Advanced gasification for waste-to-energy products
Supportive policy needs to address development challenges
Amna Bezanty KEW Technology
W e are at the heart of two major parallel market evolutions; the energy trilemma, in which the UK, along with many other parts of the world, grapples with the affordability, security and sustainability of energy and the creation of a circular economy (see Figure 1 ). The issue with waste and problematic non- recyclable and single-use waste continues to be a major challenge. There is much talk of creating circular economies where waste is reused or regenerated as a material or product, but how do we deal with the vast quantities of different waste generated worldwide? At the top of the circular waste hierarchy (see Figure 2 ) is reduction. We all know we have to create less waste. Then, there is reuse and recycle. Travel down the pyramid, and you hit the well-known solutions of how we traditionally deal with waste – incineration backed up by disposal in landfill. For many years, this has been the primary way local authorities have managed their waste, working with waste management
companies to take as much waste as possible away from landfill and incinerate. However, we are facing a huge problem – not just with the vast amounts of waste still generated but also with the pathway to net zero. The waste sector is a significant carbon emitter, with incineration accounting for around 4% of the UK’s total emissions, and this is set to rise. Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) The government has also announced that, from 2028, domestic maritime transport, waste incineration, and energy from the waste sector will be added to its Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) for the first time. Designed to tighten limits on emissions across key sectors such as industrial and aviation as the UK pushes for net zero, this change will have major implications. In an effort to ensure a level playing field across different technologies, the scheme is targeting incineration, combustion, and energy recovery from waste, including emerging technology like
Reduction
A ordability
Reduction Reuse
A ordability
Reuse
Recycling
Energy Trilemma
Recycling
Waste to molecules
Conversion
Energy Trilemma
Waste to molecules Incineration
Conversion
Recovery
Security
Sustainability
Recovery
Incineration
Security
Sustainability
Disposal
Land ll
Disposal
Land ll
Creating a ‘circular’ wa st e hierachy (our focus: keeping chemical energy as chemical energy) Creating a ‘circular’ wa st e hierachy (our focus: keeping chemical energy as chemical energy)
Figure 2 Circular waste hierarchy
Figure 1 The energy trilemma
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