Carbon footprint and Renewable Energy Contribution of Waste-to-Energy across Europe.
The waste processing route for domestic and comparable waste via incineration with energy recovery, which we prefer to call Waste-to-Energy (WtE), is already making a significant contribution to the reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions, in two ways:
-It enables the switch away from landfill and thus avoids the methane emissions from landfill
-The intrinsic saving of CO2 eq emissions through the production of electricity and heat which otherwise would be generated from fossil fuels.
With a total amount of waste treated via Waste-to-Energy of about 59 million tonnes in 2006 (in EU27) we are already saving about 23 million tonnes of CO2 eq.
We have extensively investigated the CO2 reduction potential of the WtE route as a function of
-The energy efficiency options of the process itself
-The substitution mix of electricity and heat in individual European countries
-Trends in waste composition as countries improve their source separation
As a result of this we are able to demonstrate the CO2 eq reduction, which can be achieved by country by a further switch away from landfill to a combination of Waste-to-Energy and Recycling.
A related topic is the Renewable Energy contribution from the WtE sector across Europe. An analysis of the amount of renewable Energy already produced by WtE both in the form of electricity and heat has been made by country and this demonstrates also the major potential towards the future:
In view of the binding targets which have been set by the EU for each EU 27 countries this is a contribution which is substantial. In 2006 renewable energy from WtE accounted for a substantial % of the national renewable energy generation in particular for the following countries: The Netherlands (14,3 %), Belgium (13,3 %), Denmark(12,5%) and Germany (7,5 %).
JLC Manders - short CV
Mr Manders is Deputy President of CEWEP, which is the Confederation of European Waste to Energy Plants, representing the interests of the WtE industry across Europe. In this role he is acting in particularly on behalf of the Waste to Energy Industry in the Netherlands, united in the Dutch Waste Management Association.
Since his retirement from AVR- van Gansewinkel in July 2008 Mr Manders is also acting as an independent strategy consultant in the area of Energy from Waste. He is speaking frequently at conferences across Europe in the area of Waste Management and Energy from Waste.
Until July 2008 Mr. Manders, was the Director External Affairs of AVR – Van Gansewinkel, which is the leading environmental management and waste processing company within the Benelux, formed in 2007 by the merger of AVR and Van Gansewinkel.
Mr. Manders joined AVR in 2000 as the director responsible for AVR’s Waste Processing business and worked in this role until 2007. This business represents a turnover of about 300 million euros and comprises a range of waste processing technologies among which 2 million tpa of incineration of household and commercial waste.
CEWEP - Confederation of European Waste-to- Energy Plants1
Boulevard Clovis 12AB-1000 Brussels / Tel.: +32 (0)2 770 63 11
Fax: +32 (0)2 770 68 14 /