Page 28 - Waste-to-Energy in the Danube Strategy Region. Challenges and Prospects

Zagreb. Close cooperation with existing infrastructure (local thermal plants, coal-burning plants)

can also generate innovative technical solutions. As an example, the Zwentendorf power plant in
Austria sends steam to a nearby thermal plant for the purpose of generating electricity. Thus, no

generator need be installed at the WtE complex (Alfons 2018).

Existing infrastructure is considerably influenced by past choices concerning energy and

waste management needs. Such choices often reflect a country’s natural resources (COOLSWEEP

2014). Thus, a country with significant domestic coal resources, for example, is likely to have an
electricity sector characterized by large coal-fuelled thermal plants and the appropriate

supporting infrastructure. Similar to the political and legislative landscape, infrastructure is thus

affected by lock-in and path dependency. The state of existing infrastructure can also have
economic impacts on WtE projects given the high capital costs discussed above. Any WtE project

should therefore give careful consideration to this issue.

Choosing the best possible location has a crucial impact on a WtE project. Selecting the

most viable site with good connection to heat/electricity transmission and waste delivery
infrastructure is as important as the technology itself. Efficient planning of infrastructure

connections is therefore key to the successful operation of both existing and planned projects

(Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 2014).

Project co-funded by the European Union
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