The company is based in Holsted, Denmark, employs more than 160 people and provides aftermarket services and maintenance for waste- and biomass-to-energy plants.

In July 2024, the legal entities that formerly operated as BWRS will assume Hitachi Zosen Inova regional designations, with the Danish operations becoming Hitachi Zosen Inova Denmark A/S.

HZI’s new team has a strong presence in the Nordics. This region boasts a high density of waste-to-energy and biogas plants and therefore presents good growth prospects in plant life cycle solutions, service, and retrofits. It also complements the geographical footprint and technological capabilities of HZI’s Service.

With three offices in Denmark and additional presence across Europe, the new team will be integrated into HZI’s Systems & Service Solutions business unit, bringing further expertise and capacity to the group as well as a strong order pipeline.

The acquisition brings HZI’s Systems & Service Solutions business unit to more than 900 people in 13 countries around the world.

Comprehensive, meaning electricity and heat incineration, as well as biogenic CO2, to ensure these facilities are included properly.

Developed by Equnimator, the report entitled, “Incineration in the EU-ETS: A set of suggestions for its inclusion” highlights the urgency to adopt this recommendation to achieve the EU’s climate goals.

After the European Parliament approved reforms to the ETS in 2022, a path opened to consider municipal waste incineration under its scope, but as of 1 January 2024, these facilities have only been included for monitoring, reporting, and verification purposes. They are not yet required to surrender allowances for their emissions.

The Commission is required to study the feasibility of including these facilities in the EU-ETS in July 2026, with a potential inclusion by 2028.

Janek Vahk, Zero Pollution Policy Manager at Zero Waste Europe, states: “The inclusion of incineration within the EU-ETS is long overdue. Incinerators are poised to become the most carbon-intensive power source once coal is phased out. Bringing municipal waste incineration into the EU-ETS will ensure that every sector contributes to emission reductions, driving us towards a cleaner, more circular future.”

The study proposes several key recommendations. Firstly, both power and heat from incineration should be included in the EU ETS without free allowances for heat generation. This approach aligns with the scheduled inclusion of the buildings sector in 2027. Secondly, the European Commission should consider not only landfills but also recycling and waste prevention in their study, meaning the inclusion of municipal waste incinerators within the EU-ETS should not undermine the cascading principle. And thirdly, it should analyse the impact of including waste incinerators and other waste management options based on their performance, and provide recommendations on the economic instruments, such as a tax on incinerators, that may be replaced solely by the EU ETS.

Looking forward, Zero Waste Europe hopes to see a requirement for all CO2 emissions from incinerators, whether fossil or non-fossil, to surrender allowances under the ETS. The current practice of excluding non-fossil CO2 is inconsistent and undermines the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Lastly, the current 20 megawatt threshold for inclusion is ambiguous and should potentially be lowered to 10 megawatt to prevent small-scale facilities from being excluded and reduce the risk of system manipulation.

“CO2 is CO2,” Vahk adds, “whether fossil or non-fossil; the atmosphere doesn’t care where it comes from, the impact on climate is the same. Therefore, EU ETS needs to address them both.”

If this is denied, a massive potential for WtE to recover heat and to substitute the combustion of fossil fuels (gas, coal, or peat) for efficient district heating will be lost. Waste not suitable for recycling is thermally treated to reduce volume, destroy pollutants and avoid landfilling. Excess heat created in this process is used to produce electricity and supply heat to district heating.

The current regulatory framework, particularly the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II and III) and the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED), acknowledges the importance of waste heat and sets ambitious targets. However, it is essential to ensure that heat recovered from WtE processes is fully recognised within these directives, in particular in the Guidance Documents for RED and EED that are currently under preparation.

The rationale for this recognition is twofold. Firstly, unlike conventional power plants, WtE facilities have the hygienic task of treating the waste. This exothermal process unavoidably generates excess heat (waste heat). If this is not used, the waste still needs to be thermally treated for sanitary

reasons. Hence, waste is not a conventional fuel! Waste is not produced on purpose. It is the leftover of our society that must be reliably treated in an environmentally sound manner, with complex flue gas cleaning. To do so, WtE plant operators must comply with the strict rules set in the Industrial Emissions Directive, under the waste incineration chapter.

Secondly, the heat generated from the treatment of non-recyclable waste, which would otherwise be lost, can significantly contribute to our heating needs and facilitate the MS to reach the targets. In some regions, the heat supply from WtE covers more than 50% of the local heat demand.

WtE offers a strategic advantage by transforming non-recyclable waste into valuable energy for district heating systems, enhancing our energy security and supporting the transition to a circular economy. This process aligns with our waste management principles and provides a competitive and secure energy alternative.

Excluding the full heat production from WtE plants from the waste heat definition could lead to the underutilization or even elimination of an important energy resource. If these plants are not integrated into efficient district heating and cooling systems, the energy they recover would be wasted, despite its availability.

Acknowledging the heat generated by WtE plants as waste heat under RED and EED is vital for maximising the use of local, sustainable excess energy sources. This approach is not just about energy efficiency; it is about recognising the valuable role WtE plays in managing waste and recovering energy. Such recognition aligns with the goals of environmental sustainability and efficient resource use.

In conclusion, recognising waste heat from WtE under relevant EU directives is imperative for enhancing our energy efficiency and sustainability efforts. It supports broader environmental objectives and contributes to a more resilient and self-sufficient Europe.

The Award will consider their excellence and relevant research. The work should be undertaken in the framework of Bachelor, Master, PhD research or as a relevant publication applicable in practice in the area of waste management, particularly Waste-to-Energy (WtE) – incineration with energy recovery.

The winners of the Award will be offered a two-week traineeship in one of the participating European WtE plants. They will be able to list their preferences from a list of available placements. The abstracts of the winning works will be published on CEWEP’s website, and the winners will also be invited to join the next CEWEP Congress free of charge.

The Jury of this Award consists of academia members and the volunteering WtE plants.

Carsten Spohn was Deputy President of CEWEP and the Managing Director of CEWEP German member ITAD (Interessengemeinschaft der Thermischen Abfallbehandlungsanlagen in Deutschland). He was very passionate and dedicated to WtE and his unexpected passing a year ago was a great loss to the European WtE community.

Carsten, father of 3 children, was also committed to support young people, hence, to commemorate him CEWEP has created the Carsten Spohn Award for young talents.

Mr. De Bruycker replaces Ferdinand Kleppmann, the founder of CEWEP and President of more than 15 years who is retiring.

“What CEWEP has achieved in the last 15 years makes me very proud. CEWEP has gained trust through a steady and solid delivery of information and facts, this way being a reliable partner to the EU Institutions and other stakeholders on all items surrounding Waste-to-Energy and sustainable European Environment policy. Our members contributed enormously to environment and climate protection”, said Mr. Kleppmann.

The new President also sees a bright future for the sector. “More than ever Waste-to-Energy will play an essential role in the realisation of a sustainable integrated waste management approach. Waste- to-Energy will not only deal with non-recyclable waste and turn it into energy and valuable products but will also play an essential role in making the circular economy happen” said Mr. De Bruycker.

As part of CEWEP Presidency elections two Deputy Presidents were re-elected: Mr. Filippo Brandolini, Utilitalia, Italy and Mr. Michiel Timmerije, Dutch Waste Management Association, Netherlands and three Deputy Presidents were elected for the first time: Mr. Hubert de Chefdebien, SVDU, France, Mr. Jacob Simonsen, Danish Waste Management Association, Denmark and Mr. Carsten Spohn, ITAD, Germany.