Managing refuse-derived and solid-recovered fuels : best practice options for EU countries

Title page

Contents

Executive summary 6

Abbreviations 8

1. Introduction: scope, objectives and methodology 10

1.1. Scope and objectives 10

1.2. Methodology 10

2. General overview of the sector and existing standards 11

2.1. Definitions and concepts 11

2.2. Standards 12

2.3. Sources of RDF 12

2.4. Potential users of RDF 14

2.5. Technical and/or economic limitations on the RDF uptake 15

2.6. Conclusion 17

3. RDF uses - current status, market considerations, and general market mechanisms in European countries 18

3.1. Market considerations 18

3.2. Typical gate fees for RDF uptake 19

3.3. Current and future RDF production and uptake in the EU-27 19

3.4. Conclusion 21

4. Technical considerations 22

4.1. RDF users' perspective 22

4.2. RDF producers' perspective 24

4.3. Future trends in RDF generation and utilisation in the EU 27

4.4. Conclusion 28

5. Legal considerations 29

5.1. Assessment of RDF - relevant EU legislation 29

5.2. Conclusion 30

6. Swot analysis 31

7. Overall conclusions 33

8. Annexes 35

8.1. SRF standards and other national quality requirements 35

8.2. Types of waste considered suitable for RDF production in Germany 40

8.3. Potential end users of RDF 44

8.4. Technical and/or economic limitations on RDF uptake 48

8.5. Landfill taxes and gate fees 61

8.6. Prices for waste incineration 66

8.7. Example of CO₂ cost reduction potential 68

8.8. EEA residual waste forecast 70

8.9. Ways to improve RDF uptake from MBT/MT plants 71

8.10. Poorly performing MBT/MT plants: causes and possible improvements 73

8.11. Case study - best current practice of an RDF-producing MBT 77

8.12. Current status, market considerations, and prospects for RDF production and uptake in selected countries - country reports 78

8.13. Transport considerations 109

8.14. MBT/MT plants in the EU 113

8.15. Emerging techniques 114

8.16. RDF-relevant EU legislation 120

Table 1. Classes of SRF according to EN ISO 21640:2021 12

Table 2. Overview of the main energy-intensive industries and their potential uptake of RDF 14

Table 3. Examples of typical technical requirements in selected industrial sectors 16

Table 4. Quality data on various CLOs and compost materials 23

Table 5. Cement plant additional CAPEX estimates for equipment associated with the enhanced uptake of RDF 24

Table 6. CAPEX per unit of equipment for retrofitting RDF production plants 27

Table 7. SWOT analysis for the RDF uptake in cement plants 31

Table 8. SWOT analysis for the RDF uptake in WtE plants 32

Table 9. List of relevant CEN standards, technical specifications, and reports published under the CEN/TC 343 work programme 35

Table 10. List of types of waste considered suitable for the production of RDF in Germany - Group 1 40

Table 11. List of types of wastes considered suitable for the production of RDF in Germany - Group 2 41

Table 12. List of types of waste considered suitable for the production of RDF in Germany - Group 3 42

Table 13. List of types of waste considered suitable for the production of RDF in Germany - Group 4 43

Table 14. General requirements for kiln burner RDF 49

Table 15. General requirements for calciner RDF 50

Table 16. Requirements for trace elements in RDF in Germany (all classes) 50

Table 17. General requirements for RDF for lime kilns 53

Table 18. Approximate general requirements for RDF (and MW) in WtE 55

Table 19. General requirements on co-firing RDF in hard coal and lignite power plants as specified by power plant operators 57

Table 20. Requirements for plastic pellets as an alternative reducing agent in a blast furnace 59

Table 21. Typical landfill gate fees and taxes among EU Member States 61

Table 22. Typical price ranges for incineration of waste in some EU Member Countries (net prices) 66

Table 23. Simulated RDF quality parameters and comparison of CO₂ emissions and costs for RDF and fossil fuels 69

Table 24. Non-exhaustive list of waste materials not suitable for RDF production 74

Table 25. Average quality values of RDF components obtained from several waste-sorting campaigns carried out by the authors of this report 80

Table 26. Simulated RDF quality 81

Table 27. Cement and clinker capacity of the Slovenian cement industry 81

Table 28. Thermal substitution scenario for the Salonit cement plant based on current RDF and other alternative fuels usage and potential for RDF uptake 82

Table 29. Potential RDF generation, current and potential uptake capacities available in Slovenia 84

Table 30. Cement and clinker capacity of the Greek cement industry 87

Table 31. Thermal substitution scenario for the Halyps Cement plant based on current RDF and other alternative fuels usage and potential for RDF uptake 88

Table 32. Cement companies in Greece and related TSR and RDF-uptake potential 88

Table 33. Potential RDF generation and current and potential uptake capacities in Greece 91

Table 34. Balance between RDF generation potential and production and uptake capacities in Malta 95

Table 35. Input capacities and related RDF production capacity per WMC 96

Table 36. Cement and clinker capacity of the Romanian cement industry 98

Table 37. Thermal substitution scenario for the Holcim Alesd Cement plant based on current RDF and other alternative fuels usage and potential for RDF uptake 98

Table 38. Cement plants in Romania and related TSR and RDF potential uptake 99

Table 39. Balance between the RDF generation potential and the production and uptake capacities 101

Table 40. Input capacities and related RDF production capacity per waste management centre 103

Table 41. Clinker and cement capacity of the Croatian cement industry 104

Table 42. Thermal substitution scenario for the Cemex Juraj Cement plant, based on current RDF and other alternative fuels usage and potential RDF uptake 105

Table 43. Cement companies in Croatia and related TSR and RDF-uptake capacity 106

Table 44. Balance between RDF generation potential and production and uptake capacities in Croatia 108

Table 45. Recommended storage capacities 109

Table 46. Typical road transport costs 110

Table 47. Non-exhaustive list of Best Practices MBT/MT plants in Europe 113

Table 48. Specific packaging recycling targets 124

Figure 1. Interconnections between waste, RDF, and SRF 11

Figure 2. Average MW composition in Europe and potential yield of RDF around 2010 13

Figure 3. RDF production projections in the EU-27 in 2035 20

Figure 4. Process flow diagram for the AWG Ennigerloh MBT plant in Germany 26

Figure 5. Typical clinker manufacturing line, highlighting the feeding points 49

Figure 6. Schematic presentations of annular shaft kiln (ASK) and parallel flow regenerative kiln (PFRK) 52

Figure 7. Schematic presentations of a rotary kiln (RK) (left) and a mixed feed shaft kiln (MFSK) (right) 52

Figure 8. Schematic presentation of grate furnace (left), bubbling fluidised bed (middle), and circulating fluidised bed technologies (right) in WtE facilities 54

Figure 9. Schematic presentation of lignite-fired power plant with grate furnace with wet-bottom boilers (WBB) 56

Figure 10. Schematic presentation of a blast furnace 58

Figure 11. Trend in carbon prices 68

Figure 12. Sampling procedure in production plants for quality-controlled SRF 71

Figure 13. Relationship between throughput and noise generation by a final shredder 74

Figure 14. Left: A magnetic separator across the conveying direction in an RDF plant (less favourable position). Right: Favourable positioning of a magnetic... 75

Figure 15. Generation and distribution of MW across different types of waste treatment operations in Slovenia in 2021 79

Figure 16. Municipal waste composition in Slovenia (based on the Factsheet Slovenia) 80

Figure 17. Map of the WMC and uptake facility locations, with related distance ranges 83

Figure 18. Generation and distribution of MW across different types of waste treatment operations in Greece in 2019 85

Figure 19. MW waste composition in Greece 86

Figure 20. Map of the WMC and uptake facility locations with related distance ranges 90

Figure 21. Generation and distribution of MW across different types of waste treatment operations in Malta in 2021 92

Figure 22. Municipal waste composition in Malta 2019 93

Figure 23. Generation and distribution of MW across different types of waste treatment operations in Romania in 2021 96

Figure 24. MW composition in Romania 97

Figure 25. Map of the WMC and uptake facility locations with related distance ranges 100

Figure 26. Generation and distribution of MW across different types of waste treatment operations in Croatia in 2021 102

Figure 27. MW composition of Croatia 103

Figure 28. Map of WMCs and uptake facility locations with related distance ranges 107

Figure 29. Average freight rates for a general short-sea cargo of 3,000 metric tonnes from the Baltic states to the ARAG region (top). Average freight rates... 112

Figure 30. Sorting robots in action 114

Figure 31. Online NIR analysing unit 115

Figure 32. Online PGNAA analysing unit on a conveyor belt 115

Figure 33. HotDisc by FLSmidth (left); Pyrorotor by KHD (right) 116

Figure 34. Left: Installation of Prepol SC by Thyssenkrupp in a cement plant in Germany. Right: Installation of Pyrorotor by KHD in a cement plant in South Korea 117

Figure 35. Pellets (left); milled pellets (right) 117