Incineration is a waste treatment process that involves the combustion of substances contained in waste materials. Industrial plants for waste incineration are commonly referred to as waste-to-energy facilities. Incineration and other high-temperature waste treatment systems are described as "thermal treatment". Incineration of waste materials converts the waste into ash, flue gas and heat. The ash is mostly formed by the inorganic constituents of the waste and may take the form of solid lumps or particulates carried by the flue gas. The flue gases must be cleaned of gaseous and particulate pollutants before they are dispersed into the atmosphere. In some cases, the heat that is generated by incineration can be used to generate electric power.
A waste-to-energy plant is a waste management facility that combusts wastes to produce electricity. This type of power plant is sometimes called a trash-to-energy, municipal waste incineration, energy recovery, or resource recovery plant.
Waste-to-energy (WtE) or energy-from-waste (EfW) is the process of generating energy in the form of electricity and/or heat from the primary treatment of waste, or the processing of waste into a fuel source. WtE is a form of energy recovery. Most WtE processes generate electricity and/or heat directly through combustion, or produce a combustible fuel commodity, such as methane, methanol, ethanol or synthetic fuels, often derived from the product syngas.
Plasma gasification is in commercial use as a waste-to-energy system that converts municipal solid waste, tires, hazardous waste, and sewage sludge into synthesis gas (syngas) containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide that can be used to generate power. Municipal-scale waste disposal plasma arc facilities have been in operation in Japan and China since 2002. No commercial implementations in Europe and North America have succeeded so far. The technology is characterized by the potential of very high level of destruction of the incoming waste, but low or negative net energy production and high operational costs.
The Shulin Refuse Incineration Plant is an incinerator in Shulin District, New Taipei, Taiwan.
The Muzha Refuse Incineration Plant is an incinerator in Muzha, Wenshan District, Taipei, Taiwan.
The Lutsao Refuse Incineration Plant is an incinerator in Lucao Township, Chiayi County, Taiwan.
The Beitou Refuse Incineration Plant is an incinerator in Zhoumei Borough, Beitou District, Taipei, Taiwan.
Waste management in Taiwan refers to the management and disposal of waste in Taiwan. It is regulated by the Department of Waste Management of the Ministry of Environment of the Executive Yuan.
The Gangshan Refuse Incineration Plant is an incinerator in Gangshan District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
The Renwu Refuse Incineration Plant is an incinerator in Renwu District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
The Neihu Refuse Incineration Plant is an incinerator in Neihu District, Taipei, Taiwan.
The Hsinchu City EPB Incinerator Plant is an incinerator in North District, Hsinchu City, Taiwan.
The Macau Refuse Incineration Plant is an incinerator in Taipa, Macau, China.
The anti-incinerator movement in China refers to the series of environmental protests that have occurred in opposition to China's numerous planned and operating industrial waste incinerators. The construction of these waste-to-energy facilities, which has prompted the ensuing protest movement, operates as part of China's ongoing efforts to restructure its waste disposal system in regard to its status as the largest producer of municipal solid waste worldwide since 2004. Described by some as being a new type of NIMBY protest, the roots of the anti-incinerator movement can be traced back to the early 1990s, following the introduction of China's first generation of incinerator plants. The movement, however, began in earnest with the benchmark 2006 Liulitun protest taking place in Beijing.
Allerton waste recovery park is a waste recovery and incineration site located on a former quarry at Allerton Mauleverer, near Knaresborough, England. It is operated by AmeyCespa on behalf of North Yorkshire County Council and City of York Council, the site is capable of handling 320,000 tonnes of household waste per year.
The Delaware Valley Resource Recovery Facility is a trash incineration plant located in Chester, Pennsylvania. The waste-to-energy plant, which incinerates waste to generate power, was built and operated by Westinghouse from 1991 to 1997. It is currently operated by Covanta. a Morristown, New Jersey-based publicly traded industrial waste company, and has been criticized for the level of pollution it produces. The plant has the largest capacity of any waste-to-energy plant in the United States.
The Bali Refuse Incineration Plant is an incinerator in Bali District, New Taipei, Taiwan. The chimney of the incineration plant is 150 m (490 ft) tall.
The Taitung Incinerator is an incinerator in Taitung City, Taitung County, Taiwan.
The Lize Refuse Incinerator Plant is an incinerator in Wujie Township, Yilan County, Taiwan.
