Nitrous oxide emissions from waste incineration

EU energy and environmental policy in waste management leads to increasing interest in developing methods for waste disposal with minimum emissions of greenhouse gases and minimum environmental impacts. From the point of view of nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions, waste incineration and waste co-combustion is very acceptable method of waste disposal. Two factors are important for attaining very low N₂O emissions from waste incineration, particularly for waste with higher nitrogen content (e.g. sewage sludge, leather, etc.): temperature of incineration over 900°C and avoiding selective noncatalytic reduction (SNCR) de-NO_x method based on urea. For reduction of N₂O emissions retrofitting such plants to ammonia-based SNCR is recommendable. The modern selective catalytic reduction facilities for de-NO_x at waste incineration plants are only negligible source of N₂O.