An overview of renewable energy utilization from municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration in Taiwan

Taiwan is an energy-importing nation with more than 97% of energy consumption supplied by imported fuels. In this regard, renewable energy like waste-to-energy is become attractive. The objective of this paper is to present an overview of energy utilization from the cogeneration system of municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration in recent years. The description is thus centered on MSW generation, incineration treatment and its energy utilization status. The energy policy relating to MSW-to-energy is also summarized in the paper. Finally, we present the regulatory system including Air Pollution Control Act, Energy Management Law and Statute for Upgrading Industries, which is not only to establish the environmental standards on MSW incineration facility, but also to provide economic and financial incentives to promote the use of MSW-to-energy.