Waste-to-energy market set to top $59 billion by 2030

The waste-to-energy market is projected to surpass $59 billion by 2030 as cities, governments and utilities push harder on landfill diversion and low-carbon power. Asia-Pacific, led by China, is expected to drive much of the growth as municipal solid waste projects expand.

Why it matters: - Waste-to-energy is moving from a niche waste-management tool to a larger part of the global power and utilities mix. - The market is projected to surpass $59 billion by 2030, with an 8% compound annual growth rate through 2030. - The sector accounts for about 2% of power generation and roughly 0.6% of the utilities sector’s estimated $9,379 billion value. - Growth is tied to landfill pressure, renewable energy targets, and tighter environmental rules.

What happened: - The Business Research Company released its Waste To Energy Global Market Report 2026 – Market Size, Trends, And Forecast 2026-2035. - The report says municipal solid waste will be the dominant waste-to-energy segment by 2030, with a 52% market share and a value of $31 billion. - Asia-Pacific is forecast to be the largest regional market in 2030, at $24 billion, up from $16 billion in 2025. - China is expected to be the biggest national market by 2030, with a value of $11 billion, up from $7 billion in 2025.

The details: - Municipal solid waste growth is being supported by smart city waste collection systems and more high-efficiency combustion and gasification technologies. - Thermal and biological conversion methods, emissions control systems, and integrated waste-processing facilities remain central to the competitive landscape. - Asia-Pacific growth reflects urbanization, policy support for renewable energy and sustainable waste management, investment in waste-to-energy plants and district heating, and limited landfill availability. - China’s expansion is linked to circular economy mandates, large urban incineration facilities, landfill diversion targets, waste-to-energy integration with district heating and industrial steam generation, improved waste segregation infrastructure, and government policy and financing support. - The report says municipal solid waste, agricultural waste, and other waste segments will add more than $18 billion in market value by 2030. - Municipal solid waste is expected to add $9 billion, agricultural waste $5 billion, and other waste types $4 billion between 2025 and 2030. - The market is segmented by waste type, technology, and application. - Technology segments include thermal, biochemical, and other treatment methods. - Applications include heat production and electricity generation. - A sample report request is available here. - The full report is available here.

Between the lines: - The market remains fragmented, with the top 10 companies accounting for only 9% of total revenue in 2025. - Barriers to entry include strict environmental standards, complex technology, high capital needs, and emissions-control requirements. - The report points to decentralized anaerobic digestion as a growth area because it can turn organic waste into biogas and fertilizer while reducing landfill use. - Kirloskar Pneumatic Company Limited introduced 'Tonalli' in June 2026, a decentralized waste-to-energy system that processes organic food waste into biogas and fertilizer. - Tonalli includes controlled anaerobic digestion, biogas agitation, multi-stage purification, and pressurized gas delivery. - Veolia Environnement S.A. leads the market with a 3% share in 2025. - RWE AG holds 2%, while Waste Management Inc., Siemens AG, and Air Products and Chemicals Inc. each hold about 1%. - Other named players include Remondis, A2A S.p.A., Enerkem Inc., Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises Inc., and Tetra Tech. - Companies in the sector are focusing on better conversion technology, AI-based monitoring, decentralized infrastructure, and combined thermal and biological treatment.

What's next: - Governments and municipalities are expected to keep pushing waste-to-energy as a way to reduce landfill dependence and recover energy from non-recyclable waste. - The report expects renewable energy policies, urbanization, and waste-management efficiency efforts to remain the main growth drivers. - Companies are likely to pursue partnerships, technological upgrades, and regional expansion as competition intensifies. - The market outlook points to continued buildout of waste-to-energy plants, especially in Asia-Pacific.

The bottom line: - Waste-to-energy is gaining traction as a scalable answer to both waste disposal and renewable power demand, with Asia-Pacific and China set to lead the next phase of growth.