Waste incinerators, numbers and capacity in the Netherlands, 1970-2001
| Number | Capacity | Incinerated1) | Residues | ||||||
| of which | |||||||||
| bottom ash2) | fly ash | ferrous | non-ferrous | flue gas | |||||
| scrap | cleansing | ||||||||
| residue | |||||||||
| absolute | million kg | ||||||||
| 1970 | 6 | . | 325 | 65 | . | . | . | . | . |
| 1980 | 11 | . | 2 270 | 710 | 595 | 42 | 70 | 0 | 0 |
| 1990 | 13 | . | 2 845 | 795 | 635 | 95 | 65 | 0 | 1 |
| 1995 | 8 | 3 350 | 2 885 | 770 | 640 | 56 | 52 | 2 | 23 |
| 1996 | 10 | 4 610 | 3 600 | 960 | 790 | 53 | 82 | 2 | 32 |
| 1997 | 11 | 5 000 | 4 500 | 1 175 | 960 | 69 | 98 | 3 | 47 |
| 1998 | 11 | 5 000 | 4 650 | 1 185 | 950 | 89 | 105 | 4 | 38 |
| 1999 | 11 | 5 000 | 4 820 | 1 220 | 970 | 91 | 116 | 5 | 37 |
| 2000 | 11 | 5 500 | 4 900 | 1 120 | 880 | 84 | 105 | 8 | 43 |
| 2001 | 11 | 5 500 | 4 800 | 1 150 | 904 | 78 | 121 | 8 | 39 |
| Source: VVAV, WAR, AOO. | RIVM/EDC/Oct02/0394 | ||||||||
| 1) Including hazardous waste incinerated in the waste incinerators. 2) Bottom ash from 1995 onwards. | |||||||||
Capacity of waste incinerators
The total capacity of waste incinerators (MSWIs) increased considerably in the years prior to 1998. A number of smaller plants were closed and a number of large MSWIs were opened.
Residues from waste incineration
The amount of combustion residue has fallen over time compared to the amount of waste incinerated (from 30% to less than 25%). The extra gas cleaning equipment installed after 1990 in order to, among other things, reduce emissions of dioxins has generated new waste products (flue gas cleaning residue).
Policy
The national waste plan (Landelijk afvalbeheersplan) states that the existing moratorium on the expansion of capacity for 'combustion of waste materials as a form of disposal' (MSWIs) should come to an end with effect from 1 July 2003. It is not anticipated that this will interfere with initiatives for the combustion of high-calorific waste streams obtained by the mechanical separation of mixed waste. An incentive framework is being developed for these initiatives that provides for payments for the prevention of CO2 emissions.
