Operation of a municipal solid waste co‐combustion pilot plant

Abstract

AbstractThe co‐combustion of municipal solid waste (MSW) is a novel and highly integrated design combining cement manufacturing, thermal processing of MSW and energy/electricity production (termed the Co‐Co process). This novel design of the Co‐Co process was developed in 2003–2004 and a pilot plant with a capacity of 40 tonnes per day was constructed and commissioned in 2005. The pilot plant was operated for a period of 10 weeks during 2005. Various feed protocols, namely, MSW as received and after removal of recyclables, were tested. Stack emissions were monitored either continuously (gas emission) or periodically (dioxins and heavy metal emissions). Solid residues including bottom ash and fly ash were also sampled and analysed for heavy metals and dioxins periodically. It was found that the levels of dioxins in the stack emissions and fly ash were below normal MSW thermal treatment processes, and government environmental and international limits (more than 1000 times less). Other gases, such CO, NOx, SOx and HCl, were also well below government environmental licence limits as defined by a best practical means (BPM). In addition, the materials recovery and recycling facility (MRRF) was tested. It demonstrated that different fractions, including metals, plastics and glass, of the MSW could be separated and recovered. The Co‐Co process was successfully demonstrated and its emission levels were well below normal MSW thermal treatment processes. Copyright © 2007 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.