Improvement of CO2 emission estimation methods and impact analysis of continuous emission monitoring (Tier 4) in waste incinerator

This study compares CO₂ emissions from municipal (M-W) and industrial (I-W) waste incineration facilities in Korea using emission factor-based methods (Tier 1, 2, 3) and Continuous Emission Monitoring method (Tier 4). The objective of this study is to quantify the greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction effect associated with methodological improvements and to evaluate method-specific uncertainties, ultimately aiming to propose reliable emission reduction strategies. Results indicated significant reductions in fossil-derived CO₂ emissions using Tier 4. In the industrial facility (I-W), emissions were lowest with Tier 4 (304 ± 15 tons), a 30.1% decrease compared to Tier 1 (435 tons). Similarly, in the municipal facility (M-W), Tier 4 emissions (224 ± 9 tons) represented a 22.0% reduction from Tier 1 (287 tons). Uncertainty analysis revealed that Tier 4 provided substantially greater precision (uncertainty 4.02% ~ 4.91%) compared to Tier 1 (up to 348%), primarily due to uncertainties in emission factors and waste composition assessments. In the short term, it is necessary to reduce the high uncertainty associated with emission factor-based methods by developing Korea-specific fossil carbon fraction (FCF) emission factors based on appropriate biomass content analysis methods. In the long term, applying Continuous Emission Monitoring method (Tier 4) is recommended as the most effective approach for accurately and reliably managing and reporting GHG emissions from waste incineration facilities.