Renewable energy, landfill gas and EfW: now, next and future

The United Kingdom (UK) has traditionally used landfill disposal as the predominant method of waste management. However, landfilling is unsustainable due to its harmful effects on the environment and public health. Under the Euorpean Union (EU) landfill directive, member nations are now required to divert biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) from landfills. The UK has also committed to the EU Renewable Energy Directive, which binds it to sourcing at least 15% of its energy mix from renewables by 2020. To meet these targets, the UK has to support alternative waste management options whilst achievingconsiderable deployment of renewables. This research considers the development of energy from waste (EfW) technologies and their potential contribution to UK's renewable energy targets. This study identifies the use of biomethane as road transport fuel and small-scale EfW deployment at community level as applications with huge potential benefits for the UK. These two options are easily Implemetable and could provide substantial savings in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This study concludes that, depending on the pace of investment and availability of suitable feedstock, EfW technologies can contribute up to 50% of UK renewables target by 2020.