“It’s only when you waste that you want.” – African Proverb

Waste to Energy: An Essential Step Towards Decarbonization

The concept of Waste to Energy (WtE) can be succinctly summarized as the process of converting an unwanted substance into a needed one. A crucial component of the global energy transition needed to fulfill the Paris Accord commitments, WtE processes serve as a potent tool in the broader decarbonization effort.

Defining Waste to Energy

To comprehend WtE more easily, consider the feedstock as the end-product rather than the process itself. By comparing the outcomes of different processes or technologies, we can gauge their utility more effectively.

When the term WtE comes up, most people picture a vast incinerator burning solid Municipal Solid Waste (MSW). But the concept extends far beyond just incineration. Other processes that meet public utility needs include creating biogas from the organic fraction of MSW (mostly food), producing refuse-derived fuels (RDF) from combustible materials, and repurposing inert materials as fuel.

Waste to Energy Innovations

An exciting development in the WtE landscape is the conversion of biogas to compressed biomethane fuel (BioCNG), which can be used for cooking, light industry, and even transport. In rural areas, gasifiers powered by rice husk have been replacing diesel with syngas fuel in microgrids for over a decade. Liquid wastes have been used to create biogas, supplying reliable electrical and heating energy for agricultural processing factories.

Technological innovations and new business models have significantly disrupted the traditional supply chain. Take, for instance, Enerkem’s recent announcement of a major solid municipal waste-to-chemicals and fuels plant in Rotterdam.

Costs and Benefits of Waste to Energy

The capital costs for WtE projects can range widely, from $1,000 to $1 billion. However, the key to a successful project lies in aligning opportunity with feedstock, process, market, funding, and implementation.

Besides the obvious financial returns, WtE projects offer several co-benefits, including improved health, urban landscapes, transport impacts, energy access, agricultural production, and energy security, among others. These benefits can be directly measured against the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

A successful WtE project is one that produces energy, reduces the concentration of pollutants and/or nutrients, and aligns with the SDGs. By transforming waste into energy, we can help our biosphere re-absorb these pollutants and nutrients, thus mitigating some of the environmental crises we face today, such as ocean plastic litter and ocean acidification.

Table 1: Relationship between Waste and Other Forms of Products

Waste	Food	Fertilizer	Fuels	Energy	Chemicals
Solid – Rice Husk, Food Scraps, EFB, Fiber, MSW, Offal, Spent Grain, Ash, Liquid – POME, Process Waste, Sewerage, Sludge, Gas – Waste Gases, Waste Heat, Emissions, Fly Ash, Radiant Heat	Crops – Corn, Cassava, Palm, Sweet Sorghum, Sugar, Wheat, Rice, Edible Oils, Fruits, Algae, Grasses, Trees etc. Livestock – Chicken, Beef Cattle, Dairy, Duck, Sheep, Deer, Fish, Seafood etc.	NPK, Urea, Silica Phosphate, Soil Conditioners, Biochar, Ash	Solid – Briquettes, Pellets, Biochar Liquid – Bioethanol, Biodiesel, DME, FAME, LPG, LNG Gas – NG, CNG, BioCNG, Hydrogen, Syngas	Thermal, Electrical, Stored, Transportable, Distributed/Microgrid, Centralized Grid, Emerging DC/Nano	C5, C6, C7… Upward Bags, Plates, Cutlery, Biochemical Industry

As we continue to tackle the twin challenges of waste management and energy production, the role of Waste to Energy will undoubtedly grow in importance. We are only limited by our imagination and ingenuity in creating a more sustainable future.

The Business Case for Waste to Energy

While the environmental and societal benefits of WtE projects are clear, the business case is also increasingly compelling. The economics of these projects depend on various factors, including the availability and cost of waste, the price of the energy or materials being displaced, and any regulatory incentives in place. For instance, the financial viability of WtE projects often increases in locations with high disposal costs for waste and high prices for energy.

It’s crucial to note that the economic advantages of WtE projects extend beyond just the project owners or operators. By diverting waste from landfills, WtE projects can extend the lifespan of existing landfill sites, saving local governments significant costs. The projects can also generate local jobs, contributing to economic development.

Future Perspectives: Waste to Energy

As the world seeks to decarbonize its energy systems and reduce waste, the prospects for the WtE sector look promising. The sector has already begun to expand beyond traditional MSW and industrial waste. Emerging areas include agricultural waste, sewage sludge, and even plastic waste in the oceans. Each of these waste streams presents its unique challenges and opportunities, but with ongoing technological innovation and a favorable policy environment, these barriers can be overcome.

Given the increasing global focus on sustainability and the circular economy, the potential for WtE to contribute to these goals is enormous. By transforming waste into a resource, we can reduce our environmental footprint, improve energy security, and create sustainable economic opportunities.

However, it’s crucial to ensure that the WtE sector develops in a sustainable manner. This means integrating WtE projects into broader waste management and energy systems, ensuring the environmental integrity of these projects, and engaging local communities in project development and implementation. By doing so, we can ensure that WtE contributes to sustainable development in the fullest sense of the term.

The Role of Firstgreen Consulting in the Waste to Energy Sector

Firstgreen Consulting, with its extensive experience in sustainable energy consulting, plays a pivotal role in advancing the Waste to Energy sector. With expertise in areas such as feasibility analysis, project design and implementation, and stakeholder engagement, Firstgreen Consulting can help guide clients through the process of developing and operating successful WtE projects.

Firstgreen’s team of seasoned experts bring their deep sectoral knowledge and practical experience to bear on each project, ensuring that it meets the highest technical, environmental, and social standards. In this way, Firstgreen Consulting is contributing to the transformation of waste into energy, playing its part in the move towards a more sustainable future.