Solid Recovered Fuel: Difference between revisions

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Solid Recovered Fuel ~~– or~~ SRF – is distinct from [[RDF]] (~~see~~ Refuse Derived Fuel) in that its quality as a fuel is far ~~higher and is set in EU standards~~. It is typically used in processes that require a high quality, small particle size, high ~~calorific value~~, low ~~moisture~~ material – such as ~~cement kilns~~ and new-generation ATT plants

[[Category:Tonnage & Waste Types]]

[[Solid Recovered Fuel]] ([[SRF]]) is a type of [[Waste Derived Fuel]] but is distinct from [[Refuse Derived Fuel]] ([[RDF]]) in that its quality as a fuel is far superior. It is typically used in processes that require a high quality, small particle size, high [[Calorific Value]], low [[Moisture Content]] material – such as [[Cement Kilns]] and new-generation [[ATT]] plants. There is a move in the UK towards the production of pellets from [[SRF]] for subsequent use in industrial processes.

==Context==

[[Solid Recovered Fuel]] ([[SRF]]) is a type of [[Waste Derived Fuel]] but is distinct from [[Refuse Derived Fuel]] ([[RDF]]) in that its quality as a fuel is far superior. It is typically used in processes that require a high quality, small particle size, high [[Calorific Value]], low [[Moisture Content]] material – such as [[Cement Kilns]] and new-generation [[ATT]] plants. There is a move in the UK towards the production of pellets from [[SRF]] for subsequent use in industrial processes.

Data for [[Cement Kilns]] in UK suggests that around 400,000 tonnes of [[SRF]] was used as a [[WDF]] in 2019 and 2020.

Solid Recovered Fuels are covered by international technical specifications which set, amongst other parameters, the chemical and physical parameters of an [[SRF]] <ref>[https://www.iso.org/committee/5960430.html] ISO/TC 300 Solid Recovered Fuels </ref>. For the purposes of legislation, though, [[SRF]] remains a waste (unless stringent End of Waste Criteria can be met) and so users of the fuel have to comply with the [[IED]] which has superseded [[WID]].

==Composition of Solid Recovered Fuel==

The composition of [[SRF]] is defined in the international specification set out above, but often an [[SRF]] in the UK can be a more refined [[RDF]] rather than something that complies entirely with the specification standard. The main chemical parameters that vary between an [[RDF]] and [[SRF]] are [[Calorific Value]] and [[Moisture Content]], and the table below shows a comparison between [[RDF]] and [[SRF]] based upon a range of specification sheets for illustration.

{| class="wikitable"

|-

!Measure!!Units!!RDF!!SRF</th></tr>

|-

|Net Calorific Value||MJ/kg (as received)||10 - 15||>18.5

|-

|Moisture||wt% (dry basis)||<25||<15

|-

|Biomass Content<ref>Not generally defined for exports to EU (no biomass requirements.)</ref>||wt% (dry basis)||>65||>65

|-

|Ash Content||wt% (dry basis)||<20||<15

|-

|Sulphur||wt% (dry basis)||<0.5||<0.5

|-

|Nitrogen||wt% (dry basis)||<0.8||<0.8

|-

|Lead||mg/kg||<100||<80

|-

|Chlorine CI||wt% (dry basis)||<0.1||<0.6

|-

|Zinc<ref name="rdf1">Not generally defined in a fuel spec</ref>||wt% (dry basis)|| || 

|-

|Sodium and Potassium<ref name="rdf1"/>||wt% (dry basis)|| || 

|-

|Mercury||mg/kg||<1||<0.6

|-

|Nickel||mg/kg||<100||<100

|-

|Thallium||mg/kg||<10||<10

|-

|Ferrous and non-ferrous metals||wt% (dry basis)||<3||<1

|-

|Non combustible material||wt% (dry basis)||<10||<5

|-

|Glass||wt% (dry basis)||<2||<1

|-

|Dust <1mm||wt% (dry basis)||<5||<5

|-

|Bulk Density (loose)||kg/m3||100 - 175||185

|-

|Particle Size (max dimension)||mm||300||<40

|}

Chlorine is a particular issue due to its tendency to form [[wikipedia:Hydrochloric acid | Hydrochloric Acid]] in an energy recovery process, which then requires specific abatement/clean-up technologies. With limited such arrangements in [[Cement Kilns]] this means that they generally have a lower tolerance for Chlorine closer in spec to an [[SRF]]. In addition, the use of any [[Waste Derived Fuel]] in [[Cement Kilns]] has the potential to impact the final quality of the cement produced, and so the composition is critical in the decision to use it in such an application in terms of the ash content of the [[SRF]] fuel.

==Background to Export of Refuse Derived Fuel and Solid Recovered Fuel ==

The movement of [[WDF]] from the UK, primarily in the EU, commenced in c.2010 and progressively grew up until around 2016 driven by supply-demand and [[Landfill Tax|landfill tax]] in the UK and the economics and spare capacity of [[EfW]] plants in the EU. From around 2017 tonnages for export started to drop, with more pronounced drops from 2018 as the supply-demand patterns changed in the UK, some EU countries started to implement taxation on [[EfW]] and the cost and complexities of transportation following [[wikipedia :brexit|Brexit]] increased. The two charts below show the overall patterns of export and whilst the data clearly shows the drop in [[RDF]] tonnage, the tonnage of [[SRF]] shows a more stable export position from 2018 of around 400,000 tonnes a year.

{|class="wikitable"

|-

|[[File:CIWM Curve.png|500px|center|CIWM Presidential Report 2018 – RDF Trading in a Modern World]]|| [[File:RDF and SRF Export.png|450px|center|RDF and SRF Export - analysis of EA data by Monksleigh]]

|-

| '''[[CIWM]] Presidential Report (2018) Showing Grow in [[RDF]] and [[SRF]] Export'''<ref>[https://www.circularonline.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/downloads/RDF-Trading-in-a-Modern-World-Summary-Findings.pdf CIWM Presidential Report 2018 Summary of Findings pdf]</ref>|| '''Analysis by Monksleigh of [[RDF]] and [[SRF]] Exports from England from [[EA]] Data'''

|}

Moving [[Refuse Derived Fuel]] and [[Solid Recovered Fuel]] from the UK abroad requires compliance with the [[Transfrontier Shipment Regulations]] ([[TFS]]) and in simple terms requires an application for movement to be made to the relevant authorities that requires a number of key measures to be satisfied before this can occur. It also requires the user of the fuel to be classified as an [[R1]] facility.

==Annual SRF Export from England==

The data shown is for export from England and for [[EWC | Waste Code]] '''''19 12 10 - combustible waste (refuse derived fuel)''''' as this is the primary code that covers both [[RDF]] and [[SRF]] tonnage.

It is important to note that some [[RDF]] / [[SRF]] is exported under the [[EWC | Waste Code]] '''''19 12 12 - other wastes (including mixtures of materials) from mechanical treatment of wastes other than those mentioned in 19 12 11''''', this code is a catch all, and covers any waste from Mechanical treatment not covered by it's own 19 12 waste code and as such has not been included in the numbers below.

The data included here is taken from the Waste Description as shown on the Transfrontier Shipment notice, which describes the waste as [[RDF]] or [[SRF]].

===Month on Month Export===

The graph shows the monthly shipments of [[SRF]] along with a trend line showing the trajectory of export for 2015 onwards.

[[File:Shipped mnthly srf.png|701px|none]]

===Year on Year Differences===

The year on year export of [[SRF]] from England 2015 onwards.

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|-

! colspan="4" | Data Table

|-

!Year!!Tonnage Shipped!!Increase on Previous!!Percentage Change

|-

|2015||65,408||-||-

|-

|2016||100,521||35,112||53.7%

|-

|2017||239,827||139,306||138.6%

|-

|2018||379,866||140,039||58.4%

|-

|2019||377,556||-2,310||-0.6%

|-

|2020||371,063||-6,493||-1.7%

|-

|2021||470,732||99,669||26.9%

|-

|2022||301,987||-168,745||-35.8%

|}

===Exporters===

The notifiers of Export of SRF from 2015 onwards.

{{#clear_external_data:}}{{#get_db_data: db=engy|from=notifsrf|data=notif=notif,yr2015=yr2015,yr2016=yr2016,yr2017=yr2017,yr2018=yr2018,yr2019=yr2019,yr2020=yr2020,yr2021=yr2021,yr2022=yr2022}}

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==Nascent [[SRF]] Pellet Market==

Increasingly the market is considering further refinement (including reducing moisture and increasing [[NCV]]) of [[SRF]] to produce a high quality fuel pellet for ease of storage, haulage, and introduction into a [[Cement Kiln]], with some companies seeking to achieve [[End of Waste Criteria]] classification that would then enable the material to be used in other applications as a blended substitute for coal. There are three main organisations pursuing this approach in the UK market at the present time, each with a different 'brand name' for their pellet:

===N+P (Subcoal®)===

[[N+P]] have been producing a pellet in their operation in the Netherlands and are in the process of producing their Subcoal®<ref>[https://www.np-recycling.nl/en/alternative-fuels/subcoal.html N+P website]</ref> pellets in their first plant in the UK in Teeside, with plans to expand to this at their recently acquired facility at Crayford<ref>[https://www.npgroup.com/blog/np-acquires-materials-recycling-facility-crayford N+P Press Release January 2022]</ref>

===Waste Knot (SIRF Pellets)===

[[Waste Knot]]'s SIRF pellet<ref>[https://www.wasteknot-energy.com/product/#:~:text=SRF%20Pellets,Net%20Calorific%20Value%20of%20c Waste Knot SIRF Web page]</ref> is to be produced in their first plant, which is under construction in Middlesborough<ref>[https://www.wasteknot-energy.com/latest-news/ Waste Knot Website News Page]</ref>

===Eco-PowerFuels (Eco Power Pellets)===

[[Eco-PowerFuels]] have been producing their Eco-Power Pellets in their facility in Humberside<ref>[http://www.eco-powerfuels.com/fuels/ Eco-PowerFuels Website]</ref> and in January 2021 was reported to have signed a contract to supply [[Tarmac]]'s [[Tunstead Cement Kiln]]<ref>[https://www.worldcement.com/europe-cis/22012021/tarmac-agrees-srf-pellet-deal-with-eco-power-environmental-group/ News Article from World Cement]</ref>

==References==

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-Solid Recovered Fuel – or SRF – is distinct from [[RDF]] (see Refuse Derived Fuel) in that its quality as a fuel is far higher and is set in EU standards. It is typically used in processes that require a high quality, small particle size, high calorific value, low moisture material – such as cement kilns and new-generation ATT plants
+[[Category:Tonnage & Waste Types]]
+[[Solid Recovered Fuel]] ([[SRF]]) is a type of [[Waste Derived Fuel]] but is distinct from [[Refuse Derived Fuel]] ([[RDF]]) in that its quality as a fuel is far superior. It is typically used in processes that require a high quality, small particle size, high [[Calorific Value]], low [[Moisture Content]] material – such as [[Cement Kilns]] and new-generation [[ATT]] plants. There is a move in the UK towards the production of pellets from [[SRF]] for subsequent use in industrial processes.
+[[File:Picture of SRF.png|200px|left|Picture of loose SRF, source Geminor all rights reserved]]__TOC__
+<br clear='left/>
+==Context==
+[[Solid Recovered Fuel]] ([[SRF]]) is a type of [[Waste Derived Fuel]] but is distinct from [[Refuse Derived Fuel]] ([[RDF]]) in that its quality as a fuel is far superior. It is typically used in processes that require a high quality, small particle size, high [[Calorific Value]], low [[Moisture Content]] material – such as [[Cement Kilns]] and new-generation [[ATT]] plants. There is a move in the UK towards the production of pellets from [[SRF]] for subsequent use in industrial processes.
+Data for [[Cement Kilns]] in UK suggests that around 400,000 tonnes of [[SRF]] was used as a [[WDF]] in 2019 and 2020.
+Solid Recovered Fuels are covered by international technical specifications which set, amongst other parameters, the chemical and physical parameters of an [[SRF]] <ref>[https://www.iso.org/committee/5960430.html] ISO/TC 300 Solid Recovered Fuels </ref>. For the purposes of legislation, though, [[SRF]] remains a waste (unless stringent End of Waste Criteria can be met) and so users of the fuel have to comply with the [[IED]] which has superseded [[WID]].
+==Composition of Solid Recovered Fuel==
+The composition of [[SRF]] is defined in the international specification set out above, but often an [[SRF]] in the UK can be a more refined [[RDF]] rather than something that complies entirely with the specification standard. The main chemical parameters that vary between an [[RDF]] and [[SRF]] are [[Calorific Value]] and [[Moisture Content]], and the table below shows a comparison between [[RDF]] and [[SRF]] based upon a range of specification sheets for illustration.
+{| class="wikitable"
+|-
+!Measure!!Units!!RDF!!SRF</th></tr>
+|-
+|Net Calorific Value||MJ/kg (as received)||10 - 15||>18.5
+|-
+|Moisture||wt% (dry basis)||<25||<15
+|-
+|Biomass Content<ref>Not generally defined for exports to EU (no biomass requirements.)</ref>||wt% (dry basis)||>65||>65
+|-
+|Ash Content||wt% (dry basis)||<20||<15
+|-
+|Sulphur||wt% (dry basis)||<0.5||<0.5
+|-
+|Nitrogen||wt% (dry basis)||<0.8||<0.8
+|-
+|Lead||mg/kg||<100||<80
+|-
+|Chlorine CI||wt% (dry basis)||<0.1||<0.6
+|-
+|Zinc<ref name="rdf1">Not generally defined in a fuel spec</ref>||wt% (dry basis)||&nbsp;||&nbsp;
+|-
+|Sodium and Potassium<ref name="rdf1"/>||wt% (dry basis)||&nbsp;||&nbsp;
+|-
+|Mercury||mg/kg||<1||<0.6
+|-
+|Nickel||mg/kg||<100||<100
+|-
+|Thallium||mg/kg||<10||<10
+|-
+|Ferrous and non-ferrous metals||wt% (dry basis)||<3||<1
+|-
+|Non combustible material||wt% (dry basis)||<10||<5
+|-
+|Glass||wt% (dry basis)||<2||<1
+|-
+|Dust <1mm||wt% (dry basis)||<5||<5
+|-
+|Bulk Density (loose)||kg/m3||100 - 175||185
+|-
+|Particle Size (max dimension)||mm||300||<40
+|}
+Chlorine is a particular issue due to its tendency to form [[wikipedia:Hydrochloric acid | Hydrochloric Acid]] in an energy recovery process, which then requires specific abatement/clean-up technologies. With limited such arrangements in [[Cement Kilns]] this means that they generally have a lower tolerance for Chlorine closer in spec to an [[SRF]]. In addition, the use of any [[Waste Derived Fuel]] in [[Cement Kilns]] has the potential to impact the final quality of the cement produced, and so the composition is critical in the decision to use it in such an application in terms of the ash content of the [[SRF]] fuel.
+==Background to Export of Refuse Derived Fuel and Solid Recovered Fuel ==
+The movement of [[WDF]] from the UK, primarily in the EU, commenced in c.2010 and progressively grew up until around 2016 driven by supply-demand and [[Landfill Tax|landfill tax]] in the UK and the economics and spare capacity of [[EfW]] plants in the EU. From around 2017 tonnages for export started to drop, with more pronounced drops from 2018 as the supply-demand patterns changed in the UK, some EU countries started to implement taxation on [[EfW]] and the cost and complexities of transportation following [[wikipedia :brexit|Brexit]] increased. The two charts below show the overall patterns of export and whilst the data clearly shows the drop in [[RDF]] tonnage, the tonnage of [[SRF]] shows a more stable export position from 2018 of around 400,000 tonnes a year.
+{|class="wikitable"
+|-
+|[[File:CIWM Curve.png|500px|center|CIWM Presidential Report 2018 – RDF Trading in a Modern World]]|| [[File:RDF and SRF Export.png|450px|center|RDF and SRF Export - analysis of EA data by Monksleigh]]
+|-
+| '''[[CIWM]] Presidential Report (2018) Showing Grow in [[RDF]] and [[SRF]] Export'''<ref>[https://www.circularonline.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/downloads/RDF-Trading-in-a-Modern-World-Summary-Findings.pdf CIWM Presidential Report 2018 Summary of Findings pdf]</ref>|| '''Analysis by Monksleigh of [[RDF]] and [[SRF]] Exports from England from [[EA]] Data'''
+|}
+Moving [[Refuse Derived Fuel]] and [[Solid Recovered Fuel]] from the UK abroad requires compliance with the [[Transfrontier Shipment Regulations]] ([[TFS]]) and in simple terms requires an application for movement to be made to the relevant authorities that requires a number of key measures to be satisfied before this can occur. It also requires the user of the fuel to be classified as an [[R1]] facility.
+==Annual SRF Export from England==
+The data shown is for export from England and for [[EWC | Waste Code]] '''''19 12 10 - combustible waste (refuse derived fuel)''''' as this is the primary code that covers both [[RDF]] and [[SRF]] tonnage.
+It is important to note that some [[RDF]] / [[SRF]] is exported under the [[EWC | Waste Code]] '''''19 12 12 - other wastes (including mixtures of materials) from mechanical treatment of wastes other than those mentioned in 19 12 11''''', this code is a catch all, and covers any waste from Mechanical treatment not covered by it's own 19 12 waste code and as such has not been included in the numbers below.
+The data included here is taken from the Waste Description as shown on the Transfrontier Shipment notice, which describes the waste as [[RDF]] or [[SRF]].
+===Month on Month Export===
+The graph shows the monthly shipments of [[SRF]] along with a trend line showing the trajectory of export for 2015 onwards.
+[[File:Shipped mnthly srf.png|701px|none]]
+===Year on Year Differences===
+The year on year export of [[SRF]] from England 2015 onwards.
+{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
+|-
+| colspan="4" | <graph>{
+  "width": 500,
+  "height": 500,
+  "data": [
+    {
+      "name": "table",
+      "values": [
+        {"x": 2016,  "y":  35112}, {"x": 2017,  "y":  139306},
+        {"x": 2018,  "y": 140039}, {"x": 2019,  "y": -2310},
+        {"x": 2020,  "y": -6493}, {"x": 2021,  "y": 99669},
+        {"x": 2022,  "y": -168745}
+      ]
+    }
+  ],
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+}</graph>
+|-
+! colspan="4" | Data Table
+|-
+!Year!!Tonnage Shipped!!Increase on Previous!!Percentage Change
+|-
+|-
+|2015||65,408||-||-
+|-
+|2016||100,521||35,112||53.7%
+|-
+|2017||239,827||139,306||138.6%
+|-
+|2018||379,866||140,039||58.4%
+|-
+|2019||377,556||-2,310||-0.6%
+|-
+|2020||371,063||-6,493||-1.7%
+|-
+|2021||470,732||99,669||26.9%
+|-
+|2022||301,987||-168,745||-35.8%
+|}
+===Exporters===
+The notifiers of Export of SRF from 2015 onwards.
+{{#clear_external_data:}}{{#get_db_data: db=engy|from=notifsrf|data=notif=notif,yr2015=yr2015,yr2016=yr2016,yr2017=yr2017,yr2018=yr2018,yr2019=yr2019,yr2020=yr2020,yr2021=yr2021,yr2022=yr2022}}
+{|class = "wikitable sortable"
+!Company!!2015!!2016!!2017!!2018!!2019!!2020!!2021!!2022
+{{#for_external_table:<nowiki/>
+{{!}}-
+{{!}} [[{{{notif}}}]]
+{{!}} {{{yr2015}}}
+{{!}} {{{yr2016}}}
+{{!}} {{{yr2017}}}
+{{!}} {{{yr2018}}}
+{{!}} {{{yr2019}}}
+{{!}} {{{yr2020}}}
+{{!}} {{{yr2021}}}
+{{!}} {{{yr2022}}}
+}}
+|}
+==Nascent [[SRF]] Pellet Market==
+Increasingly the market is considering further refinement (including reducing moisture and increasing [[NCV]]) of [[SRF]] to produce a high quality fuel pellet for ease of storage, haulage, and introduction into a [[Cement Kiln]], with some companies seeking to achieve [[End of Waste Criteria]] classification that would then enable the material to be used in other applications as a blended substitute for coal. There are three main organisations pursuing this approach in the UK market at the present time, each with a different 'brand name' for their pellet:
+===N+P (Subcoal&reg;)===
+[[N+P]] have been producing a pellet in their operation in the Netherlands and are in the process of producing their Subcoal&reg;<ref>[https://www.np-recycling.nl/en/alternative-fuels/subcoal.html N+P website]</ref> pellets in their first plant in the UK in Teeside, with plans to expand to this at their recently acquired facility at Crayford<ref>[https://www.npgroup.com/blog/np-acquires-materials-recycling-facility-crayford N+P Press Release January 2022]</ref>
+===Waste Knot (SIRF Pellets)===
+[[Waste Knot]]'s SIRF pellet<ref>[https://www.wasteknot-energy.com/product/#:~:text=SRF%20Pellets,Net%20Calorific%20Value%20of%20c Waste Knot SIRF Web page]</ref> is to be produced in their first plant, which is under construction in Middlesborough<ref>[https://www.wasteknot-energy.com/latest-news/ Waste Knot Website News Page]</ref>
+===Eco-PowerFuels (Eco Power Pellets)===
+[[Eco-PowerFuels]] have been producing their Eco-Power Pellets in their facility in Humberside<ref>[http://www.eco-powerfuels.com/fuels/ Eco-PowerFuels Website]</ref> and in January 2021 was reported to have signed a contract to supply [[Tarmac]]'s [[Tunstead Cement Kiln]]<ref>[https://www.worldcement.com/europe-cis/22012021/tarmac-agrees-srf-pellet-deal-with-eco-power-environmental-group/ News Article from World Cement]</ref>
+==References==
+<references />