Waste to energy: waste incinerated and CO2 behind in the case of WTE plant in Lithuania

Incineration of municipal waste for electricity and heat recovery allows reducing the amount of waste in landfills, however the question arises whether this energy recovery method is superior in terms of CO2 emissions compared to traditional energy production methods. Though there are examples of such comparisons in the other countries, Lithuanian case is underestimated. Therefore, this study aims to analyse the amount and structure of waste incinerated in one of the WTE plants in Lithuania as well as and related CO2 emissions, compared to the use of traditional fuel sources for energy production and landfilling. The study employs data from WTE plant on waste volumes and structure as well as national emission factors for different types of energy and fuels. Selected WTE plant incinerated 256 thousand tons of waste annually during 2018-2024 period. Majority of waste incinerated is local municipal waste. Depending on the waste volumes and structure of waste incinerated WTE plant produced some 2600 – 2860 TJ of energy. Correspondingly, CO2 emissions fluctuate around 291 CO2t/PJ. However, comparing emissions per energy unit only in the energy production stage, WTE appears to be not the most efficient CO2 approach to produce energy. Hence, the whole life approach is needed to make comprehensive comparison between different fuel types regarding CO2 emissions as well other benefits should be considered.