What is incineration?

Waste incineration is a process where waste is burned at high temperatures under controlled conditions. During incineration, organic material is converted into ash and gases, including CO2 and water vapor. Waste incineration is the most environmentally friendly method for handling waste that cannot or should not be reused or recycled.

For Hafslund, waste incineration takes place at our incineration plants in Klemetsrud and Haraldrud. Both incineration plants have flue gas cleaning systems to minimize emissions into the air. The excess heat from the waste incineration is used to produce climate-friendly district heating, which is a form of energy recovery.

What is a waste incineration plant?

Waste incineration plants are industrial facilities used to burn waste at high temperatures under controlled conditions. These plants receive and process various types of waste, including household waste, industrial waste, and special waste.

Through the incineration process, organic material is converted into ash and gases, while energy is generated. Bottom ash and slag remain in the incineration furnaces after the waste is burned. Significant amounts of metals are recovered from the bottom ash today, which would otherwise be very difficult to recover without waste incineration.

Waste incineration plants with flue gas cleaning, such as our plants at Klemetsrud and Haraldrud, have a reduced amount of emissions into the air. The cleaning process results in by-products such as filter dust and sludge. In addition to slag and bottom ash, this is all that remains of the waste after incineration.

What is waste incineration tax?

The waste incineration tax, or CO2 tax, is a fee imposed on businesses for managing waste through incineration. The purpose of this fee is primarily to encourage the reduction of waste amounts and promote alternative methods such as recycling and composting. However, it is the waste operators who are most burdened by the incineration fee, not those who produce the waste.

The waste incineration fee in Norway increased significantly starting January 1, 2024. This has resulted in many Norwegian waste operators choosing to purchase incineration services in Sweden, which in turn means that Norwegian incineration operators must sell their services to waste operators in other countries that do not have similar incineration plants. Therefore, Norwegian waste is being sent abroad, while other countries are sending their waste to Norway. As a result, the intended effect of the incineration fee is not being achieved as it stands.