APLICATION OF ALTERNATIVE FUELS - ECOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC BENEFITS

Abstract

Fuels made from municipal and industrial waste, called alternative fuels, have been used in many countries for over 20 years. Alternative fuels are known to be made up of mixtures of different flammable waste, which can be solid or liquid. There are a number of wastes that can be incinerated as fuel: selected combustible fractions of municipal wastes, waste products derived from paint and varnish production, liquid crude-oil derived wastes, car tyres and others. These fuels should fall within the extreme values of parameters such as: minimum heating value, maximum humidity content, maximum content of heavy and toxic metals. There are a number of countries that use their own alternative fuels, which have different trade names, differ in the amounts and the quality of the selected municipal and industrial waste fractions, in order to ensure the better use of the chemical energy contained in waste. In Poland, there are different plants also use alternative fuels, for example a cement plants have initiated activities directed at promoting the wider use of alternative fuels. The experience gained by the cement plants confirms that such activities are economically and ecologically beneficial. The incineration of alternative fuels is a safe method of waste utilization.