Some politicians and planners are often concerned that smaller-scale and multiple plant WtE options are too expensive and do not properly investigate these options. This is often the result of bad information. Countries like Norway and Denmark have many examples of small-scale facilities, often designed with the community integration and cost in mind.

There is some cost benefits from using larger scales of facility, but they are not as important as much over conservative financial thinking may suggest.

The higher costs of small-scale WtE options can be reduced and perhaps even cancelled, when savings in lorry movements and transport infrastructure such as waste bulking stations are taken into account.

Other savings can come from using the small-scale plant to produce just heat or steam, and not electricity, or from using wastes that can charge higher disposal fees.

Some of the new technologies, have been designed specifically with small-scale application in mind, they are modular and reduce the need for air emissions equipment by using highly developed thermal conversion processes.

Small-scale WtE are an option for us in the UK, and we already have them located in Lerwick, Grimsby and the Isle of Wight. The Danish experience is that community nuisances can be well managed with small plants, with community housing located only 300 to 100 metres away from the plant itself ¹.

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¹ T. Kristiansen, Ramboll Denmark A/S, CIWM Conference 2006