Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) Utilization in Cement Industry by Using Analytic Network Process (ANP)

Abstract

One of the main methods for utilizing waste is its use as an energy source. Waste is only suitable for use as a fuel if it has chemical energy content. This energy content depends most of all on the size of the (organic) combustible fraction and on the moisture content. To better employ the chemical energy contained in wastes, alternative fuels have been developed which are mixtures of different wastes. Refuse-derived fuel (RDF) or solid recovered fuel/ specified recovered fuel (SRF) is a fuel produced by shredding and mixing municipal solid waste (MSW) or industrial waste. RDF can be used in a variety of ways to produce electricity. It can be used alongside traditional sources of fuel in coal power plants. RDF can be co-incinerated in the cement kiln industry, where the strict standards of the waste incineration directive are met. That is, the desire to reduce total fuel costs through substitution of RDF for the normal fossil fuels, primarily coal, used in these facilities. Internationally, RDF has complied with Kyoto Protocol measures and is considered a renewable fuel. In this study, Analytic Network Process (ANP) that is one of the Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) tools has been used to evaluate for RDF utilization in cement industry. For this purpose, following scenarios were occurred: Scenario 1: using of coal as a fuel; Scenario 2: using alternatives fuels (discarded as waste tyre, oil waste etc.); Scenario 3a: using of 10 % RDF and 90 % coal as a fuel; Scenario 3b: using of 40 % RDF and 60 % coal as a fuel; Scenario 3c: using of 100 % RDF as a fuel. Super Decision Software has been used for the evaluation of these scenarios and Benefit Opportunity Cost and Risk (BOCR) analysis has been done to apply ANP. In BOCR analysis, each scenario has been evaluated in terms of its benefits, costs and risks; the opportunity cluster has been examined under benefit cluster. In this context, technical, economical and social assessments have been done for the RDF utilization in cement industry. According to this assessments, the scenario 3c (% 100 RDF) was found as the best scenario.