Slovenia to install three waste incinerators

The Government of Slovenia has adopted a decree on granting concessions for waste incineration in a move to prevent exporting waste that can be incinerated.

Slovenia wants to improve its waste management system and reduce costs. Domestic waste generators pay for the incineration of waste abroad, so incineration within the country would make the service cheaper. In addition, electricity and heat would be produced.

There is only one incinerator in the country – Toplarna Celje, which consumes 30,000 of waste a year and produces heat and electricity. Exports amounted to 165,000 tons in 2017, and in 2018 more than 210,000 tons were hauled across the border, the ministry said.

Waste suitable for recycling and reuse cannot be incinerated

The decree on the provision of the obligatory public utility service of incinerating municipal waste is also a concession ordinance, which envisages awarding concessions for a period of 30 years.

According to the document, the public service implies the incineration of combustible fractions of municipal waste generated in the territory of Slovenia that is not suitable for recycling or reuse.

The fractions are produced during the mechanical treatment of mixed municipal waste within the framework of the mandatory municipal public utility services for the treatment of certain types of municipal waste, said the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning.

Only the best available techniques will be implemented – minister

Earlier, the ministry said the local authorities in Celje, Ljubljana, Maribor and Kočevje are interested in hosting new facilities. The decree doesn’t determine the number of concessions for waste incinerators.

The decree envisages that the ministry and inspectorate for the environment would be in charge of control over waste incinerators. Minister Andrej Vizjak said only the best available techniques would be implemented.

Of note, the ministry also intends to cofinance the construction of the incinerators.