Advanced Thermal Recycling (ATR)

Note:
Throughout the website you will find articles and information that refer to Waste-to-Energy or WTE, Energy-from-Waste or EfW and Advanced Thermal Recycling or ATR.

WTE and EfW are more or less the same. However, ATR is the most advanced form of either WTE or EfW technology. ATR is the only technology that has the full support of the German Green Party (referred to as waste incineration with the most advanced state of the art Fluegas cleaning technology and recovering over 98% of the input waste – highest level of sustainability). ATR is a proven technology that developed from over 100 years of experience. ATR was developed for the City/State of Hamburg, Germany with the most stringent requirements to date anywhere.

ATR Technology
Since the late 1800’s the City/State of Hamburg, Germany has been incinerating its municipal solid waste. This method of dealing with MSW was introduced following a cholera outbreak and the recognition that poor waste management had been a major contributor. Throughout the 20th century the mass burning of refuse increased across Germany and the rest of the world.

As technology improved, the power produced from the mass burning of MSW was captured and used for power and steam. EfW became the common way of referring to this process. Germany has done more than any other country in the world to develop the most modern and sophisticated EfW processes. In fact, no land filling will be allowed beyond 2020 in Germany and the European Community is expected to enact a similar ban.

Today, there are over 90 EfW facilities in the United States, although none have been built in the last ten years. The lack of new facilities has primarily been driven by the low cost of oil and coal. It has been cheaper to use these dirtier power producing fuels than to invest in alternative technologies such as EfW. Many cities/counties kept tipping fees to artificially low levels due to existing landfills often belonging to their municipalities. Today, all large EfW facilities built before the 1990’s have all been retrofitted to meet the most stringent air quality standards applied by the EPA. EfW have no soil or groundwater discharges therefore soil or groundwater regulations do not apply. In comparison air quality standards for landfills are much more lenient. Despite best efforts through discharge collection systems and new more robust liner materials "all landfills leak" (EPA) and therefore have soil and groundwater contamination.

Rising oil prices, failing landfills, global warming and poor air quality have all contributed to a resurgence in EfW technology. The most sophisticated EfW systems in the world are from European countries such as Germany, Denmark and The Netherlands. Decades of building and utilizing EfW plants have resulted in the finest and most up to date methods emanating from these countries. The most sophisticated facility to date emerged from Hamburg, Germany in 1999 fueled by the German Green Party demanding that only the highest standards be achieved by this industry. Continuous enhancements keep this facility leader in the EfW/ATR industry.

This facility is known as MVR which was commissioned in 1999. It is very unique in the manner the flue-gas-control system operates. Not only are pollutants from the boiler and fly ash removed, it also produces high quality hydrochloric acid in the process.