Environmental Assessment of Municipal Solid Waste by Two-Stage Plasma Gasification
Plasma gasification is a thermal treatment successfully applied to waste streams, especially for solid residues. It sets an upgrade to more common waste-to-energy (WtE) techniques as incineration or gasification, granting lower levels of pollutant emissions, less landfilled materials and higher conv...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2019-01-01
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| Series: | Energies |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/12/1/137 |
| _version_ | 1798005102916665344 |
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| author | Ana Ramos Carlos Afonso Teixeira Abel Rouboa |
| author_facet | Ana Ramos Carlos Afonso Teixeira Abel Rouboa |
| author_sort | Ana Ramos |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Plasma gasification is a thermal treatment successfully applied to waste streams, especially for solid residues. It sets an upgrade to more common waste-to-energy (WtE) techniques as incineration or gasification, granting lower levels of pollutant emissions, less landfilled materials and higher conversion efficiencies and producer gas quality. A life cycle assessment (LCA) of plasma gasification for one ton of a defined stream of solid waste is presented and compared to the hypothetical outcomes of incineration, highlighting the need to implement such sustainable techniques rather than more polluting ones. CML 2001 methodology was applied, enabling the evaluation of eleven impact categories, all of them depicting avoided burdens for the environment. Enhanced efficiency and cleanliness were seen due to the plasma step and to the replacement of part of the electrical grid mix by the produced electricity. Plasma gasification presented an overall better performance than incineration, portraying savings in energy and material resources as well as lower emissions to freshwater. Additionally, lower amounts of air contaminants were seen as well as almost triple of the produced electricity. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T12:34:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-df27e60308b6409c9b20bc352920ba66 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T12:34:58Z |
| publishDate | 2019-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj.art-df27e60308b6409c9b20bc352920ba662022-12-22T04:23:40ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732019-01-0112113710.3390/en12010137en12010137Environmental Assessment of Municipal Solid Waste by Two-Stage Plasma GasificationAna Ramos0Carlos Afonso Teixeira1Abel Rouboa2INEGI-FEUP, Institute of Science and Innovation in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, PortugalCITAB, Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Trás-Os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5001-801 Vila Real, PortugalINEGI-FEUP, Institute of Science and Innovation in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, PortugalPlasma gasification is a thermal treatment successfully applied to waste streams, especially for solid residues. It sets an upgrade to more common waste-to-energy (WtE) techniques as incineration or gasification, granting lower levels of pollutant emissions, less landfilled materials and higher conversion efficiencies and producer gas quality. A life cycle assessment (LCA) of plasma gasification for one ton of a defined stream of solid waste is presented and compared to the hypothetical outcomes of incineration, highlighting the need to implement such sustainable techniques rather than more polluting ones. CML 2001 methodology was applied, enabling the evaluation of eleven impact categories, all of them depicting avoided burdens for the environment. Enhanced efficiency and cleanliness were seen due to the plasma step and to the replacement of part of the electrical grid mix by the produced electricity. Plasma gasification presented an overall better performance than incineration, portraying savings in energy and material resources as well as lower emissions to freshwater. Additionally, lower amounts of air contaminants were seen as well as almost triple of the produced electricity.http://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/12/1/137waste-to-energyplasma gasificationsustainabilitylife cycle assessment |
| spellingShingle | Ana Ramos Carlos Afonso Teixeira Abel Rouboa Environmental Assessment of Municipal Solid Waste by Two-Stage Plasma Gasification Energies waste-to-energy plasma gasification sustainability life cycle assessment |
| title | Environmental Assessment of Municipal Solid Waste by Two-Stage Plasma Gasification |
| title_full | Environmental Assessment of Municipal Solid Waste by Two-Stage Plasma Gasification |
| title_fullStr | Environmental Assessment of Municipal Solid Waste by Two-Stage Plasma Gasification |
| title_full_unstemmed | Environmental Assessment of Municipal Solid Waste by Two-Stage Plasma Gasification |
| title_short | Environmental Assessment of Municipal Solid Waste by Two-Stage Plasma Gasification |
| title_sort | environmental assessment of municipal solid waste by two stage plasma gasification |
| topic | waste-to-energy plasma gasification sustainability life cycle assessment |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/12/1/137 |
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