England, a leading exporter of refuse-derived fuels (RDF), is again playing a more significant role in the European waste to energy (wte) market. After landing at a ten-year low in 2022, RDF exports from the United Kingdom’s largest nation have risen for the second consecutive year, reaching their highest level since 2020.
RDF shipments to Sweden and Denmark saw particularly large increases last year, according to recently published data from the Environment Agency (EA). Germany has also ramped up its RDF imports from England, while deliveries to the Netherlands remained just below a seventh of the volumes seen in previous years.
According to the EA, England’s exports of waste for energy recovery totalled 1.71 million tonnes last year and included both RDF, the higher-quality SRF (solid recovered fuel), and other incineration waste from mechanical waste treatment processes. This was an increase by 126,000 tonnes compared to 2023.
At 906,000 tonnes, Sweden accounted for more than half of all English RDF exports, increasing its imports by 185,000 tonnes over the previous year and setting a new record. Meanwhile, the neighbouring country of Denmark imported 119,000 tonnes of RDF from England – around 52,000 tonnes more than in 2023. ...
