Fuel is one of the largest running costs of an incinerator. Understanding how burners use fuel helps you estimate operating cost and choose the right fuel.
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Why Incinerators Need Fuel
Burners heat the primary chamber to start combustion and keep the secondary chamber at the required temperature. Dry, high-calorie waste can sustain much of its own combustion; wet waste needs more support fuel.
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We manufacture solid waste incinerators and recommend a model from your waste type, daily volume, fuel and local emission requirements. Send your details for a quotation.
All IncineratorsRequest a QuoteTypical Burner Ratings
Our specification sheets list burner power and fuel consumption ranges for each model, for example:
| Model | Support combustion burner | Re-combustion burner |
|---|---|---|
| SMWI-20 | 0.09 kW, 3–5 kg/h | 0.09 kW, 3–5 kg/h |
| SMWI-100 | 0.15 kW, 4–10 kg/h | 0.37 kW, 7–14 kg/h |
| SMWI-300 | 0.15 kW, 7–14 kg/h | 0.37 kW, 15–26 kg/h |
| MWI-100 | 0.11 kW, 6–10 kg/h | 0.18 kW, 7–14 kg/h |
These are burner ratings; actual consumption depends on waste moisture, heating value and how long burners run. See full data on our product pages.
Diesel vs Natural Gas vs LPG
| Diesel | Natural gas | LPG | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Availability | Almost anywhere | Needs pipeline | Bottled or bulk tank |
| Storage | Tank on site | None | Pressurised tank |
| Best for | Remote sites, camps | Urban sites with gas grid | Sites without gas grid |
Choose the fuel that is reliably available and cheapest at your site.
How to Reduce Fuel Use
- Remove glass, metal and wet inert material.
- Mix wet waste with dry waste.
- Avoid frequent cold starts – run longer, fuller cycles.
- Keep doors closed and seals in good condition.
- Maintain burners and refractory.
- Use automatic control to avoid overheating.
Can an incinerator run without fuel once burning?
Very dry, high-calorie waste may need little support fuel, but burners are still needed for start-up and to hold the secondary chamber temperature.
How to Calculate Incinerator Fuel Cost
You can estimate daily fuel use from the burner ratings and how many hours the burners actually fire:
- Fuel per hour = support burner use + re-combustion burner use (kg/h).
- Fuel per day = fuel per hour × burner firing hours per day.
- Fuel cost per day = fuel per day × your local fuel price.
Example: an SMWI-100 has a support burner rated 4–10 kg/h and a re-combustion burner rated 7–14 kg/h, so both burners together use about 11–24 kg/h at full firing. If the burners fire for 8 hours a day, that is roughly 88–192 kg of fuel per day. Diesel weighs about 0.84 kg per liter, so this is about 105–230 liters. Multiply by your local diesel price to get the daily fuel cost. In practice burners cycle on and off once the waste is burning, so real use is usually toward the lower end with dry waste and toward the upper end with wet waste.
What Changes Fuel Consumption
| Factor | Effect on fuel use |
|---|---|
| Waste moisture | Wet waste (food, animal tissue, sludge) needs much more burner time to evaporate water |
| Heating value | Plastics, paper and textiles burn on their own and reduce burner time |
| Required temperature | A higher secondary chamber temperature means the re-combustion burner runs longer |
| Cold starts | Every cold start reheats refractory, so many short batches use more fuel than one long cycle |
| Load size | Underloading wastes heat; overloading lowers temperature and forces burners to run |
| Refractory and seals | Worn lining or leaking doors lose heat and increase fuel use |
Typical Operating Temperatures
Most waste incinerators run the primary chamber at roughly 600–900 °C and keep the secondary chamber hotter so the gases burn out completely. In the European Union, for example, the Industrial Emissions Directive requires combustion gases to reach at least 850 °C for two seconds, and at least 1,100 °C when burning hazardous waste with more than 1% halogenated organic substances. Check the rules that apply at your site, because the required temperature is one of the biggest drivers of burner fuel use.
Incinerator Fuel FAQ
How much diesel does an incinerator use per hour?
It depends on the model and waste. Using our burner ratings as an example, a mid-size unit like the SMWI-100 uses about 11–24 kg (roughly 13–29 liters) of diesel per hour when both burners fire at full rate. Burners usually cycle, so average use is lower.
Is natural gas cheaper than diesel for an incinerator?
Often, where a gas pipeline is available, because pipeline gas usually costs less per unit of energy and needs no fuel storage. Compare your local prices per kWh or per MJ.
Can an incinerator run without fuel?
Dry, high-calorie waste can sustain combustion once hot, but burners are still needed to start up and to keep the secondary chamber at the required temperature.
How can I lower incinerator fuel cost?
Remove wet and inert material, mix wet with dry waste, run longer full cycles instead of many short ones, and keep refractory, doors and burners in good condition.
Do you give fuel estimates before purchase?
Yes. Send your waste type, daily volume and local fuel and we estimate fuel use for the recommended model.
Estimate Your Running Cost
Send your waste type and local fuel – we’ll estimate fuel use for your model.