Incineration of waste

Refuse is fed downwards through a sealed inlet into the top of a shaft furnace, and travels downwards through a first shaft zone (I) together with co-current of gas. The refuse next travels down at least two more zones (II, III), into which a gas heated totally or partly by electricity is injected. The hot gas thus provides extra energy for the process. The injected gas is esp. air heated by one or more plasma generators; and a fuel, e.g. oil, used oil, or rubber scrap, is pref. added to the initial refuse. The thermal energy in the gas produced is pref. controlled by adjusting the amt. of fuel added to the initial refuse; and the temp. in the zones (I, II, III) are pref. controlled by the temp. of the air heated in the plasma generators.