Development of Mechanical-Biological Treatment of Municipal Waste in Latvia: Pilot Project in "Viduskurszeme

1. Development of mechanical biological treatment of municipal waste in Latvia on the basis of a pilot-project in “Viduskurszeme” Dipl.-Ing. Joerg WagnerINTECUS Waste Management and Environment-Integrating Management

2. Table of contents • Introduction • MBT in Germany • Conclusions for Latvia • Examples from the implementation in Germany

3. Introduction - Achieving the Waste Management Goals • Germany: • Technical Instruction on Waste from Human Settlements (TASi) with execution of the ban of the above-ground storage of biodegradable waste since the 1st of June 2005 • - Switzerland: Landfill ban for combustible waste since 2000 • Norway: Landfill ban for biodegradable waste since 2001 • Austria: Landfill ban for untreated waste since 2004 • Goal 2020: Full recovery of municipal solid waste by 2020 • Europe: • Council Directive on the landfill of waste (99/31/EC) • - stepwise reduction of the landfilling of biodegradable waste (target: to 65 % until 2016 – relevance for climate change 3.5 Mio. tons of CH4)

4. Separate Collection and utilization of waste Separation of recyclable waste fractions recirculation into the material circular flow Incineration of waste Mineralization/ Inertization of organic waste fractions by oxidation under high temperatures Introduction - Possible Opportunities Mechanical-biological Treatment (among others a high share of biodegradable waste, i.e. biowaste => composting)

5. Introduction - Goals of mechanical-biological treatment • Volume reduction of waste to be landfilledto minimize the necessary landfill capacity and to prolong the operating life of a landfill. • Reduction of the microbiological activityof the biodegradable waste fraction so that the uncontrolled generation of climate-damaging landfill gas is minimized as far as possible. • Mass reduction of dangerous substanceswhich otherwise will elute to the leachate on the landfill and can led to a groundwater contamination if the leachate is not collected and treated. • Material and energy recoveryby material separation and where applicable generation of refused derived fule (RDF) or biogas (MBT-plants with anaerobic digestion)

6. MBT in Germany - Legal framework • strong requirements for the output stream designated for landfill disposal (difficult to reach) • strong requirements on the exhaust air emissions (exhaust air treatment by Regenerative Thermal Oxidiser Systems needed) • no legal requirements for high calorific fraction (RDF), only quality requirements

7. MBT in Germany - Requirements on RDF-quality

8. Stabilization and drying of waste for energy recovery • Treatment of waste for a low-emission landfilling MBT in Germany - Principle of the process • Material flow oriented approach • Separation of the mixed waste in: • - waste for material recovery • - waste for energy recovery • - waste for biological treatment 2 basic processes

9. Mechanical-Biological Stabilization Mechanical-Biological Treatment Residual waste (100 %) Residual waste (100 %) Biologicaldrying/stabilization Loss of mass(biodegradation, evaporation) Ferric metals Mechanical pre-treatment and stream separation Non-ferric metals Stabilized fraction High calorific fraction (RDF) 70 % High calorific fraction (RDF) 55 % Organic fraction Mechanical pre-treatment and stream separation Biological stage Loss of mass(biodegradation, evaporation, potentially max. 10 % Biogas) Ferric metals Non-ferric metals Anaerobic stage (optional) Glass Minerals Material for landfilling Material (dust, etc. for thermal treatment) MBT in Germany - Principle processes Fractioning of output flow with regard to total output of two typical plant concepts

10. MBT in Germany - Implementation of MBT in Germany Biological process stage is the most important distinctive feature Capability must be proved in practice Ambitious technology but good results in reduction of organic fraction Sophisticated and safe technology, some problems to meet the limit values of the German landfill directive Sophisticated technology, but sales problems for stabilized material for utilization

11. MBT- and MT-plants High-calorific fraction MBT in Germany - Implementation of MBT in Germany Material flow of German MBT and MT-plants extrapolated to the overall stock of plants in 2006 • 42 % high calorific fraction • 21 % loss of mass (biodegradation, drying) • 3 % recyclables • 26 % material for landfilling • reduction of necessary landfill volume:70 %

12. MBT in Germany – Investment costs Exemplary investment costs of a rotting container – MBT(capacity 65,000 tons per year) • investment cost ranges from 250 to 360 EURO per ton input capacity • mass specific costs of MBT between 80 and 140 EURO per ton

13. MBT in Germany - Problems • The ambitious environmental standards in Germany make the MBT-technology expensive and not cheaper than incineration. • Under German conditions MBT is a pre-treatment-technology before thermal treatment not an alternative to incineration. • Technical problems of the starting phase of the technology are solved as far as possible (except problems with Regenerative Thermal Oxidiser Systems for exhaust air treatment). • At the moment there are marketing problems with the high calorific fraction because of insufficient capacities for thermal utilization and the quality of the high calorific fraction.

14. Conclusions for Latvia • Reduction of - the heavy metal content of waste up to 90 %,- the reactivity of organic fraction up to 95 % and - the waste volume of more than 60 % • The result are lower emissions and an improvement of the disposal behaviour of residual waste. • Increase of the recovery of reusable materials and the utilization of the energetic potential of residual waste. • The framework conditions (resp. legal framework) must be adapted on the efficiency of MBT-technology! • MBT must be embedded in working material stream concepts! • The high calorific fraction must be processed to RDF which meets the specific quality requirements of the consumers (cement kilns, power stations, etc.)!

15. Conclusions for Latvia - Conditions of RDF-utilization Waste composition

16. Conclusions for Latvia - Conditions of RDF-utilization Calorific value of Latvia residual waste (estimated) • high content of plastics and paper/cardboard cause a comparatively high calorific value • unclear is the content of hazardous substances (e.g. chlorine)

17. Final rotting process Conclusions for Latvia - Principle processes • for waste which allows a mechanical treatment without drying • mechanical stage: e.g. sieving drum, magnetic separator, sorting cabin (to separate PVC) • biological stage: aerated windrow heap composting

18. Dry stabilization process Conclusions for Latvia - Principle processes • for waste with high moisture content which complicates mechanical treatment • biological stage: aerated windrow heap composting • mechanical stage: e.g. sieving drum, magnetic separator • disadvantage: separation of PVC is complicated because of the smaller grain size of the material after the biological stage

19. Conclusions for Latvia – Investment costs • investment costs in Germany ranges from 250 to 360 EURO per ton input capacity • costs in Latvia may be lower because there is no demand on exhaust air treatment by Regenerative Thermal Oxidiser Systems and the rotting technology must not meet the strong German criteria for landfilling • 150 to 200 EURO per ton input capacity can be expected

20. Conclusions for Latvia Particularly with regard to the challenges of a country with a landfill oriented waste management system the MBT-technology is a promising and future-oriented approach!

21. Examples from the implementation in Germany Simple concept – MBT on a landfill (first tests in Germany in the early 90ies) Preliminary homogenizing of residual waste at the landfillCosts: 25-30 EURO per ton Biological treatment of residual wastein simple heaps at the landfill

22. Examples from the implementation in Germany MBT – Mechanical-Biological Treatment Rotting boxes(Intensive rotting stage)

23. Examples from the implementation in Germany MBT – Mechanical-Biological Treatment Mechanical stage of the MBT-plant Cröbern (System provider: Linde-KCA GmbH Dresden)Capacity:300,000 tons per year

24. Examples from the implementation in Germany MBT – Mechanical Biological Treatment Rotting hall for biological residual waste treatment. Biomechanical waste treatment plant, Salzburg: aerated heaps, started operation in 1987. (source: Linde KCA Dresden)Capacity:140,000 tonsper year

25. Examples from the implementation in Germany MBT – Mechanical Biological Treatment Overview about the anaerobic digestion plant in Freienhufen(system providers: KompTech/HAASE)Capacity:50,000 tons per year

26. Examples from the implementation in Germany MBS – Mechanical-Biological Stabilization Modular, and thus expandable, system of containers for the biological treatment of waste (Stralsund/Rügen)(System provider: Nehlsen AG, Bremen)Capacity:70,000 tons per year

27. Examples from the implementation in Germany MPS – Mechanical-Physical Stabilization (Drying Process) Drying drum of the MPS Berlin-PankowCapacity:160,000 tons per year

28. German associations for technology-export www.saxutec.de www.cluster-umwelt.de

29. Thank you for your attention! Grad.-Eng. Joerg Wagner INTECUS GmbHManagement Management and Environment-Integrating Management Pohlandstr. 17D-01309 DresdenGermany fon: +49 (351) 3182314fax: +49 (351) 3182333email: joerg.wagner@intecus.deinternet: www.intecus.de Grad.-Eng. Egidijus Semeta SIA VentEKOInteliģenti vides risinājumi Rīgas iela 22. PiņķiLV-2107Latvija fon: +371 67913155fax: +371 67913156email: egidijus.semeta@venteko.cominternet: www.venteko.lv