Are China's waste-to-power plants green or low-carbon?

And as waste-to-power facilities in China are classed as green or low-carbon, there is no regulation of the greenhouse gases they produce. Yet, according to data from the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, China’s waste incineration power generation emitted as much as 100.65 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2022.

How much carbon does China's waste incineration power generation emit?

Yet, according to data from the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, China’s waste incineration power generation emitted as much as 100.65 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2022. Wuhu Ecology Center has estimated that the carbon emission intensity of waste-to-power plants is as high as 1.8 tonnes per megawatt-hour.

How many power plants are there?

The database covers approximately 30,000 power plants from 164 countries and includes thermal plants (e.g. coal, gas, oil, nuclear, biomass, waste, geothermal) and renewables (e.g. hydro, wind, solar). Each power plant is geolocated and entries contain information on plant capacity, generation, ownership, and fuel type.

How much energy does a waste-to-energy plant produce?

Thus, the incineration of about 2,200 tons per day of waste will produce about 1,200 MWh of electrical energy. Most waste-to-energy plants burn municipal solid waste, but some burn industrial waste or hazardous waste. A modern, properly run waste-to-energy plant sorts material before burning it and can co-exist with recycling.

How many kWh does Chengtou Laogang generate a year?

According to Wu Yuefeng, Deputy General Manager of Chengtou Laogang, since Phase 2 of the plant was launched in 2019, the facility has managed one-third of Shanghai’s municipal solid waste. Simultaneously, it also generates 1.6 billion kWh of electricity annually.

What happened to Shanghai Laogang waste disposal company?

In May this year, the Shanghai Laogang Waste Disposal Company recorded 88 days of stoppage across its 12 incinerators, meaning 24% of capacity was wasted that month. The system had reached overcapacity.