A new report on Scotland’s energy from waste potential has found that three per cent of the country’s total energy requirements could be fulfilled from waste that can’t be reused or recycled in other ways.

 

The Sustainable Development Commission Scotland report produced for the Scottish Government marks the first time that the potential of waste to energy technologies, which include incineration of solid waste and anaerobic digestion with the capture of biogas, have been outlined. When broken down, the results show that: heat only plants could meet six per cent of Scotland’s existing heat needs; electricity produced from energy from waste facilities could meet eight per cent of demand; and heat and power waste treatment plants could meet three per cent of the total heat and enlectrcity demand.

 

Due to concerns that developments in energy from waste could result in less efforts to minimise waste production, there is a 25 per cent cap on the amount of solid waste that can be incinerated and the results of the study are in line with this limit.

 

Energy Minister Jim Mather said: “Our Zero Waste Plan outlines how we can all prevent waste, increase recycling and reuse valuable resources. Yet energy from waste has a part to play in a low carbon society where all efforts have been made to reduce, re-use and recycle valuable resources that would otherwise be buried in landfill.”

 

He added: “This useful report highlights the potentially significant contribution of waste to our heat and electricity needs. Electricity only generation is, however, generally wasteful due to the loss of heat to the atmosphere so care must be taken to ensure we get the maximum energy output from waste by utilising heat wherever possible.”

 

Professor Jan Bebbington, Vice Chair of Sustainable Development Commission Scotland, which compiled the report, said: “Strong performance in waste minimisation and recycling can go hand in hand with the use of energy from waste as part of an integrated strategy. This SDC Scotland report shows what the potential is and helps the Scottish Government’s Zero Waste aspiration move forward. We believe the potential for energy from waste can be developed as part of creating low carbon communities across Scotland.”

 

Councillor Alison Hay, COSLA's  Regeneration and Sustainable Development Spokesperson said: “Energy from waste can provide a valuable contribution to sustainable development, the delivery of a low carbon Scottish economy and the achievement of zero waste in Scotland. COSLA believes that energy from waste has an essential part to play along with waste prevention, re-use and recycling activities in a zero waste society.

 

"The report's identification of the various heat and/or electricity generation scenarios is welcomed.  We see energy from waste include direct combustion as well as the creation and use of biogas.  In either case the efficient use of heat and/or electricity locally will be important.  However, the exact choice of energy from waste plant should be arrived at locally, where an analysis shows that such an approach achieves the smallest carbon emissions.”

 

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