Japan. capacity of waste power generation in Japan at the end of 1999 is 845,000kW for general waste, and 136,000kW (58 places) for industrial waste, totaling to 980,000kW, and the installation is steadily advancing seeing from the past progress.
Typical waste power generation is to use high-temperature combustion gas produced by waste incineration for the boiler to generate steam, and to use the steam to turn the dynamo. It has the characteristics such as; it does not have an impact on the environment by emitting additional CO2, ; it is the stable and continuous power source among the new Energy; and even though the generating capacity is small, it is the local power source that can be situated near the demand area.
We can divide waste into two categories, general waste like domestic garbage, and industrial waste coming from private businesses. We have about 1,900 waste incinerating facilities all over Japan, but the ones with power generating equipment number only 190, about 10% overall (as of end of 1999). However, when we look at the ratio of incinerating volume against the volume of general waste, the one with power generating equipment accounts for little less than 80% (end of 1998), which means the power generating equipment is mainly installed in large-scale continuous operating factories.
The total capacity of waste power generation in Japan at the end of 1999 is 845,000kW for general waste, and 136,000kW (58 places) for industrial waste, totaling to 980,000kW, and the installation is steadily advancing seeing from the past progress.
Waste power generation up until now has low power generating efficiency of about 10% because it is not possible to increase the steam condition due to metal corrosion by hydrochloric gas, etc. generated during waste incineration. And nowadays, we have big technological need to reduce the environmental load such as suppressing the emission of dioxin generated during waste incineration, and reduction of ash volume. Therefore, the following power generating technologies for waste are under development to meet these tasks.
- High efficiency power generating technology by developing super heater material and furnace structure that has a high anti-corrosive characteristics
- Super waste power generating technology that can perform high efficiency power generation by repapering the low temperature steam collected from waste incinerator using petroleum fuel, etc., and generate high-temperature steam
- Gasification melting power generating technology. This process is to gasify the waste by pyrolysis, and melt it with residue at high temperature. This way, we can suppress emission of dioxin, etc. and at the same time, utilize the waste heat to power generation.
- RDF power generating technology. In this process, we solidify the waste after removing moisture and impurities, and produce solid fuel that is easy to transport and store, and we incinerate them and generate the power.
[Super Waste Power Generation (Repowering System)]
[RDF Heat Supply System]
These power-generating technologies have nearly finished their technical development, and will likely to introduce the commercial model within several years, and they are expected to be introduced and disseminated in future, and become the mainstream in power generation by waste.
When we try to further promote installation of waste power generation, we need to improve its economic aspect, and make it more environment friendly in order to get the consensus from the community.
[Method of Waste Power Generation]
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