Performance, Reliability and Emissions Reduction in Waste Incinerators.
The Mission of the PREWIN European Network is to support progress towards improved performance and reliability of European Waste-to-Energy plants (incineration and co-incineration) while maintaining low or reduced emissions to the environment.
What is being organised?
1. General meetings
Twice a year there will be held a meeting at an interesting location in Europe. A plant visit is always part of the meeting, which typically is joined by 180+ participants. During this one and a half day, members of the network or guest speakers will present their experiences on a specific topic.
The main areas for future meetings are based upon questionnaires which roughly once in three years is distributed under the participants. Some of the topics of the last years were.
- High-efficiency Waste–to-Energy plants
- Maintenance
- Availability
- Corrosion and Materials
- Plant condition/emission monitoring methods
- Better materials and better informed selection of materials for critical applications
Examples of meeting agendas can be found here:
Agenda Prewin meeting Rotterdam June 2025
Agenda Prewin meeting Dublin November 2024
Agenda Prewin meeting Birmingham June 2024
Agenda Prewin meeting Warsaw June 2023
2. Benchmark studies
Availability
At the meeting in Prague, June 2016, results were presented of a benchmark study on the availability of WtE plants. Data from 208 lines processing 2750 tonnes of waste per hour has been gathered. Results from availability, unplanned outage and overall equipment effectiveness are available. Further it shows clearly different maintenance strategies (time between planned stops and length of planned).
In 2019 this survey has been updated. Data from 248 lines were collected. Results from availability, unplanned outage , length of stops are available as function of e.g. capacity, thermal load. The general results are available for Prewin members. In 2022 the survey has been updated and general results were presented at the Prewin meeting in Bologna.This year the survey will be updated and the general results will be presented at the upcoming Prewin meeting in Serbia.
Maintenance costs
In 2017 a survey on maintenance costs was conducted. The results were shared among the operators who completed the survey. In 2020 this survey has been updated. Data from 91 plants was gathered and analysed. General results are available for Prewin members. In 2023 the survey has been updated and general results were presented at the Prewin meeting in Leoben.
Unplanned shutdown classification
In 2018 a survey on unplanned shutdown classification was conducted. The results were shared among the operators who completed the survey. This survey has been updated in 2021. In 2024 the survey has been updated and general results were presented at the Prewin meeting in Dublin.
3. Working groups for plant operators
In 2018 a maintenance working group has been set up. This working group which comprises maintenance engineers from operators is exchanging experiences during working group meetings. The working group gathers twice per year, one time on location and one time via teams.
In 2020 a process engineering working group has been started with the same structure as the maintenance working group meeting
In January 2025 an AI working group gathered for the first time.
4. R&D page
In 2020 we started with a separate R&D page. Here you can find links to results and other information from R&D institiutes/universities.