Europe Waste-to-Energy Market Size (2024 - 2029)

Europe Waste-to-Energy Market Analysis

The Europe Waste-to-Energy Market size is estimated at USD 20.84 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach USD 27.29 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 5.54% during the forecast period (2024-2029).

Over the medium term, factors such as the increasing amount of waste generation, growing concern for waste management to meet the need for sustainable urban living, and rising focus on non-fossil fuel sources of energy are likely to drive the demand for waste-to-energy in the region.

On the other hand, the market growth is expected to be restrained by the expensive nature of incinerators, as energy prices decline and several plants cannot cover operating costs. Furthermore, several European countries plan to focus more on recycling, which saves three to five times more energy, thus restraining the waste-to-energy market.

Nevertheless, the emerging waste-to-energy technologies, such as Dendro Liquid Energy (DLE), which is four times more efficient in electricity generation, with additional benefits of no emission discharge and effluence problems at plant sites, are expected to create significant opportunities for the market players over the forecast period.

Germany dominated the market across Europe. An increase in municipal waste energy plants and rapid urbanization in the country drive growth.

Europe Waste-to-Energy Industry Segmentation

Waste is any substance or unwanted material that results from any human activity or process. Municipal solid waste generation rates are influenced by economic development, the degree of industrialization, public habits, and local climate. As a general trend, the higher the economic development, the higher the amount of municipal solid waste generated. Waste-to-energy is the process of generating energy in the form of electricity and/or heat through the primary treatment of waste or processing of the same into a fuel source. The technology used for this process includes physical, thermal, and biological technologies.​

The European waste-to-energy market is segmented by technology and geography. By technology, the market is segmented into physical, thermal, and biological. The report also covers the market size and forecasts for the waste-to-energy market across major countries, such as Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, France, and the rest of Europe. 

For each segment, the market sizing and forecasts have been done based on revenue (USD).