EEW - Energy from Waste Delfzijl incinerates waste that cannot be recycled and converts it into energy.
EEW - Energy from Waste Delfzijl focuses on thermal residual waste processing. The company incinerates waste that is not recyclable or has been offered for recycling. The energy released in the process is used by nearby businesses. "This is an important part in the chain toward a circular economy. We also need to process the non-recyclable waste, and this way companies in our region do not have to burn gas, but can use the heat released during incineration. The process is more than 50% green," says Wilfred de Jager, director of EEW.
EEW - Energy From Waste is a German company with 15 waste treatment sites in Germany and branches in the Netherlands (Delfzijl) and Luxembourg. "Because companies in the area can use the heat released from burning the waste, it reduces the CO2 emissions of the industrial park as a whole," De Jager says.
Burning less and less
Thermal waste treatment is EEW's main business, nevertheless, the company is exploring ways to burn as little waste as possible. Some waste streams can be recycled and serve as new raw materials. For example, EEW is working on a new plant hall to sort plastic. "It would be super if, in addition to the energy from thermal waste processing, we could also sell sorted products to companies in the area," the director states. He is very happy with all the innovative companies in the area.
Useful substances can also be recovered after incineration. "From the slag - the remains of incineration - useful substances can still be recovered, such as minerals and metals. From the ashes from sludge processing, for example, we can recover phosphorus. "If there is added value in products by recovering raw materials from them, we are happy to cooperate," De Jager said. He states that the company will realize several expansions in the area of circularity in the coming years, "while no expansion of waste incineration capacity is planned."
Usable substances from flue gas
Some of the energy generated by waste incineration is green. Incineration also releases pollutants. "We do our best to limit this as much as possible. That's why we work with flue gas cleaning, among other things. In this way we ensure that the emissions from our plant remain well below the Dutch legal standards. In terms of nitrogen dioxides (NOx), we even have the cleanest waste-to-energy plant in the Netherlands," he explains. The company is also working on several pilots to filter useful substances - such asCO2 and NOx - from the flue gas so that it can be used again in industrial processes.
In addition to residual waste, EEW will focus on processing sewage sludge; the residual stream that remains after the treatment of sewage. De Jager: "The energy released in this process is 100% green. However, harmful substances are still released during incineration, so flue gas cleaning is just as important here. In addition, with this waste stream we are also looking at the recovery of raw materials, such as phosphorus." Less energy can be produced from sludge than from residual waste, however.
The move to circular
Ultimately, is there still room for thermal waste treatment in the circular economy? De Jager: "Recycling plastic and metal and also recovering auxiliary materials and water, those are key themes for us. The best thing would be if we could then also reuse these substances locally at other companies. We want to make the residual stream serve society as well as possible. As a final step in the chain, we can thermally process the waste that cannot be recycled in any other way. That way we have come full circle."