Solid renewable fuel (SRF), made from combustible waste, has been considered by the government as a key to converting waste into energy in recent years. While this development has been ongoing, the construction of SRF plants has repeatedly sparked local controversy. Legislator Chen Jiahua of the New Power Party convened a public hearing on the 14th, inviting environmental groups and government agencies to discuss the issue. Environmental groups questioned whether SRF power generation is internationally recognized as green electricity and expressed concern that if companies invest heavily in SRF and run out of waste, it could lead to an influx of foreign waste plastic into the country. The National Resources and Recycling Administration (NRRA) pledged on the spot to ban the import of foreign waste plastic for use in SRF. The NRRA has not responded to requests for legislative amendments to remove SRF from the list of renewable energy sources.
Solid renewable fuel (SRF) made from waste paper and waste plastic. (File photo/Photo by Chen Zhaohong)
Environmental groups criticize SRF for "fake green electricity," saying burning waste plastic is equivalent to burning fossil fuels.
To increase waste processing capacity, the government has recently encouraged private sector plants to shred and sort combustible waste like waste plastic and paper, compressing it into SRF (Solidified Recycling) (SRF) for sale to factories and power plants, converting waste into energy. If power generation efficiency reaches 25%, operators can receive a wholesale renewable energy rate of nearly NT$3.95 per kilowatt-hour. However, environmental groups point out that burning waste plastic is equivalent to burning fossil fuels, and that SRF power generation is "fake green electricity."
Chen Jiahua, a legislator from the New Power Party, held a public hearing on the topic of "SRF burning waste to generate electricity is not green energy, and insufficient regulations have caused great controversy." She invited representatives from environmental groups, the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, and local environmental protection bureaus to attend the discussion.
Lin Zhenghan, an associate researcher at Tainan Community University, stated that the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)'s definition of green electricity does not include burning plastic to generate electricity. He called on the National Energy Administration to amend the law to remove SRF containing plastic from the Renewable Energy Development Regulations to prevent companies actively switching to green electricity from "misusing fake renewable energy" and losing their international competitiveness. Xie Helin, secretary-general of the Taiwan Caretaker Association, expressed concern that the legislative amendment process would be time-consuming and urged the National Energy Administration to first lower the waste-to-energy rate to below NT$2 per kilowatt-hour during the bulk purchase rate review meeting to reduce investment incentives.
Wu Zhiwei, deputy director of the Energy Administration, responded that when the "Renewable Energy Development Regulations" were formulated in 2009, "waste-to-energy" was included in the scope of renewable energy, but did not specify whether amendments to the law were being considered. Regarding the rates, Wu Zhiwei only expressed respect for the decision of the Rate Review Committee.
Will there be enough waste to burn? The Recycling Agency has pledged to ban the use of foreign waste plastics in fuel rods.
In recent years, many private businesses have actively set up SRF manufacturing plants. Lin Zhenghan pointed out that according to public information from the Ministry of Environment, the cumulative temporary storage of combustible high-calorific value industrial waste such as waste plastics and waste rubber in Taiwan in 2020 was 440,000 tons. However, the Ministry of Environment plans to increase the processing capacity to 1.186 million tons per year in 2025. The private capacity is expanding too fast, which may lead to "not enough garbage to burn" in the future, and instead require importing waste plastics from abroad. He called on the Ministry of Environment to ban the import of waste plastics to make SRF.
Xie Helin stated that the Ministry of Environment's current "Solid Renewable Fuel Manufacturing Technical Guidelines and Quality Standards" are not rigorous enough. For example, they do not prohibit the burning of PVC, which emits heavy metals and dioxins, and their mercury content standards are more lenient than those of the European Union. They believe that "complex materials" should not be used as fuel. Chen Jiahua suggested that the SRF policy be postponed until regulations are complete.
Lin Jiansan, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Environment's Resources and Recycling Agency, admitted that many companies are currently engaged in SRF production, and that once supply and demand are balanced, it is possible that there will be no source of material. However, he assured, "Now and in the future, we will prevent waste plastic from entering Taiwan for use in SRF." He also revealed that the agency is reviewing SRF guidelines and regulations and will announce a revised draft by the end of the year.
Sources:
Environmental Information Center
