consider - in the longer term - diversion from landfill of wastes other than biodegradable municipal waste. Significant energy-rich fractions exist in non-municipal and non-biodegradable wastes which are not permitted to be landfilled in many EU member states.
Climate Change
Even if we meet the Landfill Directive targets, 50% of biodegradable municipal waste will still go to landfill in 2013 and 35% in 2020. The carbon in landfilled residual waste is turned into roughly equal amounts of methane and carbon dioxide over a protracted period. Only a proportion of this gas can be collected and used as a fuel, and the fugitive methane has over 20 times the climate change impact of carbon dioxide. Energy recovery from residual wastes will therefore have less climate change impact than burning fossil fuels.
CIWM believes:
• Government should stimulate energy recovery from residual waste to increase the likelihood of meeting its short to medium term climate change targets;
• Government should continue to incentivise the collection and use of landfill gas methane through continued support of the renewables electricity tariff for this energy source;
• Future strategy development should be underpinned by reliable life cycle assessment and carbon footprinting. CIWM will support the development and use of these approaches, and the inclusion of wastes and resources management into future carbon trading schemes.
Timing
Early Landfill Directive targets are set for 2010 and 2013; Kyoto targets are set between 2008–2012; design, approval and commissioning of new energy from waste plants takes at least 5-10 years.
CIWM believes:
• Government policy should promote new infrastructure development for energy recovery from wastes. Even if this is done quickly, the full effect may not be felt until the middle of the next decade;
• Government policy should promote use of existing power generation and industrial energy use infrastructure to recover energy from residual waste where this use provides for an efficient use of the energy value of the waste, at least for the medium term to realise the energy supply, climate change and waste management benefits as soon as possible.
Interpretations, Definitions and Standards
Burning waste derived fuels as a “waste” requires stringent emission controls under the European Waste Incineration Directive (WID), regardless of how highly processed or refined that “waste” is. Under the Large Combustion Plant Directive other fuels such as coal do not have to meet such stringent standards until 2015.
Industry and regulators should cooperate to agree protocols and quality criteria for waste derived fuels that when combusted inherently produce less damaging emissions than many coals. Full consideration should be given to using this specification within the UK and Europe as the criteria to accept the resulting fuels as “fully recovered” and not subject to further control as a “waste”, other than the requirement that they should still be burnt in WID compliant plants to avoid a lowering of the presently applicable emission requirements.
Changes to the Waste Framework Directive (WFD) under Article 11 include a system of quality criteria for wastes processed to the degree that they are comparable to virgin raw materials and no longer need to be treated and controlled as wastes. The UK should seize the opportunity of the WFD Review to promote “end-of-waste” quality criteria for high specification waste–derived–fuels under Article 11.
The “best” technology for recovering energy from residual waste will depend on local, technical and financial circumstances. Strategic choices should be made on the back of detailed life cycle, environmental and health impact assessments of all options available.
CIWM therefore urges Government to:
• Assess the current and likely future market for waste derived fuels that are still “waste” - especially in high energy use industries where security and diversity of fuel supply could be seen as a commercial advantage;
• Promote the energy efficient use of “waste” as a fuel in industry, eg through enhanced capital allowances and differential tariffs for renewable energy;
• Support Europe-wide standard setting for waste derived fuels and to set the standard high, thus helping to ensure customer confidence in them, and to avoid the possibility of such use resulting in increased polluting emissions;
• Urge MEPs, and through them the European Parliament to treat high specification waste-derived-fuels as a priority for examination under Article 11 of the WFD Review.
• Explore opportunities through Defra and the Environment Agency to set standards and waste recovery criteria in the UK as an interim position. The objective being to set the standard high – to encourage waste processing to a fuel and its use in an efficient way in industrial and power generation plants or new plants.
• Prioritise the re-definition of energy recovery from waste as a true “recovery” rather than “disposal” operation under the Waste Framework Directive, based on energy efficiency criteria, to remove unnecessary barriers to transfrontier shipment of valuable waste derived fuels while they are still classed as “waste”.
• Urge the European Parliament and UK Government to support R&D to increase the proportion of waste derived fuels that can be successfully co-fired with coal.
Summary
• Energy recovery from waste in the UK lags behind best practice in other European states.
• It is needed to help reduce our reliance on landfill, our greenhouse gas emissions and reliance on other fuel sources – be they fossil fuels or nuclear.
• Public perception and understanding of energy recovery from waste is poor. Government policy and leadership is needed to support it – the review of national waste strategies alongside the energy review is an ideal opportunity to do this.
• Government policy and support for district heating needs to be strengthened.
• Long delivery times for new infrastructure mean Government should encourage use of existing industrial and power generation infrastructure to recover energy from high specification residual waste derived fuels, but ensure that this support only extends to schemes that are able to demonstrate high levels of energy efficiency.
• To develop standards for such high specification fuels from residual wastes, it is necessary to include waste-derived-fuels amongst the waste streams to be examined under art. 11 in the revision of the Waste Framework Directive.
• Even where high specification RDF is no longer classified as waste – the standards specified for the bring of wastes in the WID should continue to be applied (as they represent the Best Available Technique in accordance with the IPPC Directive) to avoid a lowering of emission standards.
• The need for prompt action should not be used as an excuse to relax overall standards of environmental or health protection.
• Industrial & Commercial and non-biodegradable wastes have a significant energy recovery potential. UK policy is needed to help divert these materials away from landfill as well as biodegradable municipal wastes.
CIWM Position Statements represent the Institution’s views at a particular point in time. They remain under constant review, in the light of new experience and research.
