Final Assignment

Waste to Energy
Subject: Clean Energy (302635)

Submitted by:
Student ID: 109378404
Name: Akanksha Sunil Gund
Department: Industrial Engineering and Management

Date: 12/06/2022

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Contents

1. Introduction .....................................................................................3

2. Methods ............................................................................................3

2.1 Incineration .................................................................................3

2.2 Fuel from plastics .......................................................................3

2.3 Other ............................................................................................3

3. Waste to Generate Energy: Sweden ..............................................4

3.1 Sweden’s recycling strategy .......................................................4

3.2 Sweden’s waste to energy incineration .....................................5

4. Sweden’s recycling revolution ........................................................5

5. How Sweden is turning its waste into gold the blue ocean way ..7

6. Tekniska Verken ..............................................................................7

7. Leading Countries Using Waste to Generate Energy ..................9

8. Other ways of transforming waste into energy ............................9

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1. Introduction

Waste is rapidly becoming a major global issue. The landfills are overburdened with trash.
They are not only unsightly, but they are also extremely harmful to our ecosystem and ourselves.
However, several governments are taking environmentally beneficial steps to address this issue.
They are converting this garbage into something that is valuable to everyone: energy. Sweden
is the leading country that create electricity from garbage. Sweden sets an example for the rest
of the world. If other countries, such as the United States, China, and India, follow similar
environmentally friendly methods, we will be able to discover better answers to both global
warming and the energy dilemma.
The problem has gotten so bad that some affluent countries are even exporting their rubbish to
developing nations. While some energy companies have taken actions such as recycling to help
control the situation to some extent, waste management still requires significant effort.
The term "energy from waste" refers to the process of converting waste into a usable type of
energy. Electricity, heat, and transportation fuels are examples of this (e.g., diesel). This can be
accomplished in a variety of ways. The most well-known method is incineration.

2. Methods

2.1 Incineration
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".

2.2 Fuel from plastics

It aims to solve major environmental issues namely pollution caused due to plastic waste
accumulation and the need for an alternative fuel source. The process that is used to convert
plastic into fuel is pyrolysis.

2.3 Other
Other innovative and emerging technologies exist that can generate energy from garbage and
other fuels without using direct burning. Many of these technologies have the potential to

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generate more electric power from the same amount of fuel than direct combustion could. This
is mostly due to the separation of corrosive components (ash) from converted fuel, allowing
for higher combustion temperatures in boilers, gas turbines, internal combustion engines, and
fuel cells.
Few examples are:
1. Gasification: produces combustible gas, hydrogen, synthetic fuels
2. Thermal depolymerization: produces synthetic crude oil, which can be further refined
3. Anaerobic digestion: Biogas rich in methane
4. Fermentation production: examples are ethanol, lactic acid, hydrogen

3. Waste to Generate Energy: Sweden

According to experts, climate change and greenhouse gases are causing the world's temperature
to rise by two degrees Celsius, which would be disastrous. Fossil fuels are becoming
increasingly scarce, while global energy demand is expected to have increased by 50% by 2030.
As the world's population continues to grow, so will the amount of waste produced.

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure

In response to these pessimistic forecasts, one country identified a blue ocean opportunity and
launched a recycling revolution, converting waste into energy (w2e). Sweden has turned the
high-cost burden of waste into a profitable venture by implementing a comprehensive
nationwide recycling strategy.
Blue Ocean: The term "blue ocean" was coined in the entrepreneurship business in 2005 to
characterize a new market with low rivalry or hurdles to entry. When a new or unknown
industry or innovation emerges, it creates a wide "empty ocean" of market possibilities and
potential.

3.1 Sweden’s recycling strategy

Sweden is not only saving money by generating energy from waste rather than fossil fuels; it
is also generating $100 million per year by importing trash and recycling waste from other
countries. The UK, Norway, Ireland, and Italy are willing to pay 43 USD each ton of garbage
imported by Sweden for this purpose.

By turning trash into energy, Sweden provides heating

to over 1 million households.
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3.2 Sweden’s waste to energy incineration

Rather than sending trash to landfills, waste to energy plants produce energy, which is
subsequently distributed to households and businesses in the form of electricity.

Only 1% of Sweden's garbage is disposed of in landfills. Another 52 percent of rubbish is

transformed into energy by burning it, while the remaining 47 percent is recycled. The energy
generated from garbage alone is enough to heat one million households and give electricity to
250,000. Meanwhile, only 44% of garbage in the United Kingdom is recycled.

Sweden was first to see an increase in demand. They realized early on that resource scarcity
and climate change are both unstoppable processes with well-defined paths. Sweden was able
to capture a blue ocean opportunity by looking at these trends from the appropriate perspective
– that is, by gaining insights into how these trends will bring value to customers and effect the
country over time.

4. Sweden’s recycling revolution

The first attempts to convert garbage to energy began in the mid-century, with the gradual
establishment of a consistent national recycling strategy. This increased recycling rates and

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elevated the country to a global recycling leader.
Sweden has decreased its carbon dioxide emissions by 2.2 million tons per year by converting
garbage to energy. Carbon dioxide emissions decreased by 34% between 1990 and 2006, and
greenhouse gas emissions are expected to decrease by 76% by 2020 compared to 1990 levels.

By converting its waste into energy, Sweden has

reduced its carbon emissions.

Second, they start early. Second, they get started right away. Children are taught to recycle at
an early age, and it has become a way of life in Swedish communities. There's even a national
day where kids all throughout the country come together to pick up trash and clean up their
environment. Teachers receive specialized training in order to involve youngsters in hands-on
activities such as producing their own paper or enforcing school waste laws.

Finally, everyone participates. Recycling in Sweden is simple, accessible, and convenient. Any
residential location can be found within 300 meters of a recycling site. There are further
incentives: Swedish citizens who use adjacent recycling machines are rewarded with discount
vouchers.

Waste chutes have been developed in new urban projects, such as those in Stockholm, to direct
trash directly into waste-to-energy incinerators. This means that the garbage generated by a
building's tenants is directly converted into energy for their own houses.

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5. How Sweden is turning its waste into gold the blue ocean

way

Sweden has aligned three concepts that are critical to its blue ocean strategy's success. For the
Swedish people, the value offer allows for a cleaner environment and provides low-cost energy
to over one million homes. The profit proposal ensures that Sweden not only saves money by
eliminating excessive fossil fuel expenses, but also earns $100 million per year from the
recycling of imported garbage. Finally, the people proposition develops an inclusive system for
all parties concerned, offers attractive recycling incentives to Swedish citizens, and encourages
children to recycle from an early age.

Despite rising pressures, Sweden has taken control of the situation. Rather of reacting to
climate change and resource scarcity as they arise, Sweden has pioneered the recycling sector,
forming a blue ocean that combines technology, social responsibility, and cost-effectiveness.

6. Tekniska Verken

This is one of Sweden's 34 plants that generate heat and electricity from garbage rather than
coal or gas.
Every day, giant mechanical claws pick up tons of garbage and deposit it in an incinerator that
reaches temperatures of over 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit. In addition to reducing the amount of

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garbage that ends up in landfills, using garbage as an energy source reduces the use of fossil
fuels.
Tekniska Verken estimates that its waste-burning operations saved the equivalent of 467,000
tons of CO2 last year.

During the cold months, garbage provides much of the heat for Sweden's 10 million residents.
According to Avfall Sverige, the energy generated from garbage equals the heating demand of
1.25 million apartments and the electricity demand of 680,000 homes.

Tekniska Verken produces methane biogas from food and organic waste, which is used to power
200 city buses, taxis, and private cars, according to the company.
Some argue that the pollution and toxins left behind by trash burning plants are
counterproductive to efforts to clean up the environment.
Sweden may be on track to reach its targets of increasing wind and solar capacity as part of its
goal of achieving 100% renewable energy by 2040 and net zero greenhouse gas emissions by
2045, thanks to initiatives like these.

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7. Leading Countries Using Waste to Generate Energy
1. Sweden
2. Denmark
3. United Kingdom
4. Norway
5. Germany
6. United States
7. United Arab Emirates

8. Other ways of transforming waste into energy

1. Turning Carbon Dioxide into Fuel
2. Turning Trash into Biofuel
3. Electricity from Wastewater
4. Converting Waste Heat to Electricity
5. Energy from Pollution