In an annual survey conducted by the operators’ association CEWEP, consulting company ecoprog, Waste-to-Energy (WtE) plant operators in Europe seem to have an increasingly poorer business development, and they also expect the downward trend to continue.
The business climate among the WtE plant operators decreased from 104 points last year to 88 points in 2022. 40% of the WtE operators reported a decreasing demand in the past 12 months, while only 10% stated that their demand was increasing. Only 27% of the plant operators reported high capacity utilisation. Nevertheless, 90% of respondents still rated their current business situation as good or satisfactory, which could be the result of increased revenues in the energy sector. However, 36% of the plant operators expected less favourable business performance, only about half as many expected a recovery. Less than 30% of plant operators surveyed expected prices to increase.
Nevertheless, the WtE industry is less sceptical than the plant operators with the second highest score in the past 10 years, only exceeded by the previous year’s figure. 31% of the companies even reported an increase in demand in the past 12 months; 27% reported an increase in order backlog.
ecoprog considered the seemingly positive framework conditions for the industry to be the background to this moderate assessment. These were characterised by an outdated European plant portfolio, retrofitting and the ongoing transformation of the waste management systems away from landfilling, especially in Southern and Eastern Europe.
The increased costs regarding supplies, maintenance and repair, and energy are the biggest problem for the industry, followed by the availability of these precursors. The lack of skilled workers is the third largest problem. The WtE industry barometer 2022 calculated the present business climate according to a method developed by the ifo Institute. In addition to that, issues concerning current developments have been examined.
