Latest data from the Environment Agency has revealed an increase in the amount of refuse-derived fuel (RDF) material being exported to Europe from the UK.
The figures for the first four months of the year show that from January to April 2016, a total of 276,549 tonnes of RDF material was exported. This is an increase of around 60,000 tonnes compared to the same period in 2015, indicating that the market is continuing to grow in response to demands for the waste from countries such as the Netherlands, Germany and those in Scandinavia.
Almost three million tonnes of RDF was exported throughout the whole of 2015, which was a record high. Suggestions at the time the annual data was released, however, were that the level of year-on-year growth was starting to slow. Some operators argue that this is likely due to a reduction in the amount of excess energy from waste capacity on the continent, but others consider that the market will continue to expand with the development of more RDF, and also SRF off-takers, across parts of the EU.
The figures for this year reveal that there is an increasing number of destination countries for RDF from the UK, with 12,083 tonnes going to Cyprus in the first four months of 2016.
Managing Director of Clarity Environmental, David Adams, said of the latest figures: “There had been talk of a significant slowdown in the year-on-year growth for RDF exports, but there has not yet been evidence that the market is ready to flatten. Demand in Europe is still high, an increasing number of plants are being developed, and more countries are taking RDF from the UK. What influence the UK’s vote to leave the EU will have remains to be seen, but we don’t expect any major long-term impacts on the market.”
Clarity provides waste to fuel solutions you can trust, facilitating the diversion of waste from landfill to energy from waste plants (EfW) across the UK and in Europe. If you are a waste producer or energy from waste facility, contact us on 0845 129 7177 to hear about our expanding network, and discover how we can help.
