A guide to solid recovered fuel. Putting waste to good use and producing a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels

Transcription

1 A guide to solid recovered fuel Putting waste to good use and producing a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels

2 SITA UK is a national recycling and resource management company. We provide recycling and waste management services for organisations throughout the UK and produce a large range of high-quality products from the materials that we collect and process. We are a major producer of solid recovered fuel a high quality and high-calorific fuel produced predominantly from commercial and industrial wastes, which is used as a fuel in the production of cement, lime and other materials. Producing solid recovered fuel from non-recyclable materials means that we can provide our customers with a sustainable alternative to landfill, and provide the cement industry and other users with a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. What is solid recovered fuel? Solid recovered fuel also known as SRF is a fossil fuel replacement which has a calorific value of between 17 and 22 mega joules per kilogramme. SITA UK collects commercial material and processes it into solid recovered fuel. The material is pre-sorted before it goes through a high-tech processing line and is always fully audited to ensure the quality of the material meets the highest standard. What are the benefits? Using solid recovered fuel instead of coal or petcoke helps to preserve natural resources and to reduce emissions. Solid recovered fuel is helping cement producers to achieve a fuel substitution rate of over 70 per cent, significantly reducing the impact that their operations have on the environment. Materials that would otherwise be landfilled are put to good use as a sustainable fuel and solid recovered fuel reduces the need to mine virgin coal deposits and import it into the UK. The environmental and economic benefits of using solid recovered fuel as a fossil fuel replacement are significant: + + Reduced reliance on expensive, finite fossil fuels + + Reduced carbon footprint and increased sustainability performance + + Reduced environmental impact through lower emissions at the cement plant + + Security of supply and quality of solid recovered fuel + + High calorific value one tonne of coal is equivalent to approximately one and a half tonnes of solid recovered fuel

3 Packaging and distribution to consumer Solid recovered fuel and the circular economy product use RAw materials The circular economy is a collaboration between the manufacturing and service sectors for the collective benefit of the economy and environment. Within the circular economy, the role of waste management is to collect, treat and return secondary resources and recovered energy back into the cycle of production and consumption. Primary Resources product Manufacture energy end of life secondary Resources We can only operate effectively in the circular economy if markets can be found for the products we create. Maintaining product quality is vital and, therefore, at the centre of our business strategy. materials Producing solid recovered fuel demonstrates the circular economy in action. We process residual waste to produce a fuel that can be used in manufacturing as a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. This reduces the need for primary resources, such as coal, and ensures waste is put to good use as a secondary resource. You can see how the solid recovered fuel process feeds into the circular economy diagram here: greenhouse gas savings recovered energy The end product solid recovered fuel is used as a replacement for fossil fuels landfill waste generation collection and logistics Residual waste is collected mainly from businesses recycling Any metals in the residual waste are extracted and recycled energy recovery Remaining material is shredded and blended to the end user specification

4 How is solid recovered fuel transported? Our solid recovered fuel facilities have been strategically placed to ensure minimal haulage is required to transport the fuel. In the UK, they are located in close proximity to cement works or at ports where the material can be bailed-and-wrapped and loaded directly into ships. Transporting solid recovered fuel is significantly less carbon intensive than transporting waste by road and disposing of it in landfill. As the solid recovered fuel is also being used in the direct displacement of fossil fuels, it is a much more environmentally-friendly way of dealing with this material. SITA UK also charters its own vessels from its own ports using a specialist team of shipping experts, ensuring that the fuel is transported safely and on time. How is solid recovered fuel produced? The materials used to produce solid recovered fuel pass through a series of shredders, screens, air classifiers and magnets. Inert materials, recyclable plastics and metals are extracted from the shredded material, leaving a mix of mainly non-recyclable paper, card, wood, textiles and plastic. While a small proportion of these materials can be recycled our preferred option where possible the quality of these materials is compromised once they enter the residual waste stream and recovering energy from these materials is then the best environmental option. Solid recovered fuel is shredded to between zero and 30 millimetres, and can be blended to meet the exact fuel specification requested by customers. It can be delivered loose or baled-and-wrapped so it can be bulk-shipped or stored. Solid recovered fuel is a zero to landfill fuel even the ash that is produced, as a by-product of burning the fuel, is used in the cement production process to replace natural aggregate. How is solid recovered fuel regulated? Solid recovered fuel has already been through rigorous emissions trials and assessments by the cement industry s regulators in the UK and Europe. In the UK, the Environment Agency monitors both the fuel producers and fuel users to ensure it is fit for purpose. Any company wishing to supply solid recovered fuel to a facility abroad must obtain an export licence from the Environment Agency for each specific contract to ensure that the whole process from the material being used, to the transportation and the credentials of the end user is environmentally sound. SITA UK has a 100 per cent success rate in obtaining these licences, and supplies over 350,000 tonnes of fuels to customers each year. In addition to this, SITA UK places a financial guarantee (bond) on all solid recovered fuel loads sent overseas. In the unlikely scenario that the fuel is not deemed to meet a specific set of environmental criteria when it arrives with the customer, the costs of shipping the materials back to the UK and disposing of this material are covered.

5 SITA UK s experience SITA UK has been producing solid recovered fuel since 2010 and supplied its first batch to cement producers in September Typical solid recovered fuel specification: Key parameters* With the opening of our first dedicated solid recovered fuel facility in Kent in summer 2012, followed by another new facility in Birmingham in 2013, SITA UK is now the largest supplier of solid recovered fuel to cement producers in the UK and abroad. Parameter Particle size free of metals, glass and rubble Limit Typically < 35mm in any two dimensions and < 5mm in at least one dimension SITA UK was awarded Alternative Fuel Supplier of the Year at the seventh Global CemFuels Awards in early 2013 the first company in the UK to win this prestigious award. Calorific value gross dry basis, using BS10165 guidelines megajoules per kilogramme SITA UK began a 25-year solid recovered fuel supply contract with CEMEX UK in April 2013 and will become the sole supplier of solid recovered fuel to their largest UK cement works at Rugby. SITA UK will also operate an additional facility adjacent to the cement works. Moisture Chlorine Sulphur < 15 per cent w/w < 0.9 per cent w/w < 0.5 per cent w/w SITA UK s parent company, SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT, has also been producing high-specification fuels from waste materials for over 15 years in Europe. * Full analysis available on request Contact us Solid recovered fuel is one of SITA UK s energy products. To find out more about our range of energy products or talk to us about your requirements: Tel energyproducts@sita.co.uk SITA UK, SITA House, Grenfell Road Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 1ES facebook.com/sitauk