Optimizing energy recovery level of a Dutch waste incineration facility

Abstract

Energy recovery level indicated as an R1 factor has become increasingly important for the municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) facilities in the EU. This study focuses on potential improvement of energy recovery through different heat products. It quantifies the extent to which heat extraction with various quality and quantity heat products may influence the energy recovery level. It is concluded that the R1 status of a planned facility (reference case) is estimated as 0.71. The optimized energy recovery level 1.14 can be achieved by delivering hot water through low-pressure steam extraction plus a heat exchanger. The highest R1 factor in the high-pressure steam scenario is 0.81. This study serves as the first step in facilitating the decision-making process of an MSWI facility to prioritize the heat extraction options.