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Energy from waste has provided an alternative to fossil fuels for centuries. The first waste-to-energy plant was recorded by Guinness World Records in Nottingham in 1874, when designer Stephen Fryer built an incinerator to burn items and generate electricity. Back then of course the invention wasn’t very sophisticated, and its high level of pollution made it inefficient. But it demonstrated even then that waste could be used to generate power.
Fast forward to this century and organisations are investing billions of pounds developing energy from waste technology that is as efficient and environmentally friendly as possible. Looking at innovative ways to create low carbon energy from waste that can be diverted from landfill, whilst providing a clean and hygienic service for residents.
Creating energy from waste
Energy from waste, waste-to-energy, energy recovery, you may see it referred to in slightly different ways but fundamentally it’s about using waste material to generate electricity, heat, and power. If we cast our minds back to the classroom, we were taught that when combustible materials are combined with a heat source it ignites a fire. This burning in turn generates heat, and that heat can be converted to energy.
For an energy from waste facility to produce power, water is heated by the hot gases generated from burning waste. This heating process generates steam, which typically drives a turbine to generate electricity. An essential component of this process is a cooling system, which condenses the exhaust steam from the turbine back into water. Subsequently, this condensed water is pumped back to the boiler to be reused in the energy recovery cycle.
By incinerating waste that can't be recycled, these facilities not only reduce our reliance on finite fossil fuels but also champion progressive waste management techniques that create low carbon energy in the most efficient and sustainable way possible.
The main advantage of energy from waste is that it diverts waste from landfill. Refuse companies and local councils typically separate as much material that can be recycled as possible for onward processing, but what’s left still needs disposing of. Instead of sending this to landfill the remaining materials can be fed into an incinerator to burn and start the energy from waste process. The result? Electricity that can be distributed to the grid and thermal energy that can be utilised in district heating systems.
Did you know?
A new 70MW Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) is under construction in north London on Edmonton EcoPark. NRL’s project team are partnering with building contractor ACCIONA to manage a talent pool for construction roles on the project.
Sub-contractors operating across the various work packages will use the talent pool when they need supplementary workers – with roles expected to include Riggers, Erectors, Pipefitters, Mechanical Fitters, Platers, Welders, Scaffolders and Thermal Insulators.
More information about the new Energy Recovery Facility as well as the construction talent pool can be found on our dedicated website:
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