ENERGY DREAM MAP

Waste to Energy

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Energy from waste is the process of generating energy in the form of electricity and/or heat from the primary treatment of waste. It is a form of energy recovery. Most processes produce electricity and/or heat directly through combustion, or produce a combustible fuel commodity, such as methane, methanol, ethanol or synthetic fuels.

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Municipal solid waste (MSW), often called garbage, is used to produce energy at waste-to-energy plants. MSW contains:

• Biomass, or biogenic (plant or animal products), materials such as paper, cardboard, food waste, grass clippings, leaves, wood, leather products.

• Non-biomass combustible materials such as plastics and other synthetic materials made from petroleum.

• Non-combustible materials such as glass and metals.

 

Some common techniques used for extracting energy are:

1. Incineration

2. Gasification

3. Thermal depolymerization

4. Fermentation

5. Anaerobic digestion

6. Pyrolysis

 

As per World Bank data, 10.128% of the world’s total electricity production is done by combustible renewables and waste.

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Advantages

• Majority of the waste that would otherwise go into landfill sites can be re-used.

• The fuel is obtainable at a low cost.

• There will always be a reliable source of fuel as people will always produce waste.

• Current landfill sites can be mined out and the landfill material used as fuel.

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Disadvantages

• Public at large is still unconvinced that emissions from waste-to-energy plants are clean and free from harmful chemicals.

• Waste-to-energy facilities are expensive to construct (but so are landfill sites).

• The combustion of plastics, like polyvinyl chloride (PVC) gives rise to these highly toxic pollutants.

• Both workers in the plant and people who live nearby are exposed to the contaminated air.

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Applications

1. Generation of useful heat and gas for further use e.g. producing electricity.

2. Getting rid of waste that would be of no use.

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