Refuse Derived Fuel Facts and Future Prospects
by RDF'ery
Posted on 28-01-2023 02:18 AM
Refuse-derived fuel (RDF) is a type of fuel derived from municipal solid waste (MSW) or industrial waste. The idea of using waste to generate energy is not a new concept, but refuse-derived fuel (RDF) has had a more recent resurgence in popularity due to its potential to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills. But let's face it RDF is always hampered by its inability to produce energy in a clean and efficient manner.
RDF is created through a process of sorting, shredding, and pelletizing waste materials such as plastics, paper, and rubber. The resulting product is then pelletised with luck sold and burned in a combustion chamber to generate energy, typically in the form of heat or electricity.
On paper, RDF appears to be a great solution for reducing waste, producing energy, and helping to fight climate change. However, in recent years there have been a number of issues that have caused RDF to face significant criticism.
One of the most prominent issues surrounding RDF is the potential health risks associated with its use. When burned, RDF produces a variety of dangerous pollutants, including particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, and dioxins. These pollutants can cause a range of health problems, including respiratory illnesses and cancer.
Another major issue with RDF is the lack of oversight and regulation. In many countries, there is limited or no regulation of how RDF is produced, leading to some companies taking shortcuts and using inferior materials in their production process. This can lead to substandard RDF being produced, which can negatively impact air quality and put public health at risk.
But, the most damaging event surrounding RDF has been that with the market value for RDF in the developed nations of the west being almost non-existent it has been exported to China and developing nations with only limited environmental controls. Once exported there have been a number of high profile documentaries showing highly damaging environmental effects in the receiving nations. This was halted by China by a complete ban on waste imports in 2018, but has continued subsequently to other countries, and the result is that the reputation of RDF is extremely low.
Finally, RDF is often seen as a short-term solution to the waste problem, rather than a long-term one. While RDF can help reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills in the short-term, it does nothing to address the underlying issue of overconsumption and excessive waste production.
These issues have led to a decline in the use of RDF in recent years, with many countries and cities opting for alternative energy solutions such as solar and wind power. While RDF can still be a viable option for producing energy in certain circumstances, its potential risks and drawbacks mean that it is often not the best choice.
Refuse Derived Fuel Facts
Refuse derived fuel (RDF) is a type of fuel produced from various types of waste. These wastes include municipal solid waste, industrial waste, and commercial waste. It is used as an energy source for various purposes. For example, it is used in the cement industry and for combustion in existing boilers.
Cost and benefit profiles
When it comes to waste disposal, there are many ways to go about the task. One way is to create refuse derived fuel (RDF), which is a combination of combustible and non-combustible waste streams. The resulting waste-derived fuel can be burned in existing utility boilers or in dedicated RDF boilers. In theory RDF and SRF can be a valuable source of renewable energy but if contaminated with moisture and with their plastic content these fuels require combustion in specialist incenerators with flue gas scrubbing to remove damaging emissions.
A number of American, Japanese and European companies have developed technologies that can convert solid waste into refuse-derived fuel. These include sorting and depackaginging machinery with hydropulping technology to separate the high calorie fraction of municipal solid waste cleanly from mixed waste.
Among the myriad benefits of such an approach is the reduction of the volume of waste dumped into landfills.
For this reason, thermal waste to energy technologies have been gaining popularity. However, front-end processing of solid waste has been a significant bottleneck for this type of waste management technology.
The only solutions for this problem, until recently have included the use of a size reduction unit, which reduces the particle size of waste. This process usually allows the generation of a large quantity of microplastic waste. For this reason and others less compelling RDF from MSW is an unpopular market.
Combustion in existing boilers
There are many advantages of burning refuse derived fuel (RDF) in existing boilers. Its high calorific value makes it suitable for environmentally friendly combustion. Moreover, it can produce more steam. However, it has been reported that the use of RDF in electric utility boilers has had mixed success since 1970. This resulted in decreased reliability of the boilers and lower efficiency.
One of the main problems associated with the use of RDF in boilers is the need for handling of fly ash. Although there are techniques for controlling the flow of this material, it still must be handled carefully to avoid pollution.
A circulating fluidized bed test facility is used to examine the co-combustion of lignite and RDF. The simulated pressure and temperature profiles are in accordance with the measured results of a long-term test campaign.
In order to achieve an accurate simulation of the co-combustion process, a dynamic process simulation model was developed. Several parameters were considered including fluid dynamics, gas-solid interaction, and heat transfer. After development, the model was validated at different steady-state and dynamic operating conditions.
Use in the cement industry
In the cement industry, refuse derived fuels (RDF) represent a significant and promising alternative fuel source. The cement industry has been focusing on improving its energy efficiency and is currently working towards improving waste-to-fuel production.
Cement making is one of the world's most energy-intensive industries. This is why the cement industry is interested in reducing its dependence on fossil fuels.
Fossil fuels are harmful to the environment. As a result, there is a growing need for alternative fuels. Waste-derived fuels are produced from recyclable wastes with significant calorific value.
RDF is produced from various kinds of waste including municipal solid waste, industrial waste, industrial waste, and commercial waste. They must meet certain quality criteria.
Refuse derived fuels are an alternative to coal, natural gas, and petroleum coke. These fossil fuels release large amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
Refuse-derived fuels are a cost-effective substitute for these fossil fuels. The International Energy Agency has called for doubling the use of alternative fuels in the cement industry by 2030.
Campaigns against RDF
The use of derived fuel (RDF) in cement production has been a controversial issue for activists in Can Sant Joan, Barcelona. In the 1990s, the Asland cement plant was targeted by local activists. However, the community was left without power to challenge the cement plant's use of RDF.
Despite this, the local movement against RDF has gained strong international networks. Local activists and scientists have made close contacts with transnational environmental organizations. This has helped them to establish a solid ground for advocacy and networking.
Can Sant Joan has a long history of struggle against unwanted infrastructures. For instance, a waste incinerator was closed by the community in 2004. Today, the community is working to reclaim its political and economic rights.
One of the key agents of change is energy democracy. Using the framing of energy democracy, community groups can promote an informed demand for change. Energy democracy could also serve as a vehicle for raising energy justice concerns within the global anti-RDF movement.
