Development of mechanical biological treatment of municipal waste

Development of mechanical biological treatment of municipal waste in Latvia on the basis of a pilot-project in “Viduskurszeme” Dipl. -Ing. Joerg Wagner INTECUS Waste Management and Environment-Integrating Management

Table of contents 1. Introduction 2. MBT in Germany 3. Conclusions for Latvia 4. Examples from the implementation in Germany Waste Management and Environment-Integrating Management

Introduction - Achieving the Waste Management Goals Germany: Technical Instruction on Waste from Human Settlements (TASi) with execution of the ban of the above-ground storage of biodegradable waste since the 1 st of June 2005 - Switzerland: Landfill ban for combustible waste since 2000 - Norway: Landfill ban for biodegradable waste since 2001 - Austria: Landfill ban for untreated waste since 2004 Goal 2020: Full recovery of municipal solid waste by 2020 Europe: Council Directive on the landfill of waste (99/31/EC) - stepwise reduction of the landfilling of biodegradable waste (target: to 65 % until 2016 – relevance for climate change 3. 5 Mio. tons of CH 4) Waste Management and Environment-Integrating Management

Introduction - Possible Opportunities Separate Collection and utilization of waste Separation of recyclable waste fractions recirculation into the material circular flow Mechanicalbiological Treatment Incineration of waste Mineralization/ Inertization of organic waste fractions by oxidation under high temperatures (among others a high share of biodegradable waste, i. e. biowaste => composting) Waste Management and Environment-Integrating Management

Introduction - Goals of mechanical-biological treatment 1. Volume reduction of waste to be landfilled to minimize the necessary landfill capacity and to prolong the operating life of a landfill. 2. Reduction of the microbiological activity of the biodegradable waste fraction so that the uncontrolled generation of climate-damaging landfill gas is minimized as far as possible. 3. Mass reduction of dangerous substances which otherwise will elute to the leachate on the landfill and can led to a groundwater contamination if the leachate is not collected and treated. 4. Material and energy recovery by material separation and where applicable generation of refused derived fule (RDF) or biogas (MBT-plants with anaerobic digestion) Waste Management and Environment-Integrating Management

MBT in Germany - Legal framework § strong requirements for the output stream designated for landfill disposal (difficult to reach) § strong requirements on the exhaust air emissions (exhaust air treatment by Regenerative Thermal Oxidiser Systems needed) § no legal requirements for high calorific fraction (RDF), only quality requirements Waste Management and Environment-Integrating Management

MBT in Germany - Requirements on RDF-quality Waste Management and Environment-Integrating Management

MBT in Germany - Principle of the process Material flow oriented approach Separation of the mixed waste in: - waste for material recovery - waste for energy recovery - waste for biological treatment 2 basic processes Stabilization and drying of waste for energy recovery Treatment of waste for a lowemission landfilling Waste Management and Environment-Integrating Management

MBT in Germany - Principle processes Fractioning of output flow with regard to total output of two typical plant concepts Mechanical-Biological Stabilization Mechanical-Biological Treatment Residual waste (100 %) Ferric metals Mechanical pre-treatment and stream separation Non-ferric metals High calorific fraction (RDF) Anaerobic stage (optional) Material for landfilling Biological drying/ stabilization Loss of mass (biodegradation, evaporation) Stabilized fraction 70 % High calorific fraction (RDF) 55 % Organic fraction Biological stage Residual waste (100 %) Loss of mass (biodegradation, evaporation, potentially max. 10 % Biogas) Mechanical pre-treatment and stream separation Ferric metals Non-ferric metals Glass Minerals Material (dust, etc. for thermal treatment) Waste Management and Environment-Integrating Management

MBT in Germany - Implementation of MBT in Germany Biological process stage is the most important distinctive feature Capability must be proved in practice Ambitious technology but good results in reduction of organic fraction Sophisticated and safe technology, some problems to meet the limit values of the German landfill directive Sophisticated technology, but sales problems for stabilized material for utilization Waste Management and Environment-Integrating Management

MBT in Germany - Implementation of MBT in Germany Material flow of German MBT and MT-plants extrapolated to the overall stock of plants in 2006 § 42 % high calorific fraction MBT- and MT-plants § 21 % loss of mass (biodegradation, drying) § 3 % recyclables § 26 % material for landfilling High-calorific fraction à reduction of necessary landfill volume: 70 % Waste Management and Environment-Integrating Management

MBT in Germany – Investment costs Exemplary investment costs of a rotting container – MBT (capacity 65, 000 tons per year) • investment cost ranges from 250 to 360 EURO per ton input capacity • mass specific costs of MBT between 80 and 140 EURO per ton Waste Management and Environment-Integrating Management

MBT in Germany - Problems § The ambitious environmental standards in Germany make the MBT-technology expensive and not cheaper than incineration. § Under German conditions MBT is a pre-treatment-technology before thermal treatment not an alternative to incineration. § Technical problems of the starting phase of the technology are solved as far as possible (except problems with Regenerative Thermal Oxidiser Systems for exhaust air treatment). § At the moment there are marketing problems with the high calorific fraction because of insufficient capacities for thermal utilization and the quality of the high calorific fraction. Waste Management and Environment-Integrating Management

Conclusions for Latvia § Reduction of - the heavy metal content of waste up to 90 %, - the reactivity of organic fraction up to 95 % and - the waste volume of more than 60 % § The result are lower emissions and an improvement of the disposal behaviour of residual waste. § Increase of the recovery of reusable materials and the utilization of the energetic potential of residual waste. § The framework conditions (resp. legal framework) must be adapted on the efficiency of MBT-technology! § MBT must be embedded in working material stream concepts! § The high calorific fraction must be processed to RDF which meets the specific quality requirements of the consumers (cement kilns, power stations, etc. )! Waste Management and Environment-Integrating Management

Conclusions for Latvia - Conditions of RDF-utilization Waste composition Waste Management and Environment-Integrating Management

Conclusions for Latvia - Conditions of RDF-utilization Calorific value of Latvia residual waste (estimated) - high content of plastics and paper/cardboard cause a comparatively high calorific value - unclear is the content of hazardous substances (e. g. chlorine) Waste Management and Environment-Integrating Management

Conclusions for Latvia - Principle processes Final rotting process - for waste which allows a mechanical treatment without drying - mechanical stage: e. g. sieving drum, magnetic separator, sorting cabin (to separate PVC) - biological stage: aerated windrow heap composting Waste Management and Environment-Integrating Management

Conclusions for Latvia - Principle processes Dry stabilization process - for waste with high moisture content which complicates mechanical treatment - biological stage: aerated windrow heap composting - mechanical stage: e. g. sieving drum, magnetic separator - disadvantage: separation of PVC is complicated because of the smaller grain size of the material after the biological stage Waste Management and Environment-Integrating Management

Conclusions for Latvia – Investment costs - investment costs in Germany ranges from 250 to 360 EURO per ton input capacity - costs in Latvia may be lower because there is no demand on exhaust air treatment by Regenerative Thermal Oxidiser Systems and the rotting technology must not meet the strong German criteria for landfilling - 150 to 200 EURO per ton input capacity can be expected Waste Management and Environment-Integrating Management

Conclusions for Latvia Particularly with regard to the challenges of a country with a landfill oriented waste management system the MBT-technology is a promising and future-oriented approach! Waste Management and Environment-Integrating Management

Examples from the implementation in Germany Simple concept – MBT on a landfill (first tests in Germany in the early 90 ies) Preliminary homogenizing of residual waste at the landfill Costs: 25 -30 EURO per ton Biological treatment of residual waste in simple heaps at the landfill Waste Management and Environment-Integrating Management

Examples from the implementation in Germany MBT – Mechanical-Biological Treatment Rotting boxes (Intensive rotting stage) Waste Management and Environment-Integrating Management

Examples from the implementation in Germany MBT – Mechanical-Biological Treatment Mechanical stage of the MBT-plant Cröbern (System provider: Linde-KCA Gmb. H Dresden) Capacity: 300, 000 tons per year Waste Management and Environment-Integrating Management

Examples from the implementation in Germany MBT – Mechanical Biological Treatment Rotting hall for biological residual waste treatment. Biomechanical waste treatment plant, Salzburg: aerated heaps, started operation in 1987. (source: Linde KCA Dresden) Capacity: 140, 000 tons per year Waste Management and Environment-Integrating Management

Examples from the implementation in Germany MBT – Mechanical Biological Treatment Overview about the anaerobic digestion plant in Freienhufen (system providers: Komp. Tech/HAASE) Capacity: 50, 000 tons per year Waste Management and Environment-Integrating Management

Examples from the implementation in Germany MBS – Mechanical-Biological Stabilization Modular, and thus expandable, system of containers for the biological treatment of waste (Stralsund/Rügen) (System provider: Nehlsen AG, Bremen) Capacity: 70, 000 tons per year Waste Management and Environment-Integrating Management

Examples from the implementation in Germany MPS – Mechanical-Physical Stabilization (Drying Process) Drying drum of the MPS Berlin-Pankow Capacity: 160, 000 tons per year Waste Management and Environment-Integrating Management

German associations for technology-export www. saxutec. de www. cluster-umwelt. de Waste Management and Environment-Integrating Management

Thank you for your attention! Grad. -Eng. Joerg Wagner Grad. -Eng. Egidijus Semeta INTECUS Gmb. H Management and Environment-Integrating Management SIA Vent. EKO Inteliģenti vides risinājumi Pohlandstr. 17 D-01309 Dresden Germany Rīgas iela 22. Piņķi LV-2107 Latvija fon: fax: email: internet: +49 (351) 3182314 +49 (351) 3182333 joerg. wagner@intecus. de www. intecus. de +371 67913155 +371 67913156 egidijus. semeta@venteko. com www. venteko. lv Waste Management and Environment-Integrating Management