Sustainable Development Goals
Project Status:
Completed | Operating Since 2009
Organizations Involved:
A2Ambiente, City of Naples, Fisia Italimpianti SpA, Impregilo SpA, Kommunal GmbH, Deutsche Anlagen GmbH, EVO Energieversorgung Oberhausen AG, Partenope Ambiente
Services:
Design & Engineering, Due Diligence, Consulting, Component Supply
The Challenge:
Landfills are overflowing with municipal solid waste. This alternative energy source is an underutilized asset. Domestically produced energy is a significant step forward, but one that Acerra, Italy, recognized it needed to take. The goal was to utilize trash to generate electricity, thereby stabilizing both the price and the availability of the electricity. With the waste-to-energy process, there are no wide fluctuations or availability shortages. These facilities can operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, providing enough electricity to meet the local community's needs.
Greenhouse gas emissions play a huge role in global warming. This alternative energy generation method releases no emissions, unlike fossil fuel power plants. These power plants must undergo rigorous emissions testing, and every aspect of the process is monitored closely. These facilities must meet stricter operating standards than any other type of power plant; if these standards are not met, the plant is immediately shut down.
The Solution:
Work began in August 2004. In October 2008, the A2A business unit Partenope Ambiente took over management of the €355 million project, which was partially commissioned in March 2008. The three-line plant is, by some measures, the largest single-unit WTE plant in the world. The design throughput is around 600,000TPA. The WtE plant consists of three identical lines for the furnace, steam generator, and flue gas cleaning. Each line is designed for a throughput of 27.1 tonnes per hour (650 tonnes per day) with an LHV of 15.1 MJ/kg. The plant design is driven by the high revenues generated from the electricity produced, which are guaranteed for the plant's lifetime. Thus, the plant is optimized for high electrical efficiency. Therefore, steam parameters of 500°C/90 bar (932°F/1305 psi) were chosen. The steam from all three lines is converted into electrical power by one turbine/generator unit.
Quality control occurs at the inception of the process. Two overhead refuse grabs, each capable of holding 5 tons, mix the waste in the bunker to create a homogeneous mixture. A crane feeds the mixed waste into the feeding hoppers of one of two forward feeding grates, capable of processing 24 tons per hour. Each production line feeds a boiler that operates at a temperature above 1560°F for 2 seconds. The intense heat ignites the waste as it moves along the forward feeding grates until only bottom ash, which is treated in a separate facility, remains at the end of the grate.
Careful monitoring of the incineration process guarantees the complete burning of the combustible material in an environmentally safe manner. Sophisticated computerized controls regulate the temperature, grate speed, amount of air used, and all other aspects of the process, ensuring proper incineration occurs at optimal levels.
The Acerra plant has been in full-time, full-scale commercial operation since 2009, achieving an average annual availability of more than 90%. It processes as-received post-recycled curb-side-collected solid waste and recovers electricity, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, commercial-grade hydrochloric acid, and gypsum. The residual materials (primarily fly and bottom ash, accounting for approximately 15% of the input material) from WtE Naples are sent directly to the landfill.
Acerra is locally situated, offering many advantages to the community. Jobs are created, taxes are paid, supplies are purchased at local businesses and stores, and energy is provided for a reasonable cost that does not pollute or harm the environment.
The Acerra facility utilizes municipal waste that would otherwise occupy space in a landfill and contribute to environmental pollution. Waste is an unlimited resource. With all the garbage generated daily and the contents of existing landfills, there is enough waste to satisfy the electricity demand.
Using waste to generate energy does not harm the environment or the earth. No dangerous chemicals or toxins are used to poison wildlife and contaminate the land and water in the area. Additionally, pollution and greenhouse gas emissions are significantly lower than those associated with the use of coal or other resources.
The Outcome:
The success of the Acerra waste-to-energy plant is a testament to the reliability, economic feasibility, and environmentally responsible nature of the thermal treatment technology for high-energy production and material recovery.
The Acerra facility utilizes state-of-the-art web-based monitoring platforms in a telemetry format, providing the Italian Environment Agency with complete visibility into the plant's operating data. This also provides the plant with full control over emissions using a state-of-the-art data management and diagnostics platform. This powerful tool enhances process knowledge, power, and management.
Accera also utilizes data recording and analysis systems, providing commercial and industrial facilities with an efficient and user-friendly control system. Users can combine process data with a systems analysis platform, which includes batch reports, trends, traceability reports, alarm and event histories, component performance and efficiency reports, downtime and uptime comparisons, component failure histories, and more. All captured data is backed up with double redundancy, ensuring all information is protected.
This plant addresses multiple environmental problems. The power generated reduces the community's reliance on foreign oil and fossil fuels, offering numerous benefits to both people and the environment.
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