CASE REPORT: MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE TREATMENT AND ENERGY RECOVERY FOR ALTERNATIVE FUEL PURPOSE IN GERMANY

This present case report aimed to analyze the waste sector in Germany regarding the pre-processed municipal solid waste (MSW) application for alternative fuel purposes, whose monitoring and specification of performance parameters are aligned with environmental and regulatory requirements, in order to obey emission limits and ensure the quality standards. Therefore, unlike other studies in the literature, it was made the correct differentiation about the denomination of alternative fuels in terms of their final quality, since this is directly related to the type of equipment and technology to be applied. It was observed that the lighter fractions (< 25 mm) of pre-processed waste are the most desirable for the high grade SRF (Solid Recovered Fuel) purposes in cement kilns, because they have less potential for contamination and can achieve higher calorific value and also. While the heavier fractions (< 80100mm) are used as RDF (Refuse Derived Fuel) to denote the alternative fuel with lower burning performance. Besides, it was found that this successful performance in Germany was achieved in a long-term evolutionary process based on technological development, stricter legislation, educational actions, and cooperation between industries and society.