A waste-to-energy building boom sees incinerator plant numbers soar from 130 in 2011 to 927 in 2023, resulting in an overcapacity problem and a shortage of available waste. This spike has also resulted in waste to energy in China being responsible for over 100 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions in 2022. The Wuhu Ecology Centre, a reputable institution, estimates that the carbon emission intensity of waste to energy plants is as high as 1.8 tonnes per megawatt-hour, with the national average being 600kg per megawatt-hour for power plants of all kinds.
