Establishing a sustainable future requires a comprehensive and coordinated approach to addressing environmental challenges. Inadequate waste management harms the environment and contributes to the emission of harmful gases from unsanitary landfills and illegal dumpsites.
Modern lifestyles are accompanied by a constant increase in waste generation, which represents a serious problem. However, the issue becomes even more alarming when considering that most of this waste undergoes no treatment and ends up in landfills or natural environments. At the same time, changes in consumption habits have led to an increased demand for energy. Since the majority of energy in Serbia is still generated from fossil fuels, primarily coal, this process further contributes to pollution, worsens the environmental situation, and endangers human health and ecosystems.
This cause-and-effect relationship is particularly important when examining the link between waste and energy. Energy recovery from waste plays a crucial role in achieving the goals of circular economy and recycling, which are becoming increasingly ambitious in Serbia and the European Union. To meet these goals, more types of waste must undergo pre-treatment, including lower-quality materials that were previously unsuitable for recycling.
The sorting process generates residues with significant calorific value, which should be utilized before disposal. This is where energy recovery from waste comes into play, serving two key purposes – reducing waste volume and its negative impact while creating opportunities for energy generation.
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White Paper on Energy Recovery from Waste
The White Paper on Energy Recovery from Waste in Serbia is a publication providing a comprehensive overview of all regulatory and technical aspects of energy recovery from waste, specifically incineration, which are crucial for the functioning of this technology and related facilities in Serbia and beyond. The authors of the White Paper include numerous experts from Serbia and Austria, while the publisher is the Association of Environmental Protection Engineers. The following text will highlight key considerations from the publication. At the same time, our interviewee, Nebojša Vraneš, an advisor at the Center for Circular Economy of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia, will present his insights and views on the topic.
According to this publication, one significant challenge in using waste as an alternative energy source in Serbia is the inadequate preparation of municipal waste for use in cement plants and incinerators. Addressing this issue is essential for increasing the efficiency and sustainability of the waste treatment process.
The importance of using fuel derived from waste lies in several key benefits. These include reducing fossil fuel consumption while simultaneously minimizing the negative consequences of combustion, such as greenhouse gas emissions, sulfur oxide emissions, and ash production. Additionally, this process allows for better utilization of municipal and industrial waste, reducing the amount of waste that ends up in landfills.
The White Paper identifies two types of waste-derived fuel products based on their refinement level, which are generated in mechanical or mechanical-biological waste treatment plants. The first is Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF), a solid renewable fuel obtained from non-hazardous waste that has been processed and improved to a quality suitable for trading and use in combustion and co-combustion facilities. To be classified as SRF, the fuel must meet the requirements established by the EN 15359 standard, including limits on calorific value and chlorine and mercury content. The second type is Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF), a shredded fraction of non-hazardous waste that may include residues from municipal and industrial waste and sludge from wastewater treatment plants. RDF has a high calorific value and is often used as an alternative fuel in the cement industry. While RDF does not have to meet the strict standards required for SRF, its classification as non-hazardous waste allows it to be used in various industries.
Today, more than 500 technologically advanced waste-to-energy facilities across Europe process over 100 million tons of waste annually. This industrial sector operates in compliance with the strictest legal regulations and the highest environmental protection standards.
In Central Europe, Italy, and the United Kingdom, the production of waste-derived fuel is well developed but applied in different ways. In Germany and Austria, Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF) is produced for use in local thermal power plants, waste-to-energy plants, and cement factories. On the other hand, SRF produced in Italy and the United Kingdom is exported chiefly due to a lack of domestic capacity for its utilization.
The Basel Convention regulates the process of export, transboundary trade, and transportation for the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal.
Prepared by Katarina Vuinac
The story was published in the Energy portal Magazine CIRCULAR ECONOMY
