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Effektiviseringspotentiale på forbrændingsanlæg og deponeringsanlæg i Danmark

Summary and conclusions

This report is an analysis of the Danish incineration plants and landfills. The report quantifies the potential for increasing the effectiveness of incineration plants and landfills in Denmark. Moreover, it includes an assessment of the extent to which the potential can be realised in the short and long term and by whom.

The results of the project have been obtained on the basis of extensive data collection among incineration plants and landfills in Denmark. The collected data have been analysed by using the benchmarking method DEA - Data Envelopment Analysis. This method identifies a number of facilities as "the best" based on financial and environmental criteria, and compares the remaining facilities with "the best". To analyse the potentials further, a number of supplementary analyses have been carried out.

It should be noted that the analysis is not a socio-economic analysis, as a socio-economic analysis would take all advantages and disadvantages into account. The aspect increased transport distance is for instance not included in the analysis.

The 23 incineration plants included in the analysis incinerated more than 85% of the total volumes suitable for incineration in the year 2000. Approx. 75% of the volumes suitable for disposal⁹ were disposed at the 32 landfills included in the analysis.

The total gross costs in the year 2000 of the 23 incineration plants were 1.7 billion DKK. The facilities incinerated approx. 2.5 million tonnes of waste. The corresponding costs of the 32 landfills were 213 million DKK. In the year 2000, almost 600 thousand tonnes¹⁰ of waste were disposed at these landfills.

The figures reflect that incineration is a substantially larger area than landfill disposal measured both in costs and volumes. Also from a technical point of view the two areas are rather different, the incineration plants using a more complex technology than the landfills.

Moreover, the volumes for incineration and the volumes for landfill disposal have developed rather differently over the last decade. The volumes for incineration have increased by 50% from 1994 to 2002, which corresponds to an annual increase of 7%. The volumes for landfill disposal have, however, decreased by 25% over the same period, corresponding to an annual decrease of 5%. This development influences the relative size of the potential for increasing effectiveness.

Potential for increasing effectiveness at the incineration plants

The analysis shows that the Danish incineration plants do not differ very much from each other. A technical potential for increasing effectiveness (related to the operation of the facilities) has been identified at 7 facilities and a scale potential (related to economies at scale) has been identified at 15 facilities. Taking extension plans and the heating market into account, it is assessed that approx. half of the incineration plants have a potential for increasing their effectiveness. This assessment takes into account the differences of the facilities, i.e. capacity, air pollution and production of either power or heat.

The analysis points to a potential for increasing effectiveness in the order of 135-155 million DKK in the year 2000 corresponding to 8%-10% of the total gross costs of the incineration plants. Hence, the potential is relatively small, but a large proportion of the potential is concentrated at few facilities.

The volumes for incineration have increased and due to a deliberate waste policy to assure the exact capacity, almost all incineration plants are operated at their capacity limit. This most likely affects (the size of) the potential for increasing effectiveness, because the capital is fully exploited.

It is assessed that some of the potential can be realised in the short term, i.e. within 1-5 years, some of the potential can be realised in the long term, which in this respect means within 10-15 years. Moreover, different stakeholders influence the realisation of the potential: The facilities themselves or other parties e.g. the authorities. If a facility wishes to extend its capacity, the extension needs approval by the authorities.

The table shows the financial potential of the incineration plants.

Tabel 0.1
Distribution of the potential for increasing effectiveness on the Danish incineration plants, million DKK in the year 2000

A large proportion of the potential is found at incineration plants with many unplanned production stops. It should be noticed that several facilities have been operating at their capacity limit for several years. With the ongoing extensions of some facilities, the number of unplanned production stops should decrease in the coming years given constant volumes for incineration.

It should be noticed that the potential for increasing effectiveness may underestimate the real potential, because the fact that "the best" facilities may improve is not taken into account. It is impossible to assess the potential underestimation, but interviews with some of "the best" facilities indicate that these facilities are also in a process of increasing effectiveness, e.g. by introducing new and less man power demanding technology.

Besides the financial potential, the analysis reveals a potential for improving environmental effectiveness. According to the analysis, the incineration plants should be able to reduce their air emissions at the same time as they incinerate the same waste volumes as today. For particles, the average reduction potential is around 5-13 tonnes in the year 2000, which on average corresponds to a decrease of 5%-14% of the total particle emissions. For SO₂, the total reduction potential is around 63-147 tonnes, which on average corresponds to a decrease of 6%-12% of the total SO₂ emissions.

Potential for increasing effectiveness at the landfills

The analysis shows that the Danish landfills differ widely from each other efficiency-wise. A potential for increasing effectiveness was identified at 30 of the 32 landfills included in the analysis. However, if account is taken of economies of scale, disposal heights and age, the differences are to some extent reduced. There are, nevertheless, larger differences among the landfills than among the incineration plants.

The analysis points to a potential for increasing effectiveness of 55-90 million DKK in the year 2000 corresponding to 25%-40% of the total gross costs of the landfills. Hence, the potential is relatively large, though less in total than the potential at the incineration plants.

The table shows the financial potential of the landfills.

Tabel 0.2
Distribution of the potential for increasing effectiveness on the Danish landfills, million DKK in the year 2000

The analysis indicates that more than half of the short term potential is due to high costs of personnel and external services. Regarding the long term potential, the analysis indicates that there is a small potential relating to the size of the landfills, which can be effectuated if a number of the landfills exploit the identified economies of scale. This may be effectuated by closing down other landfills so that the volumes from these landfills can be disposed at the former.

The decrease in waste volumes for disposal – due to an active waste policy – has most likely played a major role in the potential for increasing effectiveness of the landfills, because the landfills have adjusted their capacity.

Contrary to the analysis of the incineration plants, it is assessed that "the best" landfills cannot improve. In interviews with "the best" landfills it is noted that these landfills have already been through an effectiveness process. The landfills' technology is less complicated than that of the incineration plants and increasing effectiveness of the landfills is therefore less connected to new technology. It is therefore assessed that there is no further potential than the potential identified here.

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