Recovered Fuels

Solid recovered fuels (SRF) can be obtained from wastes that are combustible, dry, and suitably sorted. These wastes may consist of wastes collected from commercial premises or from households, in the form of municipal waste. The biodegradable organic component of solid recovered fuels can be seen as a renewable energy source.

The organic biomass fraction typically amounts to 70-80% of SRFs, so the use of such fuels helps to increase the share of renewable energy if they are used instead of fossil fuels or peat.

Finland’s national waste plan and the waste hierarchy

Finland’s national waste plan for 2016 includes a waste hierarchy, which emphasises that the primary goal of waste policy is to prevent the generation of waste. The secondary goal is to recover materials from waste for recycling and reuse, in line with EU waste policies. This involves encouraging the sorting of wastes to ensure that all reusable materials are separated for suitable recycling.

The residual waste fractions, whose material content cannot be recovered for further use, may then me used to produce energy.

Sending wastes to landfill remains as the last resort within the waste hierarchy, only suitable for wastes that cannot be used in other ways.

Energy from industrial residuals

The residual waste materials produced in industrial processes can be recovered for their materials or for use producing energy. In Finland about two-thirds of such wastes are used to generate energy, and a third for recycled raw materials. The use of industrial residuals to produce energy is very important for Finland, since residual wood-based biofuels from the pulp and paper industry account for as much as a fifth of Finland’s total energy use.