WtE of MSW plays a crucial role in renewable energy production in Korea. Municipal
solid waste (MSW) is an important energy resource for combined heat and power (CHP)
production. This study investigated an increasing method to the power generation
efficiency by MSW to energy (WtE) plants in South Korea and discussed the issues
related to energy efficiency improvement. In some cases, however, achieving a high
energy efficiency of WtE is not practical due to various technical and non-technical
reasons. The design and operation of a WtE plant is determined primarily by the
amount of MSW to be treated, not by energy demand. The majority of these new
facilities feature a very high efficiency with respect to both energy recovery and
environmental performance. But they not only recover energy from waste, they also
have the potential to facilitate a high material recovery. With their high energy
efficiency they contribute even more to the reduction of greenhouse gases than earlier
generations of WtE facilities. It is important to have this in mind in the strategic
planning of both waste handling and energy production. Improving power generation
efficiency is required for new power plants producing steam at pressures higher than
the current level of 20-30 bar.