WtE Research Facility

Waste-to-Energy Research Facility

WASTE-to-ENERGY RESEARCH FACILITY (WTERF)

The Waste-to-Energy Research Facility (WTERF) at Tuas South is based on high temperature slagging gasification technology and is the first of its kind waste treatment facility in the world to employ biomass charcoal as an auxiliary fuel. Jointly developed by the National Environment Agency (NEA) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) through its Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute (NEWRI), and supported by the Economic Development Board (EDB), it is an initiative under the Energy National Innovation Challenge (ENIC) to explore alternative measures to improve energy and resource recovery in the waste-to-energy domain.

The WTE Research Facility will treat waste at temperatures much higher than in typical mass burn incinerators, reducing the amount of ash produced. This ability to reduce ash for final disposal has the potential to help prolong the lifespan of Semakau Landfill, complementing the current mass burn technology in Singapore as part of its integrated waste management system.

The main by-product of slagging gasification process is slag, a vitrified (glass-like) material which because of its chemical inertness can potentially be used as an aggregate replacement in construction.

Through its plug-and-play features, the facility serves as an open platform for research, translation,

demonstration and test-bedding for new types of waste-to-energy related technologies. Other possibilities include the treatment of diverse mixed of waste streams, and the upgrading of syngas for enhanced energy recovery.