INTRODUCTION
Energy-from-Waste (EfW or waste-to-energy)
facilities offer a safe, technologically advanced means of waste disposal while
also generating clean, renewable energy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and
supporting recycling through the recovery of metals. The consumption habits of
modern consumer lifestyles are causing a huge worldwide waste problem. This is
having a devastating impact on ecosystems and cultures throughout the world.
Some alternative energy companies are developing new ways to recycle waste by
generating electricity from landfill waste and pollution. There is incineration
process in which solid waste is converted into thermal energy to generate steam
that drives turbines for electricity generators.
The term “waste to energy” has
traditionally referred to the practice of incineration of garbage. Today, a new
generation of waste-to-energy technologies is emerging which hold the potential
to create renewable energy from waste matter, including municipal solid waste,
industrial waste, agricultural waste, and waste byproducts. The main categories
of waste-to-energy technologies are physical technologies, which process waste
to make it more useful as fuel; thermal technologies, which can yield heat,
fuel oil, or syngas from both organic and inorganic wastes; and biological technologies,
in which bacterial fermentation is used to digest organic wastes to yield fuel.
Malaysia is a multicultural
smorgasbord of Malay, Chinese, Indian, and British influences. This fusion of
different cultures has helped to promote an entrepreneurial economy that
embraces modern development. To meet the electrical needs of this dynamic
country, the private sector is turning to new generation technologies.
Commissioned in 2009, Kajang Waste-to-Energy Plant, which is located
approximately 13 miles from the national capital Kuala Lumpur, is an example of
such innovation. The waste-to-energy (WTE) facility consists of the
refuse-derived fuel (RDF) plant, which prepares the fuel, and the steam power
plant. The facility has the capacity to process approximately 1,100 U.S. tons
of municipal solid waste (MSW) per day into RDF in fluff form and then use that
fuel to produce approximately 8 MW of electricity daily. Electricity produced
powers the RDF plant, and the remainder is sold to the national power grid.
Furthermore, at Banting, Selangor
also was launched Malaysia's first
Waste-to-Energy plant at Genting Sanyen Industrial Papaer Sdn Bhd (GSIP) at its
Industrial Complex. This project is a result of the cooperation programme
between the governments of Japan and Malaysia under the Green Aid Plan or GAP,
initiated by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. The programme
aims to assist developing countries address the growing environmental problem
yet sustaining economic growth through transfer of Japanese ‘clean’ technology.
GSIP was selected and awarded a grant for this model project.
DISADVANTAGE OF WASTE-TO-ENERGY
The
advantages of waste-to-energy are the majority of waste that would
normally go into landfill sites that can be re-used. The fuel is obtainable
cheaply and there will always be a reliable source of fuel as people will
always have waste. Moreover, there is no extensive preparation of waste
material is required and the facility is adaptable to changes in the mix of
waste material. The municipal waste is a non fossil fuel. Recovery of energy
from this source by EfW means that less fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil
need to be burned. It is to preserving this limited resource for future
generations.
It makes a
lot of sense using waste-to-energy. However, it's worth considering the
disadvantages too. The disadvantages of the waste-to-energy are the public at large is still
unconvinced that emissions from waste-to-energy plants are clean and free from
harmful chemicals. Other than that, waste-to-energy facilities also are
expensive to construct.
CONCLUSION
As a conclusion, energy can be derived from waste that has been treated
and pressed into solid fuel, waste that has been converted into biogas or
syngas, or heat and steam from waste that has been incinerated. Waste-to-energy
technologies that produce fuels are referred to as waste-to-fuel technologies.
Advanced waste-to-energy technologies can be used to produce biogas (methane
and carbon dioxide), syngas (hydrogen and carbon monoxide), liquid biofuels
(ethanol and biodiesel), or pure hydrogen. These fuels can then be converted
into electricity.
No comments:
Post a Comment