CEWEP welcomes that ‘energy recovery’ should cover the use of waste for generating energy through incineration.
That means that Waste-to-Energy (WtE) plants would be considered as performing energy recovery if more energy is produced than is added during the process, according to the definition adopted by the European Parliament’s plenary vote on the Waste Framework Directive.
However, the Parliament did not take on the ambitious energy efficiency thresholds in Annex II and rejected an amendment suggesting that “dedicated incineration facilities with energy recovery” are regarded as disposal operations.
As the 5 step waste hierarchy has been adopted giving recycling priority over WtE, any lingering concerns that WtE could hamper recycling are no longer founded.
In addition ambitious targets were agreed for the recycling of Municipal Waste (50%). This will enable recycling and WtE to work hand in hand to divert waste from landfill.
CEWEP hopes the Council also sees the benefit Waste-to-Energy can provide to achieve sustainable waste management and supports the ‘energy recovery’ definition as adapted by the Parliament.
In particular we would like to underline the high level of protection which Member States will have as from 12 July 2007 against improper transboundary shipments of municipal waste (The Waste Shipment Regulation). Classifying WtE plants as recovery operations would in no way reduce these protection levels.
Brussels, 13th February 2007
Dr. Ella Stengler,
Managing Director
Waste-to-Energy (WtE) plants thermally treat household waste that is not otherwise reusable or recyclable, and waste similar to household waste, and generate energy from it.
CEWEP, the Confederation of European Waste-to-Energy plants represents 90% of the European market (over 330 plants in 16 countries).
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