WASTE TO ENERGY

Current Status of China's Waste Incineration Power Generation Industry

China's waste incineration power generation industry  developed rapidly over the past decade and more, and has now become the world's largest and technologically leading industry. Its specific characteristics are as follows:

As of the end of 2024, 1,010 waste incineration power plants have been completed nationwide, equipped with 2,172 incineration line, with a daily processing capacity of 1.11 million tons, accounting for 63% of the global total processing capacity. The annual treatment of waste reaches approximately 400 million tons. In 2023, waste incineration treatment accounted for 82.5% of the total municipal solid waste (MSW) in China, taking a dominant position in urban waste terminal disposal.

The industry currently faces the issue of "overcapacity ": the average load rate of incinerators nationwide is about 60% only, 107 incinerators (accounting for 5% of the total) have been out of operation for more than half a year due to "insufficient waste supply." The large-scale development period of waste incineration in China has basically come to an end. Over the next decade, new projects will decrease sharply, and equipment suppliers will have to compete the international market with their products.

Technological Development and Export Capabilities

1. Grate Technology: Through the introduction, digestion, and absorption of foreign technologies (such as those from Germany's Martin, Japan's Mitsubishi, and Hitachi Zosen), localized production has been realized with strong manufacturing capabilities. Some grate equipment has been exported to Southeast Asia, Africa, and other regions, participating in global waste treatment market competition.
2. Flue Gas Treatment Technology: Driven by stringent environmental regulations, China has made remarkable innovations and has become a key technology exporter in global waste incineration flue gas treatment. Core technologies include:
   • Rotating Spray Dryer (SDA) desulfurization upgrading technology
   • Dry + semi-dry combined desulfurization process
   • SNCR-SCR combined denitrification technology
   • Low-temperature SCR denitrification (NOₓ) technology
   • PTFE membrane filter bag dust removal technology
   • Intelligent ash cleaning control system (automatically adjusting cleaning frequency and intensity via PLC to balance filter protection and filtration efficiency)
   • Combined technology of activated carbon injection + bag interception for removing heavy metals and dioxins
   • Heavy metal extraction technology from fly ash
   • Leachate treatment technology
3. Intelligent Operation: Most waste-to-energy plants have been built in the past decade, generally adopting the latest intelligent and automated operation modes. For example, AI technology is applied in scenarios such as waste stacking optimization, automatic identification of combustion status, and automatic feeding control. The plant control technology is at the world's leading level.

Main Equipment for Waste Incineration Power Generation

Waste incineration power generation equipment can be divided into two categories: main equipment and auxiliary system equipment, with specific components as follows:

Core Main Equipment

1. Incineration System
   • reciprocating grate
   • burners
   • hydraulic system
   • furnace
2. Heat recovery Power Generation System
   • heat recovery boiler (including components such as superheater, evaporator, and economizer, drum)
   • Steam turbine
   • Generator
   • Supporting equipment: deaerator, condenser, various valves, pipelines, fans, motors, and water pumps
   • Air heater
   • Fan
3. Flue Gas  Treatment System
   • Deacidification device (for treating acid gases)
   • Denitrification device (for removing nitrogen oxides)
   • Bag filter
   • Activated carbon adsorption system (for deep removal of dioxins and heavy metals)
4. Auxiliary System Equipment
   • Waste crane
   • Crushing and vibration screen
   • slag extractor, slag silo, magnetic separator (for metal recovery)
   • Fly ash treatment: fly ash silo, mixing equipment (for stabilization/solidification)
   • All sort of conveyor
   • Water treatment system: leachate treatment (MBR + nanofiltration/reverse osmosis process) and circulating cooling water system
   • Automated control system: PLC/DCS system
   • Supporting facilities: air compressors, cooling towers, UPS,
   • transformers,
   • MCC (motor control center),

What can Leantech do?

China is home to the world’s most concentrated cluster of waste-to-energy industry suppliers and serves as a global manufacturing hub for a full range of related equipment. As a professional, seasoned service provider in this sector, Leantech assists clients in completing equipment procurement for their projects. Our services include:

• Engineering consulting
• Sourcing & procurement
• Quality inspection
• Expediting

One-Stop Procurement

For small-value, small-batch, or customized product orders, Leantech is well positioned to handle one-stop procurement on behalf of clients when appropriate. This not only boosts procurement efficiency but also allows Leantech, acting as the contractor, to provide comprehensive technical supervision and assume corresponding responsibilities—particularly regarding product performance, quality and on-time delivery.