Waste-to-Energy Facilities in Australia - Report Example

WE SHOULD ОРЕRАTЕ WАSTЕ-TО-ЕNЕRGY FАСILITIЕS IN АUSTRАLIА TO RЕDUСЕ LANDFILL Name of the Student: Name of the Instructor: Name of the course: Code of the course: Submission date: Table of Contents WE SHOULD ОРЕRАTЕ WАSTЕ-TО-ЕNЕRGY FАСILITIЕS IN АUSTRАLIА TO RЕDUСЕ LANDFILL 1 Table of Contents 1 TABLE OF FIGURES 2 WE SHOULD ОРЕRАTЕ WАSTЕ-TО-ЕNЕRGY FАСILITIЕS IN АUSTRАLIА TO RЕDUСЕ LANDFILL 4 Introduction 4 Australia And Waste Management 4 Waste Management Strategies 7 Waste to Energy Waste Management 8 Conclusion 12 References 13 TABLE OF FIGURES Figure 1 (The Australian Bureau of Statistics (a). 1) 5 Figure 2 (The Australian Bureau Of Statistics (b).1) 5 Figure 3 Sources of waste in Australia (Australian Business Council for Sustainable Energy,3) 6 Figure 4 Carbon gases emissions (Australian Business Council for Sustainable Energy 8) 7 Figure 5 Hierarchy of waste management (EPA Victoria 1) 8 Figure 6 A waste to energy conversion system (Combs 1) 9 Figure 7 Conversion of waste to energy processes (Australian Business Council for Sustainable Energy 18) 10 Figure 8 Waste to energy plants in Australia (Australian Business Council for Sustainable Energy 32) 12 WE SHOULD ОРЕRАTЕ WАSTЕ-TО-ЕNЕRGY FАСILITIЕS IN АUSTRАLIА TO RЕDUСЕ LANDFILL Introduction One of the most eminent problems in the modern societies is waste management. With the increase in the number of people and the centralization of people in residential areas, the amount of collective waste has continued to increase leading to the creation of Garbage Mountains and other forms of pollution. One of the major problems of improper waste management is the creation of landfill whereby the land is filled with wastes (Qian, Burritt & Monroe 22). Improper waste management has various adverse effects on the social, economic and environmental spheres of life. As a result of this, there has been various strives by the administrative authorities, cooperates and social institutions to embrace appropriate waste management practices. The hierarchy of waste management procedures should be based on the following aspects, avoidance should be encouraged first, followed by reduction, reuse, recycling and disposal (Sustainability Victoria 1). There are various strategies which are used in various parts of the world to control the amount of waste leading to landfills. One of the strategies which have over the recent past gained a lot of focus is the conversion of waste into energy (Brat 1). In addition to managing wastes, the generation of energy from waste is viewed as one of the strategies to adopting renewable energy. The following essay will develop an appropriate approach to the management of waste with a focus on the adoption of waste to energy approach of waste management in Australia. Australia And Waste Management Just as any other country in the world, Australia does have the burden of disposing waste (The Australian Bureau Of Statistics (a). 1). The amount of waste which the county produces has continuously risen owing to the growing population and changes in life styles. This can be seen in the following line graph which shows the amount of wastes by weight produced in Australia between the year 2001 and 2007. From the fact that the trend has continued since 2007 to now, there is a need to come up with sustainable waste management practices which will ensure that the country is able to reduce and possibly eliminate the landfill associated with the improper waste disposal. Figure 1 (The Australian Bureau of Statistics (a). 1) Just as many other countries in the world, Australia has the problem of landfills. The potential risks which are associated with landfills have an overhaul on the social, economic and environment aspects (Sustainability Victoria 1). According to The Australian Bureau Of Statistics, there are about 918 landfills in Australia. The landfills are operated by both government and private waste management service providers (The Australian Bureau Of Statistics (b) 1). As a result of this, it can be acknowledged that there needs for a better waste management strategy; that reduces the number of landfills and consequently the amount of wastes in the landfills. The operation of waste to energy facilities in the country provides a viable solution to this problem. Looking at the statistics, it can be seen that the amount of waste produced by the Australian has the potential to produce a lot of energy. The amount of waste produced in Australia which was deposited on landfills in the year 2009 -2010 was 21.6 tonnes. The following table shows the sources of wastes in the country. Figure 2 (The Australian Bureau Of Statistics (b).1) The sources of wastes in the Australian waste deposits can be summarized in following pie charts (Australian Business Council for Sustainable Energy x). Figure 3 Sources of waste in Australia (Australian Business Council for Sustainable Energy,3) The various sources of wastes provide the various types of wastes which can be used for the generation of energy in the country. The kind of wastes deposited on the landfills determines the kind of engineering systems which will be used for the conversion of the wastes to energy. The conversion of waste to energy has a great potential in transforming the economy owing to the high dependence of the economy on energy (Australian Business Council for Sustainable Energy 3). In addition to this, it has the potential to reduce the amount of carbon emission by a great margin. This is due to the fact that the largest contributor of carbon gases into the atmosphere is the generation of energy. The following bar graph shows the major contributors of carbon gases into the atmosphere in Australia as at the year 2002. Figure 4 Carbon gases emissions (Australian Business Council for Sustainable Energy 8) Waste Management Strategies There are various waste management practices in Australia. Generally, owing to the fact that Australia is among the developed countries in the world, various conventional management practices can be found in the country. Among the practices include recycling and reuse. Recycling and reuse ensures that the waste is used for other productive uses. An example of this is the recycling of plastics. Other waste management practices include the treatment of wastes before disposal, burning and burying. However, the main waste disposal strategies which provide sustainability are recycling, reuse and operation of waste to energy plants (The Australian Bureau of Statistics (a).). However, the general hierarchy of waste management should be observed in a view of ensuring that the practice of waste management is as efficient as much as possible. A point to consider in the management of waste is that there are hazardous substances for instance radio active materials among other potentially hazardous waste whose management should be given special attention (UNEP 46).The following figure illustrates the hierarchy of waste management. Figure 5 Hierarchy of waste management (EPA Victoria 1) The basic principle should be the avoidance of the production of waste. This is achieved by the use of the philosophy of cleaner production. This philosophy upholds the need to reduce the amount of wastes as much as possible hence leading to the avoidance of production of wastes. This can be used by using sustainable manufacturing and productions methods such as lean manufacturing and just in time systems hence ensuring that the amount of waste from industries which are high according to the statistics are reduced. Reuse and recycling which have been discussed earlier should be chosen next. Fourthly should be the recovery of energy which is a new concept which is slowly gaining interest. The treatment, containment and disposal of waste should follow accordingly (EPA Victoria 1). Therefore waste management practice is a multidimensional aspect. The following section will give an insight into a possible waste to energy system which can be used in Australia. Waste to Energy Waste Management A waste to energy facility is a plant which converts waste into energy using various engineering principles (Brat 1). The conversion of waste to energy processes are determined by the input; that is the type of waste which is to be converted. For instance, sewage water, animal waste, food and plant wastes, sewage and other bio materials are converted into energy by first converting them into bio fuels, for instance biogas and methane which is then burnt to produce steam which s used to run turbines and consequently producing electricity (Combs 1). On the other hand, the solid wastes can be burnt to produce steam which runs turbines and in turn producing electricity. The following diagram shows a basic process of converting waste into energy. Figure 6 A waste to energy conversion system (Combs 1) A waste to energy waste management facility is what is today referred to as an alternative waste management strategy which deviates from the traditional disposal opf waste in heaps; thus creating landfills (Wright Corporate Strategy 2). There are various waste to water facilities in the world and Australia boasts of some which will be later discussed in this essay. As pointed out earlier, the type of waste to energy conversion is determined by the type of waste which is being produced. Therefore, for the operation of a waste to energy faculty in Australia there needs to be an evaluation of several factors which will be discussed below. The first step in operating a waste to energy facility is the collection of wastes. On this point, it is important to acknowledge that the aim of such a facility is the management of waste in addition to producing energy (Qian, Burritt & Monroe 24). Therefore, the collection of waste is the first step in operating a waste to energy plant. This is the point whereby there is the reduction of waste deposits on the landfills. An appropriate waste collection strategy ensures that the streets are kept clean and the garbage mountains are kept flat. This is the first major step towards managing waste effectively. The next step should be the selection of wastes. As pointed out eerier, various waste to energy facilities process different type of wastes. Therefore, it is important that the right waste is taken to the right plant. The collection of waste systems by both the private and municipal service providers should aid in this. It is a common practice in the modern waste collection service providers to sort to wastes or the domestic level, hence reducing the amount of work done at the sorting stage. Thirdly, the government and other stakeholders involved should invest in the appropriate technologies to convert waste into energy. The amount of investment has a direct link to the efficiency of the plants. Lastly, there should be the establishment of a strategy of managing the waste from the waste to energy facilities. Some of the wastes include ashes, gases and unconsumed wastes. It should be ensured that the facilities do not transform one waste to another or at worst ‘amplify’ waste hence increasing the adverse effects of wastes (Qian, Burritt & Monroe 28). The treatment of flue gases before releasing them into the environment and the treatment of ashes to balance their chemical composition are some of the recommended practices. All in all, a successful waste to energy facility management rests upon the establishment of an appropriate waste management policy upon which the enforcement of anti landfill bylaws will be realized (Australian Government (b) 1). There are several technologies which Australian can use in their waste to energy facilities. The following chart shows some of the technologies and conversion systems which can be adopted by Australia. Figure 7 Conversion of waste to energy processes (Australian Business Council for Sustainable Energy 18) From the chart, it can be seen that waste materials can be done via thermal processing which includes such systems such as combusting solid wastes, gasification and pyrolisis. Biochemical processing for bio wastes and chemical processing for chemical wastes are the other waste to energy conversion systems (Australian Business Council for Sustainable Energy 18). Some of the engineering equipment which is used in the waste to energy plants includes gas, micro and steam turbines, fuel cells, stirling & steam engines and internal combustion engines. There are some waste to energy facilities which are already in operation in Australia. One of them is the Rocky Point Cogeneration Plant which converts bio wastes from the sugar cane industry in Woongoolba and green wastes from the municipal to generate 30 MW of electricity. The Berry Bank cogeneration plant in Queensland is another facility in the country. The Macadamia Nut Power Plant in Gympie Queensland which generates 1.5 MW of electricity converts macadamia nuts wastes into energy. The following table shows some of waste to energy plants located in Australia. Figure 8 Waste to energy plants in Australia (Australian Business Council for Sustainable Energy 32) Conclusion In conclusion, it has been seen from this essay that the operation of water to energy facilities in Australia is an appropriate way of waste management. As seen in the paper, the conversion of waste to energy ensures that there is a reduced amount of waste that finds its way into the garbage mountains (landfills). Therefore, waste to energy facilities ensures that the effect of waste disposal on the creation of landfills is a major benefit of this system. In addition to this, waste to energy facilities provides a sustainable renewable source of energy. From the paper, it has been seen that Australia has some waste to energy facilities in operation. However, the country has a lot to do in investing into the facilities of the 21.6 tonnes of waste in landfills is to be reduced. The paper has identified possible ways in which the country can invest in waste to energy facilities and the various stakeholder involved should at least adopt them. References Australian Business Council for Sustainable Energy. Waste To Energy A Guide for Local Authorities, (2005); 1- 65 Australian Government (b). Less Waste, More Resources, Department Of Sustainability, Environment, Waste, Population and Communities, 2012. Web. 29 Dec. 2012. The Australian Bureau Of Statistics (a). Australia's Environment: Issues and Trends, Jan 2010, Australian Bureau Of Statistics. Jan 2010. Web. 29 Dec. 2012. < http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4613.0Chapter40Jan+2010> The Australian Bureau Of Statistics (b). Year Book Australia, 2012, Australian Bureau Of Statistics, 2012. Web. 29 Dec. 2012. Brat,I., Cities Give Waste-to-Energy Plants a Second Look , The Wall Street Journal, 2012 Web. 29 Dec. 2012. < http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122851537257083869.html > Combs S. Ch. 18 Municipal Waste Combustion, Window On State Government, 2012. Web. < http://www.window.state.tx.us/specialrpt/energy/renewable/landfill.php > EPA Victoria. Waste, EPA Victoria, 2012. Web. 29 Dec. 2012. Qian W, Burritt,R., & Monroe, G. Environmental Management Accounting In Local Government: A Case Of Waste Management, Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, 24 1 (2011) ;93 – 128 Sustainability Victoria. Landfill Levy At Work. Sustainability Victoria, 2012. Web. 29 Dec. 2012. UNEP. Developing Integrated Solid Waste Management plan. UNEP, 2009. Web. 29 Dec. 2012. Wright Corporate Strategy. Alternative Waste Technologies An Update Report, ACT Government, 2012. Web. 29 Dec. 2012. Http://www.tams.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/400085/Wright_Report_Alternative_Waste_Technologies_ATT_2.pdf Read More