Next generation of biomass and waste incineration plants

NextGenBioWaste

NextGenBioWaste promotes innovative demonstration schemes featuring improved energy recovery and renewable electricity production. The project deals with waste and biomass feedstocks and covers the supply chain from fuel preparation via conversion and residue handling, up to the wholesale energy market. Its objective is to improve the electrical efficiency, reliability, performance, and environmental compliance of waste and biomass combustion plants that produce both heat and electricity. It also aims to reduce biomass and waste combustion production costs to a competitive level.

Objectives
The objective of NextGenBioWaste was to show how energy conversion and renewable electricity production could be improved using municipal solid waste materials and biomass for the provision of a large-scale supply of renewable electricity and heating/cooling to endusers.

The objective was achieved through 
> Enhanced process conditions 
> Using advanced process integration tools and biomass combustion plants 
> Advanced process control and new on-line sensors 
> Demonstrating innovative conversion technologies 
> Improving throughput and availability of waste and biomass combustion plants 
> Demonstrating improved feedstock preparation and advanced residue handling 
> Reducing maintenance costs.

NextGenBioWaste conducted full-scale tests that demonstrated innovative ways of improving energy recovery and renewable electricity production, such as 
> Retrofitting fluidized-bed-bottom design for combustion of waste wood in a biomass boiler 
> Using advanced control systems, boiler materials, and cladding of superheater surfaces 
> Adopting advanced combustion techniques using low excess air 
> Promoting high-dust selective catalytic reduction (SCR) 
> Using additives to reduce operating costs 
> Using novel design and retrofitting boilers 
> Artificially aging bottom ash .

Benefits 
> Increased electrical efficiency for waste-to-energy plants from 22% to 30% 
> Doubled life expectancy for heat-exchange components at existing steam temperatures 
> Increased electric efficiency for biomass combustion plants from 33% to 35% 
> Lower fuel costs
> New technologies for upgrading bottom ash

Project coordinator
> Stiftelsen for industriell og teknisk forskning (SINTEF), Norway

Project partners
> About 14 partners from 7 countries are involved, including KEMA

Project details
> EU Sixth Framework Program
> Duration: February 2006 – February 2010