Rival commercial means of converting refuse to energy

The objectives of this investigation were to: 1. (1) demonstrate the effectiveness of those refuse-disposal options which possess the facility for energy recovery: for each, an energy-audit approach has been undertaken to achieve this; and 2. (2) highlight those significant features which affect the net energy-outputs of different refuse-disposal options, whose benefits are assessed. Thus, six UK [`]waste-to-energy' facilities, which currently accept major quantities of refuse, were examined. In particular, a comparison was made between the net energy-outputs for two procedures: (i) urban incineration of refuse-derived fuel (RDF), and (ii) transferring the refuse, by rail, to a landfill site, from which appreciable quantities of landfill gas were recovered. The energy attractiveness of both incinerators and RDF plants were appreciably higher than those which could be achieved with landfills. Nevertheless, when financial costs of the various options are taken into account, environmentally acceptable landfill is often the recommended solution.