Publication detail

GHG Emissions of Incineration and Anaerobic Digestion: Electricity Mix

Fan, Y.V. Klemeš, J.J. Lee C.T. Perry, S.

English title

GHG Emissions of Incineration and Anaerobic Digestion: Electricity Mix

Type

journal article in Scopus

Language

en

Original abstract

Waste to energy (WtE) is one of the suitable alternatives in handling municipal solid waste (MSW). This study assesses the GHG emissions (CO2eq) of incineration and anaerobic digestion (AD) under different electricity production mix. The electricity production mix of China, Malaysia, Japan, Russia, UK, US (East), Czech Republic, Germany, France and Finland were considered. Incineration has a lower net CO2eq emission in China and Malaysia. However, the AD is environmentally preferable than incineration in Russia, Japan, Czech Republic, Germany, US (East), UK, Finland and France. The net CO2eq emission of incineration in China (9.41 kg CO2eq/t MSW) is lower than a country with greener electricity mix e.g. France (401.76 kg CO2eq/t MSW) where the main electricity source is nuclear. This is due to the higher avoided CO2eq emission compare to generate electricity from fossil fuel. Electricity produces from the WtE process is identified as the major factors in affecting the net CO2eq emission than the other two assessed factors (waste collection and transportation (distance), the efficiency of the WtE process). This suggests energy efficiency plays a significant role in enhancing the net CO2eq emissions and to reduce the carbon intensity of WtE

English abstract

Waste to energy (WtE) is one of the suitable alternatives in handling municipal solid waste (MSW). This study assesses the GHG emissions (CO2eq) of incineration and anaerobic digestion (AD) under different electricity production mix. The electricity production mix of China, Malaysia, Japan, Russia, UK, US (East), Czech Republic, Germany, France and Finland were considered. Incineration has a lower net CO2eq emission in China and Malaysia. However, the AD is environmentally preferable than incineration in Russia, Japan, Czech Republic, Germany, US (East), UK, Finland and France. The net CO2eq emission of incineration in China (9.41 kg CO2eq/t MSW) is lower than a country with greener electricity mix e.g. France (401.76 kg CO2eq/t MSW) where the main electricity source is nuclear. This is due to the higher avoided CO2eq emission compare to generate electricity from fossil fuel. Electricity produces from the WtE process is identified as the major factors in affecting the net CO2eq emission than the other two assessed factors (waste collection and transportation (distance), the efficiency of the WtE process). This suggests energy efficiency plays a significant role in enhancing the net CO2eq emissions and to reduce the carbon intensity of WtE

Keywords in English

GHG emissions; incineration; anaerobic digestion; electricity; emission; electricity mix;

Released

31.01.2019

Publisher

Italian Association of Chemical Engineering - AIDIC

ISSN

2283-9216

Number

72

Pages from–to

145–150

Pages count

6

BIBTEX


@article{BUT160681,
  author="Yee Van {Fan} and Jiří {Klemeš},
  title="GHG Emissions of Incineration and Anaerobic Digestion: Electricity Mix",
  year="2019",
  number="72",
  month="January",
  pages="145--150",
  publisher="Italian Association of Chemical Engineering - AIDIC",
  issn="2283-9216"
}