Power plant on municipal solid waste as the most affordable alternative energy source in big cities

Abstract

World experience shows that in big cities most affordable and economically viable alternative sources of energy are thermal power plants, which burn municipal solid waste - MSW TPP. Electric power output of such TPP abroad varies from 5 MWe and lower to 60 MWe and higher. For the countries of the Customs Union (Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia), as shown by assessment calculations, electricity generation by thermal utilization of MSW is economically viable if the power output of TPP on MSW is more than 15 MW. As a result of the analysis carried out using the developed technical, technological, environmental and socio-economic criteria, it was established that for Russia as well as for other countries of the Customs Union incineration of almost unsorted MSW in grate furnaces with minimal fuel preparation measures is the most preferable method for utilization of MSW. The basis of the developed typical TPP on MSW is an energotechnological set-up with a unit capacity of about 180 thousand tons of incinerated MSW per year (which roughly corresponds to the annual amount of wastes generated in cities with a population of 350...400 thousand people). For a typical TPP on MSW with a capacity of 24 MWe deployment of two such energotechnological units is assumed. Application of plasma technologies within the TPP is restricted to ap-plication of plasmatrons as an alternative to gas burning devices during start-up, shutdown, and while firing MSW with low calorific value as well as for the processing of the solid residues. The thermal circuit of TPP on MSW is realized as cross-linked with two condensing turbines which have adjusted steam extractions for district heating. Depending on the season and energy demands, the TPP provides from 10 to 24 MW of electricity and from 2.4 to 8 GJ/h of heat. The results of the calculation of material and heat balances of developed TPP on MSW that was conducted for wastes with various characteristics throughout the whole range of operating loads, justify energy efficiency and environmental safety of the proposed power plant.