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APPLICATION OF WASTETOENERGY
TECHNOLOGIES IN GREECE
MAVROPOULOS ANTONISo, SKOULAXINOU SOTIRIAo, KARKAZI ANNAo,
MENTZIS ANDREASo
o
EPEM S.A., Acharnon 141Β, 11251 Athens, Greece
1. INTRODUCTION
In EU, it seems that Waste to Energy (WTE) concepts either in the form of direct incineration
of MSW or in the form of thermal utilization of secondary fuels (RDF or SRF) are strongly
preferred as a mean to fulfil the targets that have been set for biodegradable waste management.
Currently approximately 50 million tones of waste are thermally treated each year in about 400
Waste to Energy Plans (WEPs) in Europe (Stengler E., 2005).
Greece is one of the few MS that does not incorporate thermal treatment in waste management
systems.
The aim of this paper is to outline the main barriers and drivers for WTE concepts in Greece
taking into account the experiences gained from the preparation of two regional waste
management facilities in Western Macedonia and Achaia Prefecture. The studies elaborated for
the two Regions indicated several barriers and drivers that actually, apply nationally. These
drivers/barriers that most of the people working in the waste management have thought of
perhaps more than once, were clearly identified in the work done and will be outlined in the
following.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE TWO CASESTUDIES
2.1 The Western Macedonia Region Case Study
2.1.1 Short profile
The Region of Western Macedonia (WMR) is located at the northwestern part of Greece and
consists of four prefectures, namely the prefecture of Kozani, Grevena, Kastoria and Florina.
The population of the region is approximately 300.000 citizens of which more than 50% live in
the prefecture of Kozani. The total area of the region is approximately 950.000 hectares.
The WMR is characterized by the extensive excavation activities of lignite for the production
of energy and the respective units of power generation. These excavations and depositions have
irreversibly affected the relief of the area. Due to the fact that much of the power generated in
Greece is actually produced in the WMR (approximately 70% of the national power generation),
the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the area is approximately 3% of the national GDP (approx.
4.000 m€ and 13.500 € / capita). The 55% of the GDP of the area is produced in the Kozani
prefecture, where most of the excavation and power generation activities take place.
2.1.2 Data on waste quantity and quality current waste management status
The WMR possesses a pioneer, at least for the Greek reality, regional municipal waste
management system consisting of the collection of the waste and the transportation through a
network of nine transfer stations to the regional sanitary landfill, which began its operation in
2004. This waste management system refers to the waste generated in the whole region of the
Western Macedonia and this fact is also avantgarde in Greece. In addition, in the four biggest
cities of the region (Kozani, Ptolemaida, Florina and Grevena) as well as in several
municipalities, systems for the separate collection of paper and cardboard are currently
operating, covering approximately the 65% of the total population of the region. However it is
already planned and will be implemented in the very near future, a more comprehensive
selection at source system, for all recyclates (paper, plastics, metals and glass), will be
implemented covering approximately 80% of the population of the region. These fractions of
recyclates will be collected and processed in the 5 local and 1 regional recycling facilities in
order to be utilized.
The total amount of waste generated in the WMR is approximately 120.000 tons / year. The
waste generation appears to be relatively stable over time.
The total cost of the waste management system (excluding the waste collection, which is the
responsibility of each municipality and including the costs of depreciation) is approximately 2,9
m€, resulting in a gate fee of 27,5 € / ton (it refers to a total annual generation of 106.000 tons of
waste, that are currently been collected). From this gate fee the 18,5€ / ton refers to the operation
of the whole network of transfer stations and 9 €/ton to the operation of the regional landfill. The
estimation cost for the selection at source system will be approximately 700.000 € / year,
considering the expected revenue for the utilization of the recyclables (approximately 740.000 € /
year).
The operator of the aforementioned waste management system is DIADYMA SA
(Management of Municipal Waste of Western Macedonia S.A.). DIADYMA is a societe anonym,
whose only stakeholders are:
The Local Unions of Municipalities and Communities of the prefectures of Grevena, Kastoria,
Kozani and Florina
The Municipalities of Grevena, Kastoria, Kozani and Florina
DIADYMA was established in 1997 and during the first years of its operation it was
responsible for the design and preparation of all the studies necessary for the development of the
integrated regional waste management system. At present, DIADYMA is responsible for the
operation of the existing waste management (transfer stations network and landfill operation) and
the development of the new infrastructures and systems, namely the development of the selection
at source system for recyclates and the design, construction and operation of a treatment unit for
mixed municipal waste. DIADYMA is considered a very successful Waste Management
Authority and is always the pioneer in introducing novel concepts and systems in the Greek
territory. As a result the waste management system of WMR is considered the most successful in
Greece, having solved the problem of waste and residues disposal and already seeking for
alternative ways of waste management.
2.1.3 Description of the problem and applied approach for its solution
DIADYMA SA recognizes that further steps are needed in order to address need for integrated
waste management and maximum utilization of materials included in the waste. It also
recognizes the gap that has to be covered in order to fulfill the EU and national legislation
specific targets for the recovery of materials from the waste (packaging materials) and the
diversion of biodegradable waste from being disposed of in landfill sites.
In this framework, the DIADYMA implemented a technical study for the construction and
operation of a municipal solid waste treatment unit. This study, which was finalized in March
2006, aimed at selecting a suitable waste treatment technology, tailored to the needs of the
specific region and preparing the technical design for the selected solution. The methodology
that was followed included the following steps:
Firstly, waste quantities, composition and properties were determined in order to be utilized
during the comparison of the alternative scenarios. Then, the alternative waste management
scenarios were determined based on extensive consultation with DIADYMA to determine the
specific needs of the region and of the waste management operator. The conclusions of this
consultation included:
The preference to technologies that produce energy, which is an easily marketable commodity
The preference to technologies that significantly reduce the volume and mass of the waste that
will end up into landfills
The preference to relatively simple technologies, of modular form
The preference to technologies that are not very sensitive to changes in composition and are
capable to handle commingled waste
Study trips to several waste management units in Europe took also place as well as a market
research for the products that would derive from the alternative waste treatment technologies.
The result of these activities was the development of 4 alternative scenarios, all focused on
energy recovery, either via the production of Refuse Derive Fuel or Solid Recovered Fuel (RDF /
SRF) or via the generation of biogas. A massburn option was also included. These alternatives
were compared based on their technical, financial and environmental performance in order for
DIADYMA to assess, which technology suits best the WMR.
It was evident that the gate fees for the waste management in WMR would significantly
increase. This increase would be no less than 30 €/ ton and up to 100 €/ton, depending on the
selected scenario and the source of the funding.
The on going failure of the MBT projects in Greece due to poor diversion rates and high
operational cost drives WMA to confront MBT only as supplement to thermal treatment and not
as a solution by itself. By that way it is a driver for WtE. On the other hand this failure also poses
as a barrier because it creates a lot of questions whether the capacity of WMA is enough to
sustain a WtE plant.
The public of the WMR is not opposed to the WtE technologies, as it may be the case for other
places in Greece. This is mainly due to the fact that the area of the abandoned lignite mines, where
all waste facilities will be located, is already a heavily degraded area. Also, the power plants in the
area contribute to the further environmental degradation of the region. As a result the potential
operation of a WtE facility in the region does not create any strong public opposition.
The waste management facility that will be developed in the region will be located close to the
existing landfill, in the old lignite mines. As a result, the Not in my back yard syndrome will not be
an issue in this case.
One major finding was that thermal treatment was impossible without a grant for the
construction of the facility. Even if this grant was available, the waste quantity is relatively small
in order to have an affordable gate fee for the operation of a thermal treatment unit. Finally, a
PPP procedure will not be viable if it concerns a thermal treatment unit.
The possibility of production of RDF in order to provide it for coincineration was also
examined and it was found also viable, too. Main reasons were high transfer costs and reluctance
by the potential users (strict quality specifications were requested and abatement measures where
mentioned necessary for compliance with the WID directive). Taking into consideration the
European experience, an additional cost of 3545 euros/ tone of RDF should be added to the
expenses of the waste treatment unit in order to ensure RDF utilization in industrial incinerators.
Thus the analysis that was carried out indicated that the two most favorable scenarios for the
management of the waste produced in WMR were:
The mechanical treatment followed by anaerobic digestion of the waste for the production and
utilization of biogas
The mechanical biological treatment for the production of a stabilized material, which would
be landfilled followed by the addition of large amounts of water for the production and
utilization of biogas (flushing bioreactor).
The following table summarizes drivers and barriers for WtE projects in Western Macedonia
Region. Drivers and barriers that apply at the national level will be mentioned in the following.
Table 2.1: Drivers and barriers for WTE in Western Macedonia Region
SHORT TERM MEDIUM TERM LONG TERM
(1-3 years) (3-5 years) (5-8 years)
Energy production
means safe income
WMA is a driver: it
Uncertainty for the Easy connection with
promotes sustainable waste
STRONG success of source the power distribution
management
DRIVERS
separation network
Location of the plant
creates no NIMBY
Failure of MBT efforts Reduction of available
Public familiar with landfill volume (although
WEAK
energy production there is a lot of space
activities available)
Reluctance of potential
BARRIERS
2.2 The Achaia Prefecture Case Study
2.2.1 Short profile
The prefecture of Achaia lies on the northwestern edge of the Peloponnese Peninsula and
along with the Prefectures of Hlia and Aitoloakarnania formulate the Western Greece Region.
The position of Achaia is strategic because it provides with a link between the north and the
south part of Greece as well as between Greece and Italy. The harbour of Patras is one of the
biggest in the country, with tons of goods being transported every day. The city of Patras, the
capital of the Prefecture, is the third largest city of Greece in terms of population and hosts a
rather famous university with numerous students.
The coastal areas are highly populated forming a quite typical urban environment like the
cities of Patras, Rio and Aegio. Total population in the prefecture is 322,789 habitats with 63% of
the population living in the aforementioned cities.
Lately, two major works in the field of road infrastructure have been completed, enhancing the
strategic position of the area: the Rio Bridge, connecting Peloponnese with north Greece and the
peripheral road that bypasses the city of Patras and leads to the southwest coast of Peloponnese.
All the above have resulted in a growth in the prefecture’s GDP, which is now 50% of the
GDP of Western Greece Region (3,486 m€ over a regional total of 7,034 m€) and reaches 2.5%
of the National GDP.
2.2.2 Data on waste quantity and quality current waste management status
The amount of waste generated in the entire prefecture reaches 200,000 tons, of which 60% is
accumulated in the area of Patras and Rio municipalities. Indicatively, waste generation per
capita reaches 1.8 Kg/cap.*d in the area of Patras and Rio and does not exceed 1.5 Kg/cap.*d in
the rest of the prefecture. Compared to the national average per capita generation (1.14
Kg/cap.*d), it is obvious that waste production is high, mainly due to the urbanization in the city
of Patras. Currently, there is one organized sanitary landfill in the prefecture, which serves the
city of Patras and partly of Rio. Landfilling costs do not exceed 10 €/ton, while data on
collection/transfer costs are not available.
Except for the Patras Landfill, the rest of the prefecture is not served by a sanitary landfill
(SL). However, one SL is about to begin its operation (approx. 7,000 tons/y), while another one
in Western Achaia is under construction (approx. 20,000 tons/y). It is expected that by end of
2007, the population served by a SL that fulfills the specifications of 99/31/EC directive, will
reach 82%.
The municipalities do daily waste collection and transfer. Patras Landfill is operated by Patras
Municipality (Waste Management Authority). The municipality of Patras is a rather experienced
municipality in terms of waste management since the landfill is in operation for many years. The
two new landfills will be the responsibility of the WMAs that have been formulated for this
purpose by the municipalities to be served.
Except from landfilling, recycling schemes for packaging waste are applied in the city of
Patras and an MRF has been established (within landfill boundaries). The MRF is operated
successfully by the Hellenic Recovery Recycling Corporation – HERRCO that is the official
authority for the recycling of packaging waste in Greece. The schemes began in 1999 and are
expanding gradually to serve larger numbers of population.
2.2.3 Description of the problem and applied approach for its solution
The scientific and technical community in Achaia is quite strong and pressures towards a more
sustainable waste management system. The source separation schemes and the successful operation
of the MRF poses a good example to alternative means of waste management but the infrastructure is
such that a small proportion of the population is served. Therefore small quantities are currently
diverted from landfill.
While efforts have been made to establish an integrated waste management system in Achaia
that is according to the waste hierarchy, still the dependency on sanitary landfilling is present.
Waste amounts are large and the major waste producer, Patras Municipality, depends on a landfill
that has only 24 years of lifetime left and in the same time, the morphology of the prefecture
(mountainous inner part, tourist coastal areas), makes it almost impossible to establish new
landfills close to the urban areas. It is a real no way out since the morphology mainly, but social
reasons as well (NIMBY syndrome), prevent from finding new areas to establish a landfill.
So it has become urgent to reduce drastically, the amount of waste being landfilled, via waste
treatment. For that reason a study was elaborated, similar to the one described in the case of
WMR. Due to the fact that mass and volume reduction of waste is of major concern, a preference
to WtE technologies was also demonstrated.
In particular, site visits and consultation with the stakeholders concerned (municipality,
prefectural authorities, university representatives, technical chamber representatives, etc.),
resulted that the technologies evaluated should fulfill the following criteria (EPEM 2003,
Skoulaxinou et. al., 2003):
• Waste types : the technology should be capable to treat mixed municipal waste and it is
desired to treat other waste streams as well (eg. sludge)
• Waste Quantities : it is necessary to increase the served area in order to maximize waste
quantities and thus reduce the operational cost of treatment
• Energy Recovery: It is considered the most crucial part of the facility because energy is
considered as an easily marketable commodity. It is desired to maximize the production of
energy, too.
• Residues : It should not exceed 2530% w.w. of waste input. It is desired that this residue is
mainly inert
• Material Recovery : recovery of Compost Like Output should be avoided because it
increases finally the residual volume. The treatment unit should not be in competition with
the necessary source separation programmes.
• Flexibility : the treatment unit should be capable to handle changes in organic fraction
content of waste. The possibility of modular construction was welcomed.
Based on the above directions, the technologies evaluated were: MBT with production of RDF
and compost, MBT with production of biogas and RDF, MBT with production of SRF and mass
burn incineration. All the designed “scenarios” included an energy recovery facility for the
RDF/SRF/biogas.
A crucial conclusion was that the actual cost of landfilling was too low and it cannot sustain
an effective operation of the landfill. Moreover it was not in accordance with the guidelines of
Landfill Directive. An estimation of the real cost of landfilling drove to a gate fee of 30 euros /
tone instead of the 10 euros / tone that is charged.
Another major finding was that the implementation of a thermal treatment unit should be
combined with a grant in order to avoid excessive increase in gate fees. Otherwise, a PPP
procedure should be followed. In this case however, the total waste amount should reach 300.000
tones/ year, which means the expansion of the served area in the neighboring prefectures.
However, the morphology of the area and the necessity to establish the plant closer to Patras, will
increase a lot transfer costs for the rest of the served area. Perhaps, this may be a barrier for the
rest of the municipalities against a centralized facility.
The following table summarizes local drivers and barriers for WTE projects in Achaia and
Western Greece Region.
Table 2.2: Drivers and barriers for WTE in Achaia Western Greece Region
SHORT TERM MEDIUM TERM LONG TERM
(1-3 years) (3-5 years) (5-8 years)
Uncertainty for the No way out for landfill Reduction of
success of source space environmental impacts
separation Strong scientific – of landfills
technical group pressing
STRONG for sustainable solutions
Minimization of residual
DRIVERS
waste
Energy production
means safe income
Failure of MBT efforts WMA is a driver but not
WMA familiar with so well organized
waste treatment and
WEAK
source separation
Reduction of available
landfill volume
Failure of MBT efforts NGOs against thermal
solutions
Recycling of plastic and
paper in competition
BARRIERS
WEAK
with thermal utilization
Lack of will for co-
incineration from
potential users
No easy connection with Lack of funds - grants
STRONG the power distribution Morphology increases Low Landfill Cost
network
transfer costs
3. NATIONAL BARRIERS AND DRIVERS
The description of the drivers/barriers at the local level as presented in the two case studies,
may have already “revealed” several national drivers and barriers, that are common to the whole
country, even though Greece is not a uniform place and incorporates mountainous areas and
islands, high income touristic places and low income rural areas as well as highly urbanized
cities.
3.1 The history barrier
Up to now, there were three remarkable efforts to introduce WTE in Greece. The first one
took place at early 90s in Zakynthos Island and it was a complete failure. A small and old
fashioned incinerator was installed and after a short test period it shut down due to big
operational as well as environmental problems. In the middle 90s there was another effort to
establish a small incineration unit in Thira Island. With a total capacity of 15,000 tones/ year that
incinerator was planned to work for 67 months per year, while the rest of the period the waste
was going to be balled and stored until the next operational period. Although there was a big
financial support from EU, local municipalities and the Greek government were not finally
persuaded for the feasibility of the project, especially due to high operational cost and limited
technical experience of similar projects.
The most important effort for a WtE project is the big Mechanical Biological Treatment
(MBT) facility of Athens. This facility is operational now and it has been planned to produce
(among others) 300400 tones of RDF per day. Still, there is no solution regarding the utilization
of RDF, either in a coincineration concept (e.g. in local cement industry) or in a dedicated RDF
incinerator. It is clear that this is a planning failure as well as a systematic fault in the preparation
of such a facility.
Thus in terms of history, it is clear that the three failures described above create a barrier for
the selection of WtE projects.
3.2 The political barrier
It is well known that Greek Government was practically against WtE concepts especially in
the period 19952000. The main reasoning was the high cost and the unsuitability of incineration
for the national local conditions (waste composition, technical capacity of employees,
dependence on equipment and maintenance etc.)
These political positions in combination with the ecological NGOs attitudes against
incineration have created a political barrier that cannot be ignored and sometimes must be
considered as remarkable.
The political attitude against thermal treatment has changed and it is clear that WtE projects
will be supported form the Greek government from now on.
There is also another policy mater that makes the introduction of WTE concepts more
difficult. Greece lost the opportunity to provide substantial funds for integrated waste
management approaches during the 3rd Community Support Framework. With only one exception
in Chania (MBT facility), only new landfills and transfer stations were eligible. More than 300
million Euros were spent between 2000 2006 in order to create a total landfill capacity around
2,5 million tones / year (Mavropoulos, Kouskouris, Chagios, 2006).
This political choice drove the most developed and wellorganized Waste Management
Authorities (WMA) just to expand their landfill capacity, although there were a lot of them that
were prepared to build waste treatment units.
3.3 The landfill dependence and cost barrier
Greece is the first country in the EU in terms of dependence on landfilling and the third in
absolute quantities of MSW driven to landfills. Table 3.1 presents the relevant data.
Table 3.1: Landfill dependence of EU countries (European Commission 2005)
Country range Use of landfill as the main waste management activity MSW to Landfill
1 Greece Ireland
2 Sweden UK
3 Ireland Greece
4 Portugal Spain
5 Spain Portugal
6 France Italy
The landfill dependence means practically that most of the country citizens and waste
management authorities are used in very low operational cost in the range of 835 euros/ tone of
waste (Mavropoulos, Kouskouris, Chagios, 2006). This cost range does not even cover the typical
needs for a good landfill operation, monitoring and aftercare.
Taking into account that the incineration costs are between 100 and 280 Euros/ton of waste
(Goerner 2003, Bilitewski et. al., 2005) it is clear that costs are a big barrier for WtE concepts.
With the exception of the region of Attica and Thessaloniki the waste generation figures in the
rest of the country require the installation of small capacities waste treatment units, even if they
refer to the regional level. Only in cases of interregional waste management system, or in big
regions, will the capacities of the waste management units significantly increase and thus related
gate fees may become affordable.
3.4 The national legislation and public administration barrier
The existing specifications for the WtE facilities were developed in 1997 and hence they do
not include recent technological advances. As a result the fact that the WtE technologies have
improved their environmental performance in the last years, cannot be identified in these
specifications. The standards for the RDF, as they are described in the Greek Legislation (JMD
114218/1997), requiring less than 20% moisture, and more than 95% content in paper and plastics
may be difficult to achieve by the treatment of mixed municipal solid waste. Besides, the absence
of putrescibles that such specifications prescribe, may result in RDF being characterized as non
renewable energy source. Other implications also appear, due to possibly high chlorine
concentrations (increased plastics content), making difficult for RDF coincineration (at least in
cement factories).
The fact that even at the EU level, standards for the secondary fuels have not been set yet,
restricts further the potential production of secondary fuel from waste.
One more serious problem is that in Greece there is still lack of compliance control measures
and institutional development. This situation results in facing the waste management legislation
more as a wish and less as an obligation.
3.5 The Waste Management Authorities barrier
One of the most important issues for the development of integrated waste management
systems in Greece is the Waste Management Authority problem (WMA). Today in Greece there
are more than 40 WMA. Few of them are in a position to provide integrated waste management
services while most of them are facing problems of poor technical, financial and institutional
capacity. There is a need for the modernization (Mavropoulos, Kouskouris, Chagios, 2006) of
their legal status and improvement of their human resources in order to be able:
To apply cost efficient gate fees
To develop long and medium term business plans
To work in PPPs
This issue should be faced as a barrier to WTE concepts, but there are movements that show
that some initiatives are prepared to solve the problem.
3.6 The RDF market barrier
It is clear that the Landfill Directive and the whole EU framework for waste management push
hardly for the implementation of waste treatment facilities. It is also important to mention that
according to the European Directive on the promotion of electricity produced from renewable
energy sources (RES Electricity) 2001/77/EC, the biodegradable fraction of waste is considered
as biomass and thus a renewable energy source. Regulations and concepts regarding climate
change will also contribute to the expansion of thermal treatment in EU (Stengler E.,2005 and
Goerner, 2003).
The Landfill Directive obliged all MS to create a national strategy for Biodegradable Waste
Management. Such a strategy has been created for Greece (Skoulaxinou et al, 2004) but without
the necessary legal tools to enforce its implementation. According to the EC legislation, the
biodegradable waste ending up in landfill should be significantly reduced in the years to come.
However, the authorities have not been able to determine how this will occur in a systematic way.
It is left to the regional authorities to decide how they will contribute in reaching the national
target on the diversion of biodegradable waste from landfills. Therefore, each region may have its
own perception on how to divert the biodegradable waste from landfill, usually looking for the
lowest cost technology. In many cases, this fact excludes WtE from even been seriously
considered, since most regions are mainly examining mechanical and biological waste treatment
technologies.
While it is obvious that the reduction of the landfilled biodegradable fraction will have
positive environmental impacts, it is not sure if such a reduction can be achieved without central
facilities and in particular incineration plants which lead to massive volume reduction and
produce energy that can be sold more easily. The national targets for biodegradable waste
management in Greece are presented in Table 3.2.
Table 3.2: Targets for BMW management in Greece
Targets for landfilling & Diversion of Biodegradable 2010 2013 2020
Municipal Waste (BMW) (mtons) (mtons) (mtons)
Maximum BMW that may be driven to Landfills 1,95 1,30 0,90
Minimum BMW that should be diverted 1,10 1,90 2,70
It has been reported (Mavropoulos, Kouskouris, Karkazi, 2006) that the achievement of those
targets presupposes that 10 waste treatment facilities should be developed until 2015 with an
investment capital of 700 – 900 million Euros.
3.8 The Energy Driver
In Greece the annual consumption of electrical energy per capita is continuously rising as well
as the needs for alternative energy sources. Between 1994 and 2005 the annual consumption of
electrical energy per capita increased by almost 50% (PPC S.A, 2005). Figure 3.1 provides the
relevant data. Although the per capita consumption is still low comparing with other EU
countries, the Greek Market is one of the rapid developed energy markets with an annual
increase of 44,5%.
Taking into account the evolution of oil prices, it is clear that the energy needs in Greece will
be an important driver for WTE. This factor may be of major importance for big Greek islands
that often face lack of energy and problems in electrical power distribution.
Figure 3.1: Evolution of annual consumption of electrical energy per capita in KWh (PPC S.A,
2005)
3.9 The Public – Private Partnership Driver
Until recently it was very difficult or even impossible to move with Public – Private
Partnerships (PPPs) in waste management in Greece. After the law 3389/2005 there is a new
framework that is more convenient and helps a lot in creating PPPs in general.
Although this is a big step forward, there are still a lot of problems that have to be solved in
order to create effective PPPs in waste management (Mavropoulos, Kouskouris, Karkazi, 2006)
like:
The formulation of procedures for the documentation of PPP requirement
The creation of standard tender templates and sample contracts with the minimum
legal and environmental requirements
The development of performance criteria for each waste treatment
The modernization of the Waste Management Authorities legal status (see below)
The modernization of legislation regarding incineration, MBT and secondary fuels
3.10 The Landfill Space Driver
Space, is not plenty in Greece let alone for establishing new landfills. Touristic places have
high land prices, mountainous territory has steep slopes and protected areas, islands are small
and windy, therefore landfills already constructed should have the maximum possible capacity.
Strong NIMBY syndromes make it even more difficult to find new areas. For these reasons,
treatment with increased diversion from landfill rates, like WtE, seem favourable.
Table 3.3 summarizes national barriers and drivers in WTE projects in Greece.
Table 3.3: National drivers and barriers for WTE in Greece
SHORT TERM MEDIUM TERM LONG TERM
(1-3 years) (3-5 years) (5-8 years)
EU Legislation driver Energy driver
DRIVERS
STRONG
Landfill Space
4. CONCLUSIONS
From the case studies that were presented it is obvious that local conditions are well combined
with national legislation and EU regulation problems creating significant barriers for the
implementation of WtE projects in Greece.
Although the political attitude against incineration has changed, there are certain issues that
have to be arranged before the implementation of WtE projects becomes easier, even for Attica
and Thessaloniki the two biggest cities.
The cost barrier seems to be the most important barrier because there is a big gap between
current gate fees (disposal fees) and future treatment fees. A landfill tax may be necessary to
solve this problem.
Modernization of national standards for RDF and incineration is also a top priority issue in
order to create conditions favourable to waste treatment. The formulation of EU standards for
RDF quality and coincineration, as well as the development of end –of waste criteria will
provide a major contribution at WtE across Europe. These changes are also required, among
others, in order implement PPPs in waste management investments. Besides, the improvement of
WMAs in terms of organisation and technical/financial capacity is also an important issue,
especially if PPPs are applied.
The main drivers for WtE on a national level are the EU legislation for waste management,
renewable energy regulations and climate change legislation, as well as the increasing energy
needs of Greece. The new law for PPPs could be a remarkable driver if some practical
preparation for waste management projects will be implemented soon.
Landfilling problems and space limitations are also drivers towards WtE because the
reduction of waste going to landfill may become the major issue after some years when al the
new constructed landfills reach designed capacities.
On a local level, it seems that the cost barrier is the biggest problem, as well as lack of grants.
Small capacity is also a problem in most of the regions of the country. Monopoly circumstances
in the potential users of RDF create difficulties in coincineration projects.
Another important driver is that energy as a product ensures a safe income, which of course is
not the case regarding several recyclates.
It is also important to notice that at the local level, the example set by previous efforts is taken
under serious consideration. MBT failures in Greece act both as a driver for WtE and as barrier
too.
As a final remark, authors would like to conclude that a lot of things regarding WtE future to
Greece are depending on the final formulation and the eligibility of projects during the
forthcoming 4th Community Support Framework. If WtE projects are eligible even for a part of
the construction cost, then 68 WTE projects will be implemented within next 6 years; otherwise
maximum 23 projects will be implemented to serve the big cities.
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