Half of waste tech has limited track record – says study

Of those systems, a quarter have not yet been ‘operationally demonstrated’.

The results come from an intense comparative evaluation of the track record of more than 300 waste processes from more than 25 countries.

The analysis, conducted by independent analyst Juniper, found widely varying performance in key parameters, that affect the ‘deliverability’ and ‘bankability’ of criteria including mechanical biological treatment, gasification and incineration processes.

The evaluation assigned ratings to each supplier based on their resources, expertise, and track record as well as categorising processes from ‘conceptual’ to ‘fully proven’.

Joe Schwager, managing director of Juniper, said: “our aim, in conducting this analysis and publishing today a series of related reports, is to provide an objective independent assessment of the robustness of individual processes to help public and private sector organisations select potential candidate processes for their projects.”

A geographical analysis of the companies shows the ‘dominance’ of particular countries in supplying proven technologies with a long track record: five of the 15 companies that gain the highest rating from the study are German – with 5 star as the highest rating, ‘indicating that a process company has been classified as a world leader in a particular field.’

Three are from Japan and three from Scandinavia.

Countries including the USA, UK and Canada show a ‘much more limited track record’ with only six out of the more than 100 companies from these countries receiving a 4-star rating and none getting 5-stars despite the fact that they have more process suppliers than most other countries.

“Nervousness about the ‘deliverability’ of novel waste processing technologies has been a key constraint on their wider adoption in recent years”, said Dr Kevin Whiting, Juniper’s technical director.

“By conducting this analysis, we hope to build greater confidence within the industry by identifying who has established a track record and which processes are contenders for procurement shortlists”, he said.

To view the full report see www.wastereports.com

Dana Gornitzki