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The South Baltic region is under increasing pressure to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels, address rising energy costs, and improve its inefficient waste management systems. This issues impact energy security and environmental sustainability. Municipalities and industries across the region are under growing pressure to integrate renewable energy sources and manage rising volumes of non-recyclable waste. Currently, much of the region's plastics, textiles, rubber, and other complex waste materials end up in landfills or are incinerated instead of being reused or recycled. This has negative environmental effects and depletes valuable energy resources.
Recent Eurostat data confirms this challenge at the EU level: nearly half of municipal waste is landfilled or incinerated, contributing little to the circular economy. In the South Baltic region, the abundance of non-recyclable waste and continued dependence on fossil fuels, which account for over 70% of the energy mix in some coastal areas, underscore the pressing need for scalable, innovative waste-to-energy solutions.
The three-year cross-border cooperation project Watt A Waste (WAW) supported by EU financing under the Interreg VI-A South Baltic Programme 2021–2027 aims to develop and test innovative waste-to-energy conversion methods that produce clean energy from non-recyclable waste, while optimizing energy recovery and minimizing environmental impact. These efforts directly contribute to renewable energy targets and carbon emission reductions.
The project lead partner is Gdańsk University of Technology, with partners from Poland (Gumeko sp. z o.o.), Lithuania (Klaipeda University), Germany (Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology), Sweden (Linnaeus University Växjö and SweHeat and Cooling), and Denmark (BOFA) collaborating to implement practical and scalable waste-to-energy solutions. Activities are further supported by associated partners from Poland (Voivodeship Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management in Gdańsk and Clean Energy Harbour) and Lithuania (Engineering and Technology Industries Association of Lithuania – LINPRA).
Watt A Waste (WAW) project will develop and test practical waste-to-energy solutions that can be seamlessly integrated into regional and local energy grids. Through pilot-scale installations, the project will demonstrate the feasibility of producing renewable energy from non-recyclable and non-reusable waste. Each pilot addresses a key aspect of waste-to-energy conversion:
- Low-temperature dry reforming to produce gaseous energy carriers.
- Advanced pre-treatment methods to enhance conversion efficiency.
- Plasma-based technologies to maximize energy yield.
These installations will serve as real-world models for optimizing energy recovery from plastics, rubber, and other high-calorific waste materials, ensuring energy efficiency with minimal environmental impact. The project will also establish best practices and technical guidelines to promote the adoption of waste-derived energy sources. Additionally, WAW project will strengthen regional energy resilience by introducing alternative renewable energy carriers and fostering cross-border cooperation through the exchange of green energy technologies and knowledge.
The project target groups:
- Regional authorities and municipalities responsible for waste management and energy planning.
- Energy companies, waste management operators, and technology providers.
- Academic society, SME’s, professionals, industrial representatives.
- Citizens, communities, and organizations interested in sustainable energy solutions.
Project name: Watt a Waste (WAW)
Project duration: 1st September, 2025 – 31st August, 2028.
Total project budget is 1.919.425,70 EUR (ERDF co-financing 1.535.540,56 EUR).
Project No. STHB.02.01-IP.01-0006/25
The project is co-financed by the EU European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under the 2021-2027 Interreg VI-A South Baltic cross-border cooperation programme. More information about the programme: www.southbaltic.eu
