CHAPTER 9: NEW FGC DEVELOPMENTS IN EUROPE.

Whereas multi-stage flue gas cleaning concepts were first primarily applied after the implementation of strict emission thresholds in the 17. BImSchV in Germany and in similar regulations in the Netherlands and Austria at the beginning of the nineties, which contained several selective separating stages for the individual pollutants, a trend has now been noticed, in Germany as well, towards less expensive, integrated flue gas cleaning plants processes applied to Municipal Waste Combustors (MWCs) and other waste incineration technologies. Simplification of process chains normally means doing without the recycling of treated products into the economic circuit. There are a kind of mixed products generated instead which serve as packing material in old mines or, after adequate chemico-physical treatment, are used for landfill without any impact on the environment. Not only the plant components required for proper flue gas cleaning are reduced as a result thereof, but also the number of plant components for residue treatment, part of which are often rather sophisticated and expensive. The very low and stringent emission limits are met with the use of improved or new additives and control technologies. The introduction of an EC regulation comparable to the German BImSchV for the incineration of municipal solid waste, and also the increased requirements on pollutant control measures in some Asian countries, have meant that development of cost-effective flue gas cleaning solutions is mandatory. In some countries, the importance of high thermal or electrical efficiency of a waste-to-energy facility will lead to enhanced heat recovery processes in the flue gas cleaning plant as well. In this paper suitable flue gas cleaning concepts shall be presented, depending on site-specific cost limits and emission thresholds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]