Global warming potential and economic performance of gasification-based chemical recycling and incineration pathways for residual municipal solid waste treatment in Germany. (October 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Voss, Raoul; Lee, Roh Pin; Seidl, Ludwig; Keller, Florian; Fröhling, Magnus
• Is Part Of: Waste management. Volume 134(2021)
• Page Start: 206
• Page End: 219
• Publication Date: 2021-10
• Subjects: Gasification -- Germany -- GHG emissions -- Life cycle assessment -- Profitability -- Techno-ecnomic analysis; AE Aggregated effect -- CEPCI Chemical Engineering Plant Costs Index -- CHP Combined heat and power -- CNEP Climate neutral energy provision -- CR Chemical recycling -- DPP Dynamic payback period -- EPS Energy provision scenario -- EREG Environmental regulation -- ES Economic scenario -- FCI Fixed capital investment -- GWP Global warming potential -- LCA Life cycle assessment -- LCCA Levelized cost of carbon abatement -- MBT Mechanical-biological treatment -- MC Market conditions -- MSW Municipal solid waste -- MSWI Municipal solid waste incinerator -- NPV Net present value -- PREP Predominantly renewable energy provision -- PS Plant scaling -- RDF Refuse-derived fuel -- rMSW Residual municipal solid waste -- RTO Regenerative thermal oxidation -- SI Supplementary Information -- TEA Techno-economic analysis -- UBA German Environment Agency; Hazardous wastes -- Periodicals; Refuse and refuse disposal -- Periodicals; 363.728
• DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2021.07.040
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0956-053X

Abstract

Highlights: Assess chemical recycling for residual municipal solid waste. Comparatively evaluate chemical recycling with incineration pathways. Assess global warming potential of chemical recycling. Assess economic performance of chemical recycling. Provide data to inform regulatory and investment decisions. Abstract: Chemical recycling could facilitate the transition from a linear to a circular carbon economy, where carbon-containing waste is channeled back into the production cycle as a chemical feedstock instead of being incinerated or landfilled. However, the predominant focus on technological aspects of chemical recycling for plastic waste narrows evaluations of its potential in contributing to such a transition. Moreover, it leads to significant controversy about its role in the waste hierarchy as a possible competitor to mechanical recycling. To address these gaps in the literature, this study assesses ecological and economic impacts associated with chemical recycling of residual municipal solid waste in Germany. Combining approaches of life cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis, chemical recycling and conventional incineration-based treatment pathways are comparatively evaluated in terms of global warming potential and economic performance (i.e. fixed capital investment, net present value, dynamic payback period, and levelized cost of carbon abatement). Results indicate that compared to incineration-based conventional pathways, chemical recycling can contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in low-emission energy systems. However, the economic performance of chemical recycling is highly dependent on its scale of operation. Additionally, a price premium for recycling products as well as economic instruments for penalizing CO2 emissions are identified to play important roles in the economic performance of chemical recycling.