Page 230 - Energy from Toxic Organic Waste for Heat and Power Generation

208 Energy from Toxic Organic Waste for Heat and Power Generation

to a Rankine cycle. This cycle will then provide power and heat by acti-
vation of a turbine and using a heat exchanger, respectively. The choice of
the boiler type is strictly related to the choice of the desired final use of the
produced energy. Within the incineration plant, the flue gas cleaning system
can be designed in different ways from filters to electrostatic precipitators
and a series of fans ensure both a correct combustion process and controlled
emissions. However, there will be a certain percentage of substances emitted
into the atmosphere, depending on the MSW composition and on the type
of cleaning systems used. The most common pollutant particles in the flue
gas are CO 2 , N 2 O, NO x , SO x, and NH 3 .
Waste has a negative price, which is regulated by prefixed gate-fees and
is usually considered as the main source of income for the WTE plant own-
ers. In this sense, incineration facilities have the primary purpose of waste
treatment. Generation of electricity and heat can be considered as a use-
ful by-product, with relative additional earnings. Furthermore, the dispatch
of power from WTE units is prioritized over other generation units, thus
yielding a guaranteed income during all operations. The technology-related
costs, the initial investment costs for the construction of the plant, play an
important role because of the large size of these facilities and of the main in-
stalled components. Capital costs, however, can vary significantly as a func-
tion of the selected processes for the treatment of residues. Operation and
maintenance costs have a lower impact on the total expenses of the facility
and are mainly related to the amount of treated waste. The main drivers for
this growth could be summarized in an increasing waste generation, high
energy costs, growing concerns of environmental issues, and restricted land-
filling capacities. WTE would help solve these issues by reducing the waste
volume and cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, legisla-
tive and policy shifts, mainly by European governments, have significantly
affected the growth of the WTE market as well as the implementation of
advanced technology solutions.
This book outlines various advances in the area of waste management
and possibilities to extract energy from the wastes in different forms. This
book also focuses on current practices related to waste management initia-
tives taken by many countries, and it also highlights some initiatives taken
by the US federal government, states, and industry groups. The main ob-
jective of this book is to depict the adoption of the waste management
strategies, which may give certain benefits to the humanity in the form of
economic sustainability and a clean environment. The toxic wastes gen-
erated from various sources such as municipal, food processing industries,