Incinerators in Japan

Brief History

Adaptation of incineration technology began in the late 1800s, as Japan lifted restrictions on international commerce. At that time, cholera and other commutable diseases were still major threats to public health. The outbreaks of plague from 1885 to 1887 also pushed the Japanese government to enact a series of laws enhancing sanitary practices, including the Waste Cleaning Act of 1900. The Waste Cleaning Act was the basis for modern solid waste management in Japan and appointed local municipalities responsible for managing refuse. The law also stated that incineration was the preferred option for treating solid waste and thus set the path for Japan to become the most incinerator-laden country of the world.

The first incinerator in Japan was built in 1887, in Tsuruga, a port city thriving on commerce with China at that time. Other major cities followed with their own incinerators. At first, incinerators were batch incinerators—essentially, a large-scale coal stove. These incinerators required daily removal of ash and caused intense odor and air pollution problems. The first incinerator with a draft furnace was built in Osaka in 1916. A series of research projects on various topics, including thermal energy recovery, air scrubbing, and pyrolysis furnaces were conducted. The outcomes of this research were only partly successful but greatly contributed to the development of incineration technologies in Japan. Incorporating the findings of this research, the Fukagawa Refuse Treatment Plant was built in 1929 in Tokyo, capable of treating more than 700 tons of waste per day.

Waste management practices ceased as a result of World War II in the early 1940s but resumed soon after the end of war in 1945. In order to accommodate the growing urban population and the increase in per capita waste generation due to rapid economic growth, more efficient waste incinerators became a necessity. Technology development again occurred in Osaka, and the first stoker-type incinerator was introduced in the 1960s, followed by the fluidized bed incinerator in the 1980s.

Japanese Incinerators in the 21st Century

By 2008, there were 1,567 incinerators and 91 gasification plants treating general waste in Japan. Half of these facilities operate in continuous combustion, treating 86 percent of general waste, while the remainder of the incinerators found in Japan operate on a much smaller scale. The breakdown of these facilities is 965 stoker type, 241 fluidized beds, 158 fixed beds, and 213 other type of incinerators. Incinerators are also used for industrial wastes, such as medical and food processing wastes, as a means of disinfection and stabilization. Incineration is also the major technology of treatment for human waste: 54 percent of all human waste is incinerated. Energy recovery from incineration facilities is also encouraged in the form of thermal recycling, and 980 facilities have adopted [Page 415]systems for electricity generation or waste heat utilization. From these sources, 1,868 MW of electricity are generated.

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