Environmental performances of a modern waste-to-energy unit in the light of the 2019 BREF document

Abstract

The study compares the environmental performances of a new-generation, large scale, combustion-based waste-to-energy unit, active since 2010, with those of different “virtual” units, defined in the light of the Best Available Techniques REFerence document (BREF) for Waste Incineration published by the European Community on December 2019. The average performances of these units have been evaluated in terms of air emissions, material consumptions and energy recovery, based on data related to 355 “existing” European waste incineration lines and those established for the future “new” plants. An attributional Life Cycle Assessment has been used to compare and quantify the environmental performances of the selected units, all equipped with a moving grate furnace and similar air pollution control systems. A sensitivity analysis quantifies how even more severe requests for emission and energy performances as well as the evolution of the European electricity mix until the year 2030 can affect the comparative assessment. The results indicate that the considered large scale waste-to-energy plant has good environmental performances, even in an electricity mix characterised by 45% of renewable sources. This allows an easy compliance with the Best Available Techniques Associated Emission Levels of the new waste incineration BREF document. Possible further improvements of its performances should be focused mainly on a further increase of the energy efficiency, provided that it is economically viable.