Work has begun on clarifying government policy on energy-from-waste with a particular view to promoting its benefits.

However, ministers have been warned that they will need to handle the issue delicately due to a negative public perception of EfW technologies, and incineration in particular.

The work was revealed at the latest meeting (January 21) of the government's Waste Strategy Board - which is made up of senior officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and other department representatives. Its job is to drive forward the implementation of the 2007 Waste Strategy for England.

John Burns, director of Defra's Waste Implementation Programme, told the meeting that a project had been initiated to clarify the role of energy-from-waste "to ensure the most carbon, environmental and economically viable outcomes."

Key aims include balancing the requirements of the waste hierarchy with meeting European targets to generate 15% of the UK's energy from renewable sources by 2020 - in which it is thought energy from waste could play an important role (see letsrecycle.com story).

Up until now, the government has been rather silent about the relative advantages of energy-from-waste, only going so far as to claim that it supports the use of EfW technologies ahead of landfill and after recycling has taken place. Only in the case of anaerobic digestion - where organic waste is broken down in the absence of oxygen to produce both a combustable gas which can be used to produce electricity and digestate - have ministers voiced more vociferous support.

The government has been particularly quiet on the subject of EfW incineration, because it has often proved controversial.

As a result, the board advised that there would need to be "careful handling" of ministerial announcements, noting that "the public perception of energy-from-waste was often closely associated with incinerators and sometimes failed to recognise the advantages and technologies available."

The board also said it would be important to consider how energy-from-waste facilities could serve both municipal and commercial waste markets.

Directives

Mr Burns explained that the project would also evaluate and plan for the implications of the Landfill Directive - which sets ambitious targets for reducing the amount of waste which is sent to landfill by 2020 - and the revised Waste Framework Directive - which sets new ground-rules for waste across Europe - would impact upon energy from waste. This will include the introduction of a new five-step waste hierarchy under the revised WFD, which would see very energy-efficient incinerators classed as "recovery" operations.

The project will also establish the benefits of turning waste into energy - through combined heat and power, gasification or pyrolysis - over using fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas.

A consultation is planned for the summer with a final policy statement expected in the autumn.

The apparent change in government approach to energy-from-waste has already been reflected in a change of remit for the Waste and Resources Action Programme, which has in the past focused on reuse and recycling. However, at the time this was announced, the organisation also sought to distance itself from incineration (see letsrecycle.com story).