title: Environmental and economic performance of plasma gasification in Enhanced Landfill Mining.
abstract: This paper describes an environmental and economic assessment of plasma gasification, one of the viable candidates for the valorisation of refuse derived fuel from Enhanced Landfill Mining. The study is based on life cycle assessment and life cycle costing. Plasma gasification is benchmarked against conventional incineration, and the study indicates that the process could have significant impact on climate change, human toxicity, particulate matter formation, metal depletion and fossil depletion. Flue gas emission, oxygen usage and disposal of residues (plasmastone) are the major environmental burdens, while electricity production and metal recovery represent the major benefits. Reductions in burdens and improvements in benefits are found when the plasmastone is valorised in building materials instead of landfilling. The study indicates that the overall environmental performance of plasma gasification is better than incineration. The study confirms a trade-off between the environmental and economic performance of the discussed scenarios. Net electrical efficiency and investment cost of the plasma gasification process and the selling price of the products are the major economic drivers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Engineering, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 44, 3001 Leuven, Belgium; Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Martelarenlaan 42, 3500 Hasselt, Belgium. Electronic address: mdanthurebandara@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Maheshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Danthurebandara
authors.affiliation: Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Martelarenlaan 42, 3500 Hasselt, Belgium; University of Antwerp, Prinsstraat 13, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Van Passel
authors.affiliation: Sustainable Materials Management Unit VITO NV, 2400 MOL, Belgium.
authors.forename: Ive
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vanderreydt
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Engineering, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 44, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Karel
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Van Acker
mesh_terms: D005740:Gases / Q000032:analysis; D017745:Incineration; D008906:Mining; D058626:Plasma Gases / Q000032:analysis* / Q000191:economics; D064091:Waste Disposal Facilities; D018505:Waste Management / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D005740:Gases; D058626:Plasma Gases
keywords: Enhanced Landfill Mining; Life cycle assessment; Life cycle costing; Plasma gasification