What happens inside a modern waste-to-energy facility?
The energy value of MSW can be recovered through waste-to-energy (WTE) incineration. Modern energy recovery facilities burn MSW in special combustion chambers, then use the resulting heat energy to generate steam or electricity. This process reduces the volume of MSW to be landfilled by as much as 90 percent. In 1997, there were 112 energy recovery facilities operating in 31 states throughout the United States with a designed capacity of nearly 101,500 tons per day. Energy recovery facilities are designed to achieve high combustion temperatures that help MSW burn cleaner and create less ash for disposal. Modern air pollution control devices — wet or dry scrubbers along with electrostatic precipitators or fabric filters — are used to control and reduce potentially harmful particulates and gases from incinerator emissions.
