Integration of an Energy From Waste Facility Into an Urban Environment

The maximum environmental benefits from a new Energy from Waste (EFW) facility may require locating the new plant close to both the source of the waste and the potential energy customers. This paper will present design features that were incorporated into several new EFW facilities to allow them to be located directly into urban environments while minimizing their impact on the community and often improving the quality of life for the surrounding communities. Locating the EFW facility directly into an urban community: • Minimizes the cost and the environmental impact of waste transport. • Allows electrical power to be generated at the point of consumption. • Provides thermal energy for district heating and cooling. • Reduces the dependence on imported fossil fuel for electrical generation and for heating / cooling. • Provides secure and well paying jobs for members of the community. • Reduces the carbon foot print of the community. • An EFW plant typically leads to higher recycling rate, both pre and post combustion. Some of the specific measures that have been considered for EFW plants in urban environment have included architectural enhancements, more stringent noise and odor control, significant reduction or even elimination of visible plumes. The two case studies included in this paper will be the new Isse´ane EFW plant in Paris and the recently awarded Riverside EFW plant in London.