Fossil Substitution with RDF Fuel

Fossil fuels account for 82% of global energy consumption. In the recent 15 years, RDF becomes a trend to become the best Fossil fuel substitution. Regardless of the type of fuel, calorific value is a very important indicator that determines the value of the fuel. Fossil fuels have a high calorific value, but emit more greenhouse gases during the combustion process. When waste is converted into SRF/RDF, the calorific value of the fuel is significantly increased due to the removal of inert and impurities. The process of sorting allows scrap metals such as iron, copper and aluminum to be reused.

An industrial shredder makes RDF

Explanation: Substitution with RDF

Fossil fuels and RDF (Refused-derived fuel) are two different sources of energy with different characteristics and applications.

Fossil fuels are derived from mineral resources such as oil, natural gas and coal, which are extracted and processed for use in energy production, transportation and industrial production. However, the use of fossil fuels produces large amounts of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, which adversely affects global climate change, as well as problems such as limited resource availability and environmental damage.

In contrast, RDF are combustible organic materials extracted from MSW (municipal solid waste), post-industry waste, landfills, which include paper, wood, textiles, plastics, rubber and organic waste, etc. Wiscon’s RDF primary shredder can effectively disintegrate and downsize incoming waste, followed up by a RDF fine shredder. Study how the RDF conversion process works?

The process of RDF production includes the steps of sorting, crushing, drying and compressing the waste, resulting in a pellet with high calorie. By applying RDF to energy production, it can divert the amount of waste going to landfills and can reduce the costs corporate that spends on fuel. For industries that mainly use coal as fuel, such as power generation, steel, cement, ceramics, chemical industry, etc., RDF can replace fossil fuels and practice carbon peaking and carbon reduction.

As a colclusion, fossil fuel substitution is plausible by RDF, SRF and AFR.

Wiscon Envirotech offers an unique and cost-effective a RDF Process Plant from design to installation and implementation.

Comparison Between Fossil Fuel and RDF

The Fossil Fuel Substitution with RDF is mainly manifested in the following aspects:

1. Environmental impact: Compared with fossil fuels, the utilization of RDF/SRF/AFR can reduce the amount of waste to landfill and reduce the pollution to the natural environment. At the same time, the carbon dioxide emission from the combustion process of RDF is relatively low, which has less impact on climate change.
2. Renewable energy: RDF is a renewable energy source because it is derived from household and industrial waste, which is a resource continuously generated in the development of society. In contrast, fossil fuels are finite resources that are extracted and consumed at a much faster rate than they are naturally formed.
3. The calorific value of RDF is as high as 4200-5000 calories/kg, with stable calorific value and uniform particles, which facilitates to mixing and burning with other fuels. In addition, it features low water content and high density, as well as simple storage and transportation. It is worth mentioning that the waste itself contains dust, chlorine/sulfide and other heavy metals that are not always effectively removed due to the different treatment processes.
4. Energy alternative: By using RDF in combination with fossil fuels, energy diversification can be achieved. RDF is a replacement in cement plants, ceramics plants and power plants, where a boiler, furnace and kiln exist. In some areas, RDF can be used as an alternative energy source to reduce dependence on conventional fossil fuels, thereby increasing the sustainability of energy supply and adjusting the cost of energy expenditures.

Why RDF Prevails?

There is a substantial demand of RDF in the world. According to a report from Fundación Laboral del Cemento y Medio Ambiente, the percentage of alternative waste used in cement plants in Spain between 2017 and 2019 was 30.9%. This is a percentage far below than other European countries such as France and Germany with 43% and 68.9% respectively, or far from the 81 % of Austria, which is the country with the highest proportion of fossil fuel substitution by waste.

However, it is important to note that RDF is not a complete substitute for fossil fuels, especially in areas such as high energy density and special industrial processes. Fossil fuels still have an essential role in many areas.

RDF Shredding Machine

RDF, on the other hand, is mainly used for specific applications, such as energy recovery and waste treatment. Therefore, the integrated use of fossil fuels and RDF and the promotion of more sustainable alternative energy sources in SRF energy production are key to achieving the energy transition and environmental protection.