Global incineration market growing significantly

The Waste to Energy 2012/13 The World Market for Waste Incineration Plants study, produced by German environmental and energy consultancy ecoprog GmbH, suggests that global spending on energy-from-waste incineration infrastructure will continue to rise, despite economic problems in Europe.

It estimates that in total, spending on new incineration plants will hit 7.2 billion (5.6 billion) across the globe in 2016, rising from 6.1 billion (4.8 billion) currently.

According to the report, the greater demand for waste incineration infrastructure is being driven by an increasing lack of space in built-up urban areas, and a move away from the practise of sending waste to landfill.

Ecoprog Gmbh estimate that there are currently 2,150 thermal waste treatment plants operating worldwide with the capacity to treat almost 250 million tonnes of waste per year and a further 250 incinerators will be built by 2016, adding around 70,000 tonnes of capacity.

China is highlighted as a significant area of growth for waste incineration, with the country expected to commission an additional 40 million tonnes of incineration capacity between over the next four years costing an estimated 12 billion (9.4 billion), which represents more than half of the new capacity coming online across the globe.

Europe

Meanwhile, Europe is expected to commission around 21 million tonnes of waste incineration capacity over the same period, at an estimated cost of around 18 billion (14.2 billion). The UK, Poland and Scandinavia are thought to be some of the key new markets that will drive growth across the continent, with the EU Landfill Directive fuelling the demand for new EfW plants.

However, the report does note that developing countries such as India and Brazil are lagging behind Europe and China, stating that they currently lack the necessary structure and funding for implementing waste to energy projects.

In the introduction to the report, ecoprog GmbH says: The market for waste incineration plants continues to grow steadily. Between 2007 and 2011, the worldwide installed annual capacity increased by about 12 per cent. This growth will accelerate in the next five years we estimate the installed annual capacities to increase by 21 per cent by 2016. By then, operational capacities will amount to about 300 million annual tons.

The main reason for this growth is (as was the case in the past) a very dynamic market for new constructions that results in a steadily increasing number of plants throughout the world. About 250 new WtE plants will start operations by 2016. The construction of these additional WtE plants is a response to the increasing lack of space in conurbations (in Asia especially) and toughening environmental legislation (primarily in Europe).