Property Analysis of Municipal Solid Waste and Estimation of CO₂ Emissions from Waste Incinerators

Abstract

Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) is known to be a major greenhouse gas partially emitted from waste combustion facilities. According to the greenhouse gas emission inventory in Korea, the quantity of the gas emitted from waste sector in 2005 represents approximately 2.5 percent of all domestic greenhouse gas emission. Currently, the emission rate of greenhouse gas from the waste sector is relatively constant partly because of both the reduced waste disposal in landfills and the increased amounts of waste materials for recycling. However, the greenhouse gas emission rate in waste sectors is anticipated to continually increase, mainly due to increased incineration of solid waste. The objective of this study was to analyze the property of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) and estimate CO 2 emissions from domestic MSW incineration facilities. The CO 2 emission rates obtained from the facilities were surveyed, along with other two methods, including Tier 2a based on 2006 IPCC Guideline default emission factor and Tier 3 based on facility specific value. The CO 2 emission rates were calculated by using CO 2 concentrations and gas flows measured from the stacks. Other parameters such as waste composition, dry matter content, carbon content, oxidation coefficient of waste were included for the calculation. The CO 2 average emission rate by the Tier 2a was 34,545 ton/y, while Tier 3 was 31,066 ton/y. Based on this study, we conclude that Tier 2a was overestimated by 11.2 percent for the CO 2 emission observed by Tier 3. Further study is still needed to determine accurate CO 2 emission rates from municipal solid waste incineration facilities and other various combustion facilities by obtaining countryspecific emission factor, rather than relying on IPCC default emission factor.

The comparison of fossil carbon fraction and greenhouse gas emissions through an analysis of exhaust gases from urban solid waste incineration facilities

“…For the content of such fossil fuel-derived carbon, 12 C, there are differences according to the type of waste; accordingly, it can affect the calculation of greenhouse gas emissions occurring during waste incineration (Fuglsang et al, 2014). In foreign countries, studies on such 12 C content are being actively conducted (Renewable Energy Association [REA], 2007;Reinhardt et al, 2008;Stabe et al, 2008;Fuglsang et al, 2011;Larsen et al, 2013;Schnöller et al, 2014); yet in Republic of Korea, 12 C content default value as presented in the IPCC guidelines is being used (Kim et al, 2010Kan et al, 2008;Jang et al, 2008). However, since 12 C content default value of the IPCC guidelines, which is the world mean value, has a limit that prohibits taking into consideration the climatic conditions in Republic of Korea and the components of waste brought into incineration facilities, calculating 12 C content of Republic of Korea is an urgent matter.…”