Round-Up of Recent Energy-from-Waste Contract News

Round-Up of Recent Energy-from-Waste Contract News 2024

The energy-from-waste (EfW) sector has seen a surge in contracting activity in recent months, reflecting a growing recognition of EfW's role in sustainable waste management. This article provides a detailed overview of recent contract news within the EfW industry, highlighting key trends and potential implications.

Contract Highlights:

• FCC, a leading waste management company, secured a 25-year contract with Norwich City Council for the construction and operation of a new EfW facility. This project signifies a significant investment in diverting waste from landfill and generating renewable energy.
• Indaver, a waste management company in Belgium, announced a contract extension with Antwerp Port Authority for the continued operation of its EfW plant. This extension underscores the long-term viability of EfW facilities and their role in supporting industrial waste management strategies.
• In the United States, Covanta, a major EfW operator, signed a long-term agreement with Fairfax County, Virginia for the processing of municipal solid waste. This contract demonstrates the continued importance of EfW in densely populated areas facing waste disposal challenges.

Key Takeaways:

• Growing Adoption: The recent contracts highlight the increasing acceptance of EfW as a sustainable waste management solution across various regions.
• Long-Term Investments: The multi-year nature of these contracts indicates a long-term commitment from both waste management companies and local authorities to EfW technology.
• Diverting from Landfill: EfW facilities offer a viable alternative to landfilling, reducing environmental impact and promoting waste-to-energy conversion.

FAQs:

• What are the benefits of EfW over landfill? EfW diverts waste from landfills, reduces methane emissions, and generates renewable energy from a non-renewable resource (waste).
• Are there any drawbacks to EfW? Concerns regarding air emissions and ash disposal exist. However, modern EfW plants employ advanced emission control technologies to minimize environmental impact.
• What is the future of EfW? With increasing waste generation and growing landfill limitations, EfW is expected to play a crucial role in achieving sustainable waste management goals.

Looking Ahead

The EfW sector is poised for continued growth as municipalities and private companies seek sustainable solutions for waste management. The recent contract activity reflects this trend and underscores the increasing recognition of EfW's potential to contribute to a circular economy. As the technology matures and public acceptance grows, EfW is likely to play an even more prominent role in the future waste management landscape.

EfW Contracts in UK Face Uncertain Future as Incineration Ban Looms

The future of energy-from-waste (EfW) contracts in the UK hangs in the balance as the government pushes for decarbonization. A potential ban on new incinerators throws a wrench into the industry's traditional growth model.

The UK has set ambitious goals to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. While EfW plants generate energy from waste, the incineration process itself releases greenhouse gases. Efforts to decarbonize the waste sector highlight the limitations of current EfW technology.

The challenge lies in capturing carbon emissions from incinerator flues. While advancements are underway, the industry hasn't yet developed a commercially viable and efficient carbon capture technology for EfW plants. This technological gap raises questions about the long-term sustainability of EfW as a waste management solution.

Recent policy decisions reflect this shift. In April 2024, England imposed a temporary halt on issuing environmental permits for new EfW facilities. This pause allows the government to assess the role of EfW in a decarbonized future. Scotland and Wales have already implemented similar moratoriums on new incinerator construction.

The implication for EfW contracts is clear. Existing facilities with permits may continue operating, but new contracts for EfW capacity are likely to become scarce. This could lead to a shift in focus towards waste prevention, reuse, and recycling – strategies more aligned with a circular economy and decarbonization goals.

The future of EfW in the UK remains to be seen. Whether the industry can develop effective carbon capture technology or if alternative waste management solutions take center stage will determine the fate of EfW contracts in the coming years.

Archive of the first article published on this page:

Despite a double dip recession and UK infrastructure and general construction spending having dropped about 20% since the coalition government took up office in 2010, the waste section is not suffering nearly as much as you might expect. In addition, new Anaerobic Digestion Plants are being announced and coming on-stream.


That's due to EU waste reduction targets for landfill, and similar recycling targets which the UK has to meet, and which can only be achieved by a spending rate which was put above £1bn annually, several years ago.

The government has therefore so far not cut substantially its plans for new waste facilities, and the following round-up shows just what progress is being made on new Energy-from-Waste facility construction right now (excerpts below are quoted from Edie.net):

The latest waste-to-energy developments across the UK involve a mix of technologies including gasification, anaerobic digestion and biomass for wood waste.

Origin Renewable Energy has submitted a planning application for a gasification combined heat and power (CHP) plant at Desborough, Northamptonshire.

• The proposed 96,000 tonne facility will use technology from Energos and take residual waste from households and businesses. It will be sited at Magnetic Park and incorporate a visitors centre that will offer training, education and meeting facilities to the local community. 

Meanwhile biogas firm Tamar Energy is set to build its first anaerobic digestion (AD) plant at Holbeach Hurn, Lincolnshire, in conjunction with AH Worth, a family business whose major operating subsidiary is QV Foods, a multi-site produce packing and marketing operation. 

The plant will be located at one of the top-four potato processing sites in the UK supplying produce to national retailers. Discarded organic material from the packing lines and storage facilities will be diverted to the facility, which has capacity to treat 36,000 tonnes per year.

The plant is expected to be operational towards the end of 2013 and will have an electrical output of 1.5 MW. QV Foods will harness the large majority of the electricity production, with any surplus being delivered as green electricity to the National Grid.

Source edie newsroom

Visit : http://www.edie.net/news/news_story.asp?src=nl&id=22689 for the full article.