to read the full report - Ecolateral by Peter Jones

Evaluation of Opportunities for Converting Indigenous UK Wastes to Fuels and Energy
AEA/ED45551/Issue 1
1.4 Green house gas balances
Life cycle analyses of waste to energy chains are complex and contain a range of factors that are not
always obvious or apparent. As part of this work we carried out analyses for a selection of routes for food
waste and wood waste using the Defra / Environment Agency BEAT tool. We also reviewed other work
by the Environment Agency. Our conclusions are as follows:
• Heat applications are the most beneficial in terms of GHG abatement followed by CHP where the
heat load is high.
• Transport fuel production by means of gasification is predicted to be mid range. Methanation
should be very beneficial if the high grade heat from the exothermal reaction is fully used,
however we have no data on these systems at present.
• Electricity production comes lower in the hierarchy as do biological transport fuel processes and
low heat load CHP.
• Those applications that have the highest GHG benefit, such as industrial boilers and smaller
CHP, are those that tend to use fuels that have consistent properties that can be stored to match
fuel supply with energy demand. These findings reinforce our conclusion that solid recovered
fuels and other manufactured fuels are essential to the recovery of energy from waste at high
levels of efficiency.
• AD schemes score well due to the avoidance of methane emissions from landfill however this is
mitigated to some extent by nitrous oxide emissions from land spreading of digestate.
1.5 Challenges, issues and the role of NNFCC
Throughout this report we have identified areas of uncertainty, and specific challenges that need work if
the full potential of energy from waste is to be realised. These are set out in the table below. Most of
these are concerned with building business confidence in the links between each of the technology steps.
Not all of this work will come under NNFCC’s remit but a significant amount is concerned with
coordination of stakeholders and the provision of information to the market.
Those topics we feel are most appropriate for NNFCC initiatives are as follows:
• Improve quality of policy and investment decision making by developing an understanding of the
fit between SRF properties and energy production technologies. What properties does each of
the technologies require?
• There is a wide difference in the benefits brought by various waste to energy chains and it is
important that policy support those that contribute the most. NNFCC could add value to current
and future work by developing an evidence base for the design and implementation of policy and
a hierarchy of uses for each class of resource based on environmental and social benefits
including life cycle GHG impact.
• To maximise the benefits of using waste for energy we will need to change current practices
across a wide range of stakeholders. NNFCC could add value by developing an understanding of
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