| 1 | WTE Process Compatibility | Compatibility with grate firing, fluidized-bed combustion, refuse-derived fuel, and recovered-fuel steam conditions. | Steam turbine design should match the project steam pressure, temperature, mass flow, and seasonal operating profile. | WTE steam conditions vary significantly from those of conventional utility boilers and can affect efficiency and reliability. | Request heat-balance calculations, steam maps, and references for comparable waste-fuel applications. |
| 2 | Rated Power and Operating Range | Generator output, turbine inlet flow, minimum stable load, overload capability, and annual operating hours. | Common WTE electrical output ranges from several megawatts to more than 50 MW, depending on plant size and steam cycle. | A wide turndown range helps accommodate waste-supply fluctuations, maintenance periods, and grid requirements. | Compare guaranteed performance at 50%, 75%, 100%, and any specified overload conditions. |
| 3 | Thermal Efficiency | Isentropic turbine efficiency, generator efficiency, cycle efficiency, and net electrical efficiency after auxiliary consumption. | Net electrical efficiency is often approximately 15%–30% for WTE steam cycles, depending on steam conditions and heat recovery. | Higher net efficiency increases electricity export without requiring additional waste throughput. | Require an independently reviewable heat balance using defined inlet and outlet conditions. |
| 4 | Steam Conditions and Materials | Inlet steam pressure and temperature, chloride exposure, erosion resistance, corrosion protection, and material selection. | Many WTE plants use comparatively moderate steam conditions to control high-temperature corrosion and superheater risk. | Waste-derived flue gas can contain corrosive compounds that indirectly limit steam-cycle conditions. | Review metallurgy, coating specifications, corrosion allowances, and inspection procedures. |
| 5 | Grid Connection and Generator Quality | Voltage, frequency, power factor, short-circuit ratio, excitation system, synchronization, and grid-code compliance. | The generator must be designed for the local grid frequency, commonly 50 Hz or 60 Hz, and the applicable interconnection rules. | Incorrect electrical integration can delay commissioning or limit electricity export. | Request type-test records, protection coordination studies, and grid-compliance documentation. |
| 6 | Reliability and Availability | Forced-outage rate, planned maintenance interval, mean time between failures, start reliability, and operating availability. | Well-maintained WTE facilities commonly target high annual availability, often around 85%–95%, subject to waste and maintenance conditions. | Availability directly affects annual power sales, disposal capacity, and revenue stability. | Check multi-year operational records from comparable plants and separate turbine downtime from boiler downtime. |
| 7 | Flexibility and Start-Up Performance | Cold, warm, and hot start times; ramp rate; minimum load; shutdown frequency; and cycling capability. | WTE plants generally operate as baseload facilities, but flexible operation may be required for grid balancing or waste-flow changes. | Appropriate flexibility reduces thermal stress and supports dependable plant dispatch. | Review guaranteed start-up times, ramp limits, thermal-cycle procedures, and fatigue-life calculations. |
| 8 | Maintenance and Lifecycle Support | Local service coverage, spare-parts availability, outage planning, remote monitoring, training, and long-term service agreements. | Major inspections should be planned around outage windows and may include periodic rotor, bearing, valve, and generator inspections. | Fast technical support reduces unplanned downtime and dependence on hard-to-source components. | Evaluate response-time commitments, spare-parts lead times, service personnel coverage, and training scope. |
| 9 | Compliance and Certification | Quality management, pressure-equipment compliance, electrical safety, mechanical standards, environmental requirements, and documentation control. | Applicable requirements depend on project location and may include ISO-based quality systems, local pressure-vessel rules, and grid regulations. | Clear compliance evidence reduces approval, insurance, and commissioning risks. | Verify current certificates, notified-body or third-party inspection records, welding qualifications, and test procedures. |
| 10 | Total Cost of Ownership | Purchase price, installation, balance-of-plant requirements, auxiliary power, maintenance cost, spares, outage cost, and expected service life. | Evaluation should cover the full project life, commonly 20–30 years for major power-generation equipment. | The lowest initial price may not deliver the lowest cost per megawatt-hour over the operating lifetime. | Use a lifecycle model with common assumptions for efficiency, operating hours, escalation, downtime, and replacement parts. |
