High Temperature and Clinical Waste Incineration
The incineration of Hazardous Waste and Healthcare Waste (covering both Clinical Waste and Offensive Waste) is, in many cases, the prescribed approach for the disposal of these wastes. In the UK there are 4 High Temperature Incinerators (or HTIs) focused on Hazardous Waste, 18 Clinical Waste Incinerators dedicated to Healthcare Waste (with one further site in construction for delivery in 2021) and 21 Residual Waste EFW incinerators that received Clinical Waste in recent years.
Context
The incineration of Hazardous Waste and Healthcare Waste (covering both Clinical Waste and Offensive Waste) is, in many cases, the prescribed approach for the disposal of these wastes. They can be broadly grouped by:
- High Temperature Incinerators (or HTIs) focused on Hazardous Waste and operating at combustion temperatures of up to 1450°C.
- Clinical Waste Incinerators dedicated to Healthcare Waste, having a primary combustion chamber operating at 800 - 1000°C, and a secondary combustion chamber at a minimum temperature of 1100°C with a retention of gases of two seconds[1].
- Residual Waste EFW incinerators which have historically been able to dispose of specific Clinical Waste streams where they meet the same combustion and handling requirements as set out in preceding point.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic the EA published a Regulatory Position Statement (RPS C23) clarifying the circumstances where COVID-19 waste can be incinerated with Municipal Waste Waste (MSW) until July 2021. [2]. Out of all Residual Waste EFW sites, 21 received Clinical Waste in 2019 and/or 2018, with some, such as Tyseley ERF, having a long history of receiving Clinical Waste and others currently applying to accept Clinical Waste in the longer term, such as Sheffield ERF, to enable continued receipt of this waste after RPS C23 expires.
List of Sites
The following table summarises all High Temperature and Clinical Waste Incineration sites, excluding micro-scale plants and Pet Crematoriums. Of the sites listed, only one has recently opened (Haylers End Energy Recovery) and one is in construction for delivery in the summer of 2021 (Scotia Business Park). The largest High Temperature Incinerator site in the UK, and one of the most advanced in Europe[3], is Veolia's Ellesmere Port Incinerator which recently celebrated its 30th anniversary[4].
Within the table below the headline plated capacity, the total tonnage received in 2019 and the tonnage of Clinical Waste received in 2019 is listed, with the type of site grouped into 3 categories:
- High Temperature Incinerators (HTI) (4 sites)
- Clinical Waste Incinerators (ClinIncin) (18 sites plus 1 in construction)
- Incinerators that received Clinical Waste in 2019 and/or 2018 (Incin) (21 sites plus 1 that received but transferred out in 2018)
More detailed information can be found by clicking through to the site specific page from the table below:
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| ID | Site Name | Type of Site | Capacity (t) | Total Received 2019 | Clinical Received 2019 |
|---|