Emissions from co-combustion of used packaging with peat and coal

Incineration of unsorted municipal solid waste (MSW) is known to generate polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) which can be removed from the flue gas to a level below 0.1 ng/m 3 I-TEQ. Combustion of coal, which contains minor amounts of chlorine, in power plants normally gives rise to PCDD/F emissions below 0.01 ng/m 3 I-TEQ. According to theory the formation of PCDD/F is prohibited by the presence of sulphur in excess of chlorine in the fuel. As solid fuels are used in amounts approximately one to two orders of magnitude higher than MSW is generated, it is apparent that combustible waste fractions could be used as co-fuel in power production. This has been demonstrated for Mixed Plastics together with wood and coal. In the present investigation various combustible packaging scrap and waste fractions were co-combusted in a CFB-boiler together with peat and coal. It was generally concluded that emissions from co-combustion did not significantly exceed those of the primary fuels and particularly that the emissions of dioxins were well below 0.1 ng/Nm 3 I-TEQ even when the flue gas treatment equipment in the boiler plant consisted of electrostatic precipitators only.