Types of Waste
MSW (Municipal Solid Waste)
A Quick Look at the Treatment Process.
Explanations at the MSW diagram:
Minimizing landfilled waste, reducing emissions, and decreasing the consumption of fossil fuels whose reserves will be exhausted over the next decades—are the top priorities for PROTORELIEF SRL.
We aspire to be the contributors who will apply a win-win solution for the sustainable development of converting waste to energy.
MSW (Municipal Solid Waste) goes through MRF (Material Recovery Facility) and is treated by MPT technology (Mechanical Pre-treatment), which than separates MSW into two fractions: Dry Fraction / Wet Fraction. Dry fraction / Wet Fraction are treated through TMB (Mechanical - Biological Treatment).
- Dry Fraction is treated under Mechanical Treatment, which aids in: separation, sorting, crushing, homogenization and drying of recyclable and residual waste.
- Wet fraction is treated under Biological Treatment (AD and AE digestions).
Dry Fraction
Consists of Recyclable waste and Residual waste.
A) Recyclable waste:
- Glass;
- Paper and Cardboard;
- Metal;
- Plastic.
B) Residual Waste:
- Is buried into landfills and is transformed into energy through the recovery and preparation of LFG.
Wet Fraction
Wet Fraction is transformed into biogenic waste and is manufactured into:
A) Compost by composting AE (aerobic digestion) process in composting plants or in individual households;
B) Biogas and digestate fertilizer, which results from the AD (anaerobic digestion) process.
- Biogas can be burnt into CHP (combined heat and power plants) for heat and power generation.
- Biogas can be also prepared as fuel for vehicles or can be used for domestic purposes as methane gas for heating and cooking in households.
Quick Statistics
- An expected total quantity of MSW of 4.5 mil. tonnes will be generated yearly in Romania by the year 2025 out of which, 700,000 tonnes will be used as fuel for incineration and co-incineration plants;
- According to PNGD (2018-2025), the total investment in waste management is approximately 1.154 Billion Euros) from which total investments in installations / equipment / plants are 650 Million Euros;
- Incineration is generating approximately 335,000 MWh/year of heat into the public system and 124,000 MWh/year of electricity into the municipal system;
- Bucharest is the best developed area in Romania. The investment rate in management of waste is 173 Euro/ capita / period for the years 2018-2025. Investments will come from Governmental / local budgets and EU sources. Private investments are welcomed and are classified as a supplementary source. However, these private investments are not considered in this estimation;
- Romania is expected to have a significant WtE Plant in the next 5-6 years. This Plant will be constructed in Bucharest, which has a total of six (6) sectors;
- Options for WtE plants for Bucharest are: - One large Plant that will have the total capacity to cater all the towns of the Bucharest Municipality.
- Natural gas has a 3:1 ratio and better efficiency when it is transformed into fertilizers and a 2:1 ratio when it is turned into energy. These investments increase the efficiency in comparison with the usage of the gas only for heat generation by direct burning. It is also valid for other types of gases as being biogas and landfill gas.
- Taking into consideration that many existing generation plants based on coal burning will be closed (around 4,000 MW, or more than 25% from the total existing capacity of the energy system), Romania has to apply a new strategy to replace it. A gross installed power of around 15,000 MW (total of hydro, thermal, nuclear, wind power plants) exists in the national energy system. The biggest consumption is not exceeding 12,000 MW. In the last ten (10) years, an installed power of 1,380 MW has been definitely closed, from which, 954 MW of energy comes from coal. Only 6,000 MW of installed capacity on coal remain active. A significant increase in the demand of energy is not anticipated, given the fact that a lot of coal plants will be closed. However, fresh investments in new plants will be encouraged. A significant part from new plants will be based on renewable energy plants (fuelled by biogas, LFG, MSW and Biomass).
- An average total of electricity that is generated in Romania is around 6.500 MW from which: 1,950 MW (30%) energy is based on hydro; 1,800 MW (27,5%) energy is based on coal; 1,370 MW (21%) energy based is on nuclear power; 1,310 MW (20%) energy is based on hydrocarbons (gas, petroleum); 40MW (0.6%) energy is based on biomass; 13 MW (0.2%) energy based on wind; 11 MW (0.15%) solar photo voltaic.
- Two (2) smaller Plants serving three (3) sectors for each of the Municipality of Bucharest.
- Three (3) smaller Plants serving two (2) sectors for each of the Municipality of Bucharest.
Authorities are analyzing these variants, comparing the advantages and disadvantages of each option. The final decision will undergo public debate, which is expected to last till the end of this year (2018).
The 4 Types and Sources of Waste
A) MSW (Municipal Solid Waste):
Residential origins: Housekeeping wastes, food wastes, paper, cardboard, plastics, textiles, leather, yard wastes, wood, metals, special wastes, (ex. bulky items, consumer electronics, white goods, batteries, oil, tires), household hazardous wastes, e-wastes.
Industrial origins: Packaging, food wastes, scrap machinery, wood, steel, concrete, bricks, ashes, hazardous wastes.
Commercial & institutional origins: Paper, cardboard, plastics, wood wastes, glass, metals, special wastes, hazardous wastes, e-wastes.
Construction & demolition origins: Wood, steel, concrete, soil, bricks, tiles, glass, plastics, insulation.
Municipal services origins: Street sweepings, landscape & tree trimmings, sewage sludge, wastes from recreational areas.
B) Process waste: Scrap materials, off-specification products, slag, tailings, top soil, waste rock, process water & chemicals.
C) Medical waste: Infectious wastes (bandages, gloves, cultures, swabs, blood & bodily fluids), hazardous wastes (sharps, instruments, chemicals), radioactive wastes, pharmaceutical wastes.
D) Agriculture waste: Rice husks, cotton stalks, pesticides, animal excreta, soiled water, silage effluent, plastic, veterinary medicines.
PROTORELIEF SRL is mainly interested in MSW, which entails the largest quantity of waste in Romania. Here are the estimations for the year 2025:
1. Total quantity of waste (classified in MSW - Municipal Waste, Process waste, Medical waste, Agriculture Waste) in Romania is 6 mil tonnes;
2. Total quantity of MSW in Romania is 4.5 mil tonnes;
3. Total MSW generated in Bucharest is 1 mil tonnes.
