Energy-from-Waste

Energy-from-Waste (EfW) plants work very much like coal-fired power stations. The difference is the fuel. EfW plants use rubbish, not coal, to fire an industrial boiler.

Producing electricity in a EfW plant is similar to that of a coal or gas-fired power plant:

1. The fuel is burned in an incinerator, releasing heat.
2. The heat turns water into steam.
3. The high-pressure steam turns the blades of a turbine generator to produce electricity.
4. The electricity is distributed to homes, schools, and businesses through the National Grid.

The Isle of Man EfW power station (below) was opened in 2004 and can incinerate 60,000 tonnes of municipal waste and up to 5,000 tonnes of clinical, animal, and oil waste annually.

The plant can produce 6.8MW of electricity. This amounts to enough electricity to light and heat approximately 6500 homes or 10% of the island's needs.

On a larger scale, Vestforbraending, the largest EfW plant in Denmark can handle more than 500,000 tons of waste annually from 875,000 inhabitants (20% of the waste) and 60,000 businesses (80% of the waste).

In 50kgs of typical household waste, more than 40kgs can be burned as fuel to generate electricity at a power plant. A tonne of rubbish, including paper, plastics and garden waste, generates about 500 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity. (source: EIA)

Although Energy-from-Waste reduces the amount of waste going to landfill it does produce carbon dioxide emissions and so doesn't help stop climate change as much as renewable energy technologies.

More information:

Energy Information Administration