Advanced Thermal Treatment Does Not Include Incineration

There are a variety of differences promoted to differentiate Advanced Thermal Treatment (ATT) from traditional Incineration technologies.

These are mainly that:

1. Smaller scale facilities are being marketed for treatment of MSW with some ATT processes than the larger size typical of Incineration Plants; 
2. the difference in scale between Incineration and ATT processes allows, within ATT processes, for more efficent local use of both heat and electricity produced 
3. traditional incineration, certainly in the UK, was of the so called "mass burn" variety which is typified by a lack of up front recycling. This would not be the case for Incineration Plants introduced today (post WID). Nevertheless, due to the efficient capability of mass burn Incinerators to incinerate recyclable materials with ease, and often at lower cost to the operator than many forms of recycling, the public and pressure groups remain opposed to Incineration. Their concern remains, and appears to be based on a layman's unease that, as it is easy in mass burn Incinerators to "burn the lot", then the operator most probably will! 

While 1. and 2. above are technical, 3. is entirely a social/political matter. There is no absolutely no technical reason why the adoption of mass burn Incineration, or indeed any form of Incineration should not be in tandem with the very best and highest levels of waste minimisation, re-use, and recycling - exactly as required by the EU's waste disposal heirarchy of preferred treatments.

As a large number of local authorities have said that they will be including Incineration Plants within their waste management options, and are likely to take forward Incineration Plant projects in many localities, this issue is yet to run its course toward a political outcome.

You can expect to hear more in the media about the inadaquacies and unsustainability of Incineration, we here will continue to concentrate our minds on the

Meanwhile, here at Gasification4Energy we shall continue to concentrate our thoughts on Advanced Thermal Treatment (ATT) - not including Incineration.

The Differences in Technology Development Between Incineration, and, Gasification and Pyrolysis

Incineration

In Waste Management in the UK, the only established Thermal Treatment (TT) technology available is Incineration as of Summer 2008.

Gasification and Pyrolysis

Gasification and Pyrolysis technology providers have been since 2004 developing with the UK Government's Department Defra, demonstration plants (Defra Waste Technology Demonstrator Project), and the first of these demonstration plants have been working for some years. The performance of the ATT systems is being assessed.

All waste technology projects are a collaboration between government waste disposal authorities based in the local authorities, and investment risk must be considered very carefully.

Investment risk is greater for all ATT technologies, as these are much less well developed and tested technologies, than mass burn incineration.

In other words the ATT systems available from contractors in all the available ATT technologies are considered not fully proven in the UK.

Explore the subject further through the links below:-

• The Main Elements of an Advanced Thermal Technology Energy Plant
  
  Waste Reception, Handling and Pre-treatment | The pyrolysis and gasification process either utilises biomass grown and collected for the purpose, or in a Waste Treatment Plant is focused on treating the organic based materials present in MSW (e.g. paper, plastics, card, putrescible waste, green waste).
• Direct and Indirect Gasification
  
  There are two basic types of gasification, both involving pyrolysis. Direct and Indirect Gasification process are explained in diagrams.