PRODUCTION AND CHARACTERISATION OF SRF PREMIUM QUALITY FROM MUNICIPAL AND COMMERCIAL SOLID NON-HAZARDOUS WASTES IN AUSTRIA, CROATIA, SLOVENIA AND SLOVAKIA

Abstract

The production of Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF) and related energy recovery in the European cement industry represents the state of the art in waste management, having evolved into a highly important part of a sustainable and circular economy. This paper describes the production and quality of eight Solid Recovered Fuels (SRF) of PREMIUM quality that are produced from Municipal (Mixed) and selected Commercial Wastes (i.e. Bulky and Lightweight Fraction from Plastic Sorting Plants) in three types of treatment plants located in four European countries, namely Austria, Croatia, Slovenia and Slovakia. The investigated SRF PREMIUM Quality was produced in three different Plant Types applying various process technologies. All three types have been investigated and are described in detail (i.e. flow sheet). Eight SRF PREMIUM Qualities have been comprehensively investigated by sorting, sieving, and physical-chemical analyses. Analyses performed are in accordance with (inter)national standards (i.e. Austrian “ÖNORM”, European “EN” standards and CEN TC 343 guidelines). The results gained show that all investigated SRF fulfil the Austrian quality requirements for heavy metals before co-incineration in the cement industry and it can be confirmed that SRF produced in the investigated plants in Austria, Croatia, Slovenia and Slovakia in fact may be declared as “SRF PREMIUM Quality” that can be used for energy recovery on the European SRF market and utilized in the European cement industry.