Waste-to-energy plants

Thermal waste treatment

Disposing of waste in a low-pollutant and legally compliant manner as well as utilising the energy released in the best possible way is a top priority in the EU.

For this reason, thermal waste treatment of non-recyclable municipal and commercial waste is indispensable in Germany.

Thanks to its shareholder structure, Returo has direct access to the plants in Bonn and Leverkusen. Returo ensures that the facilitites’ free capacities that are not needed by the municipalities are made available to the free market in the best possible way.

All of our plants, MHKW Leverkusen as well as MVA Bonn and partner plants, are state of the art and fulfil the quality standards of waste-to-energy plants even beyond the legal requirements.

BEHG - CO₂ levy

 The German Fuel Emissions Trading Act ("Brennstoffemissionshandelsgesetz, " BEHG for short) imposes a fee on certain fossil fuels that cause CO2 emissions. The tax comes in the form of certificates, which corresponding CO2-emitting plants must purchase.

As of January 1, 2024, waste incineration plants are also subject to this law. The payable amount depends on the percentage of CO2 generated and thus varies depending on the waste code of the waste in question. The BEHG defines standard emission factors for many types of waste, which determine the number of certificates to be purchased and thus the price. Below, you can find the corresponding table with conversion factors. Returo passes on the fee that incineration plants have to pay on a 1:1 basis to waste producers and reports it separately on invoices.