AQW 7744/17-22

Mr John Blair
Alliance Party
South Antrim

Tabled Date: 28/09/2020
Answered On Date: 06/10/2020
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs for his assessment of the climate impacts of Waste-to-Energy plants.

Answer:

Firstly, it is important to acknowledge that any waste which is not prevented will have some level of climate impact.

That impact is dependent on various factors and where waste cannot be prevented, there is potential to reduce emissions by diverting waste from landfill to other treatment options. This includes recycling, composting, anaerobic digestion, mechanical biological treatment and incineration with energy recovery. Biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) sent to landfill can create harmful emissions, particularly methane which is a very potent greenhouse gas.

In terms of the climate impact of waste to energy plants there are many variables to consider, such as; the efficiency of the plant, whether they have carbon capture and storage systems and what mix of waste they use as an energy source. All of these have a bearing on their climate impacts.

The Committee on Climate Change report on Reducing Emissions in Northern Ireland published in February 2019 highlighted that the role of energy from waste plants to treat BMW diverted from landfill should be assessed. I am therefore continuing to review this type of waste treatment in terms of future waste infrastructure needs for Northern Ireland.