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As the world looks to ease its reliance on fossil fuels, RDF (Refuse Derived Fuel) and SRF (Solid Recovered Fuel) are increasingly being utilised for power generation as more sustainable energy sources.
RDF and SRF can play an important part in diverting waste from landfill, by turning general waste into a fuel that can be used in industrial processes and at Waste to Energy plants to generate heat and power.
The RDF - Refuse Derived Fuel
The RDF is usually the product of a shredding + drying process performed on a municipal or commercial solid waste.
Refuse Derived Fuel from MSW production and its utilisation is viewed in many countries as a strategic component of an integrated waste management policy, as the landfill outlet for MSW is increasingly restricted due to its high environmental impact.
There is no legal definition of the term ‘Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF)’ and it is interpreted differently across countries.
According to the: EN 15359, the RDF is classified as follows:
The RDF produced by a typical Municipal Solid Waste, can be classified as SRF if:
Net Calorific Value: is class 2 or 3
Chlorine Content: is class 2 or 3
Mercury Content: is class 1 or 2
The SRF - Solid Recovered Fuel
SRF is a more refined fuel than RDF, with a low moisture content and an energy content around two-thirds that of coal. Not only can SRF be used in Waste to Energy plants as an alternative to fossil fuels but it can also be used in cement kilns and other industrial processes.
SRF is a highly refined type of fuel that is produced to the exact specifications requested by the companies who will use the fuel.
SRF fuel is renewable, easy to transport and easy to store.
It has a high calorific value, stable combustion, low secondary pollution and no dioxin emissions if properly burned.
The SRF is the product derived from the mechanical treatment of a solid waste by the α CONVERTER.
The SRF, being the product of a mechanical treatment, will maintain the chemical composition of the feedstock used for its production, while its infectious charge, water content, density, granulometry, homogenisation level, and specific calorific value will change significantly.
SRF main characteristic
Chemical composition Derived from feedstock
Infected charge Close to zero
Energy content >> 15 MJ/kg (4.16 kWh/kg)
Water content < 5%
Density > 600 kg/m3
Granulometry < 3 mm
Homogenization level Very high
The main α CONVERTER SRF advantages:
As a solid fuel: the very high homogenisation level, the low moisture content, the small granulometry and the high net calorific value, give the SRF the characteristic of a great solid fuel, easy to manage and to oxidate without producing pollution.
In transportation: the high density and the absence of infected materials allow an easy and economica way to transport the SRF from the production sites to the recovery plants. The transportation saving volume is usually 5 time lower than the one of the MSW.
As an energy carrier: Its very low granulometry allows the SRF to be liquefied and easily transformed into a liquid fuel.
In storage area: The special packaging of the SRF, maintain the compressed density and do not allows the oxidation of the SRF, preventing the re-formation of infected microorganisms and maintaining the initial calorific values for more than one year.
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