The EU has some of the toughest waste to energy (WtE) regulations anywhere in the world. WWW and InfraNews report on the ongoing success of Austria’s sustainable circular economy strategy and how a Polish WtE plant has slashed landfill waste from 90 percent to 12 percent in just under 10 years.
© Keppel Seghers
Aiming for a circular economy is a central building block for sustainable development. It enables the connection of economic success with environmental protection and social advancement
The Austrian environmental technology industry sector accounts for 4.2 percent of GDP with from only 0.57 percent of its businesses.
Now, despite this success, a fundamental shift is taking place from traditional waste management to a circular economy.
The industry’s optimism is also reflected in the employment forecasts: 54 per cent of the companies surveyed expect further growth in 2025.
This positive development underlines that the transformation to a circular economy is not only ecologically necessary, but also economically promising.
Through the reduced use of resources, avoiding contaminants and reducing waste and emissions, the ecological footprint is reduced overall. The circular economy thus helps to manage climate change and loss of biodiversity.
The long-term goal of the Austrian federal government is to reform the Austrian economy and society into a comprehensive sustainable circular economy by 2050 with climate neutrality by 2040
Despite the challenging economic environment, the industry is proving robust: employment growth of over two percent and the creation of over 900 new green jobs in 2024 underscore the sector’s sustainability.
Where new primary raw materials are required, the circular economy uses renewable, biogenic resources and sustainably attained, generally available raw materials.
Technical and biological circuits are thus largely closed within a human resourced system. The requirement for this is comprehensive circular product development, targeted toward long service life, regrowing raw materials, the most freedom from contaminants possible, reparability and the possibility of upgrades.
Only if products can no longer be used in any other way are they collected as waste, recycled and used as secondary raw materials in the material cycle. Only the waste that is not suitable for recycling is used for energy or disposed of.
European initiatives are giving additional momentum to Austrian waste management. The European Commission is currently preparing a comprehensive Circular Economy Act, which is intended to create the legal framework for the transition to a circular economy.
Poland is at an earlier stage of circular economy development in terms of recycling for energy but still streets ahead of where we are at in New Zealand.
When Poland joined the European Union in 2004 it was forced to institute a plan to drastically reduce the amount of biodegradable waste heading to landfills.
The EU Landfill Directive was a mandate that would reshape the country’s entire approach to waste management.
The Bialystok waste-to-energy plant, a project is one of Poland’s most impressive environmental success stories. Completed in December 2015 after a tight 25-month construction and commissioning timeline, this facility has proven that innovative technology and smart partnerships can deliver results that exceed expectations.
Almost 10 years on, Bialystok proves that EU environmental directives can drive innovation, not just compliance. The plant demonstrates that meeting European standards enhances rather than undermines economic viability – offering a proven roadmap for regions facing similar waste management challenges.
Processing 120,000 tonnes of waste annually, the Bialystok plant has slashed landfill dependency from 90 percent to just 12 percent.
During summer months, the plant exports 8.6 MW of electricity to the grid, while winter operations are even more versatile, supplying 17.5 MW of thermal energy to Bialystok’s district heating system alongside six MW of electricity.
Behind the numbers lies Keppel Seghers‘ proprietary technology, featuring an air-cooled SIGMATRIX combustion grate paired with a vertical boiler and a conditioned dry flue gas treatment system.
“This project has been exceptional – from the execution phase right the way through its nine years of operation. This has not been by coincidence. It is the result of creating the right design, choosing high-quality and reliable partner, and continuous follow-up of the operation,” says Krzysztof Tereszczuk, Business Development Manager for Keppel Seghers.
“The real test of any WtE technology isn’t just its initial performance – it’s longevity. After almost years of continuous operation, the plant’s combustion grate hasn’t required a single tile replacement. In an industry where downtime equals lost revenue and environmental impact, that’s remarkable reliability.”
“What sets Bialystok apart isn’t just waste burning – it’s comprehensive resource recovery. The facility incorporates an advanced bottom ash handling system that extracts ferrous metals, non-ferrous materials and aggregates for recycling. This approach ensures maximum material recovery while minimising environmental impact,” saysTereszczuk.
The Belgian company brought experience from over 100 WtE projects worldwide to this contract. Working alongside Polish construction giant Budimex and Spanish waste management specialist Cespa, Keppel Seghers handled nearly 50 percent of the project’s scope while providing the critical technological backbone.
