| Front page | | Contents | | Previous | | Next |

Waste Statistics 1999

7. Incineration plants and landfills

In 1999, total waste incineration capacity was around 2,726,000 tonnes, distributed on 31 plants, cf. Table 19. This is an increase in capacity of 253,000 tonnes compared to the 1996 capacity.

In the beginning of the nineties, an extensive conversion of waste incineration plants from heating generation to combined power and heating generation took place. In this connection, capacity adjustments were effected in relation to expected waste amounts for incineration in future.

As a result of the ban on landfilling of waste suitable for incineration that took effect on 1^st January 1997, there is now increasing pressure on incineration capacity. Amounts of non-recyclable waste suitable for incineration will be surveyed regularly in order to ensure necessary incineration capacity.

Table 19.
Number of incineration plants and available incineration capacity in 1989, 1993, 1994/95, 1996 and 1999

Sources: Rambøll & Hannemann 1990: Analysis of data for energy plants based on waste, for the Danish Environmental Protection Agency and the Danish Energy Agency. The Danish Environmental Protection Agency and the Danish Energy Agency 1994: Waste resources for waste incineration 1993 and year 2000. The Danish Environmental Protection Agency and the Danish Energy Agency 1997: Waste amounts for incineration year 2000. Rambøll A/S 2000: Unpublished statement of incineration capacity. Figures for 1989 and 1995 are calculated on the basis of nominal capacity at 7,000 hours/year. Figures for 1996 are based on actual hours of operation of plants. District heating capacity (DH) may be subject to restrictions under the Act on heating supply. CPH = combined power and heating. In figures for 1999 the nominal capacity includes plants erected in 1999. This gives a larger nominal capacity as furnaces have not been fully implemented in 1999.

7.2 Landfills

Total remaining capacity at landfills in 1994 amounted to 24.7 million tonnes distributed on 64 sites. Remaining capacity at landfills for inert waste in 1994 was 6.4 million tonnes distributed on 49 sites. Remaining capacity at separately located mono-landfills amounted to 6.2 million tonnes in 1994, distributed on 63 sites.

A landfill is defined as a site receiving waste that, immediately or over time, presents a risk of pollution of groundwater, surface water and/or air. A landfill for inert waste is a site receiving waste that does not, or only to a very limited extent presents a risk of pollution of groundwater, surface water and/or air. A mono-landfill is a site receiving only one or a limited range of waste types with known composition.

As a consequence of the above-mentioned ban on landfilling of waste suitable for incineration, in combination with an increased and further differentiated waste tax, a drop in landfill capacity needs is expected. Thus, at the national level, it is not expected that there will be a need for large extensions of landfill capacity in future.

Table 20.
Number of landfills, inert waste landfills, and separately located mono-landfills, and available landfill capacity in 1992 and 1994

Sources: Danish Environmental Protection Agency. Working report no. 54, Landfill capacity 1992, Danish Environmental Protection Agency 1997: Working report no. 33, Landfill sites in Denmark, and internal calculations.

| Front page | | Contents | | Previous | | Next | | Top |