Integrated Waste to Energy (IWtE) System

Human and environment are exposing to the danger of pollution. In some developing countries, unmonitored disposal of municipal solid wastes (MSW) includes predominantly household waste (domestic waste) are among the sources contributed to this problem.

Increasing amount of waste, decreasing availability of dumping sites and increasing cost of electricity have led to evolution towards efficient waste management and the Integrated Waste-to-Energy (IWtE) System.

To ensure sustainable development, the traditional definition of “waste” as something that is no longer useful has to be replaced by a concept of treating waste as a reusable “resource”.

IWtE System has been found effectively converted the municipal waste into valuable electricity and heating from the incineration processes.

Denmark was the first country in Europe to introduce a ban on land filling of waste suitable for incineration as per 1 January 1997. This has proven to be a major benefit to the Danish economy and the environment.

The IWtE facilities are usually operated by non-profit companies, based on a cost coverage principle. This is why households, commerce and industry can have their waste treated in a safe and environmentally friendly manner at low cost. Today, in many developed countries, both waste management and energy production are subject to extensive regulations. Waste must first and foremost be reused or recycled. The fraction of the waste that is suitable for incineration and that cannot be reused or recycled must be incinerated in incineration facilities with energy recovery. Only waste that cannot be reused, recycled or incinerated may be land filled.

Owing to the fact that all the facilities now have dioxin cleaning, dioxin from waste incineration is no longer a problem.

Worldwide, about 130 million tonnes of municipal solid wastes are combusted annually in IWtE facilities that produce electricity and steam for district heating and also recover metals for recycling.

IWtE facilities are ideally suited for the thermal treatment of most kinds of municipal and industrial solid waste as well as for the combustion of certain types of bio fuel. It is a modular concept for various waste compositions and calorific values. Treatment capacities of an IWtE facilities range from 1.5 to 30 tonnes per hour per incineration line.

Malaysia has made her first step in construction, maintaining and operating of such IWtE facilities which estimated to cost about USD4 –USD6 billion which could treat 1200 tonnes of municipal solid wastes per day and could generate 240 megawatt of electricity.

Other countries like Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Vietnam and Thailand also had shown a positive reaction towards implementing the system.

We have to look forward in protecting the environment and public health and enriching the lives of our communities in a cleaner world now and in the future.