Purpose: This paper aims to ascertain the biochemical methane potential of organic waste generated in Kumasi for renewable energy production. Design/Methodology/Approach: A quantitative experimental approach was employed on Batch anaerobic digestion experiments, and methane yields were analysed with kinetic models. Findings: The modified Gompertz model had the best fit, with a R² = 0.9962, which gave a methane production rate of 19.47 ml CH₄ g⁻¹ VS Day and a BMP of 219.35 ml CH₄ g⁻¹ VS. Research Limitation: It has also been pointed out that further optimisation of AD processes for methane yield and efficiency is required. Key limitations pertain to scalability and unoptimised parameters. Practical Implication: The study confirms that organic waste-to-biogas conversion in Kumasi is viable and represents a partial solution to problems of organic waste management and renewable energy generation. That will reduce disposal costs from waste, low dependence on fossil fuel, and open opportunities in resource recovery for operational efficiencies that work toward environmental sustainability. Social Implication: Better waste management will help reduce environmental pollution. In addition, appropriate development in terms of sustainability and enhancement of energy security will occur. Originality/Value: This research provides information on wastes around Kumasi that can be used to produce biogas and advance sustainable waste-to-energy practices. This study introduces a novel application of kinetic models to assess Kumasi’s organic waste for biogas production, offering localised data and tailored optimisation strategies. It contributes to advancing waste-to-energy practices and supports sustainable waste management in Ghana.
Ahmed H. Hadi, Basim A. Hussain, Ahmed A. Khalaf
et al.
A theoretical investigation study was carried out to determine the requirements of establishing a steam power plant by incinerating municipal solid wastes generated from the city of Baghdad. Survey data the generated quantities of municipal solid wastes from both Al-Karth and Al-Rusafa sectors of the city were utilized to predict the theoretical possible energy production that can be obtained from the incineration of this waste under controlled parameters. Results reviled that the high heating value of Baghdad’s municipal solid wastes is of about (12.789 MJ/kg) and the possible electrical energy production in the steam power plants in Al-Karth and Al-Rusafa are (119.287 MW, 203.917 MW) respectively using a steam turbine of efficiency (25%). Resulted emissions of CO2 gases are estimated to be 4209.995 ton/day. So the emission of CO2 is the main problem of this method because of its effect on global warming but it is less effect on environment from Methane, Sulphur Oxides and Nitrogen Oxides. The quantity of plastic wastes in Municipal Solid Wastes is important in increasing their average high heating value.
The growing world population is contributing to the increasing amounts of waste and a significant increase in energy demand. Therefore, coal will increasingly be replaced by refuse-derived fuel (RDF), which is produced from municipal solid waste. The use of such fuel poses many difficulties because of its heterogeneity and high mercury emission. One method to stabilize the properties of RDF and reduce the mercury content is thermal pretreatment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the release of mercury from RDF samples following thermal pretreatment. The study was carried out in the temperature range of 100–350 °C. Statistical analysis was performed on the correlation between the composition of the RDF samples and the release of mercury. The RDF samples showed a very high variation in the mercury content, ranging from 45 to 849 µg Hg/kg (1.7 to 35.3 µg Hg/MJ). Thermal pretreatment removed a significant amount of mercury at 250 °C (94–99%). Paper content positively affected mercury release. Relatively low correlation coefficients were obtained in the statistical analysis, which may be explained by the significant heterogeneity of the RDF samples magnified by the variability in the mercury content within particular fractions.
Prischa Listiningrum, M. Dahlan, Muhammad Anwary
et al.
This article delves into the regulation of municipal solid waste management (MSW) in Indonesia, viewed from the concepts of smart city and circular economy. The legal politics of Law Number 18 of 2008 on Waste Management has been restricted to the concept of 3Rs: reduce, reuse, and recycle. The idea of a circular economy refers to the principle of 10 Rs, consisting of refuse, rethink, reduce, reuse, repair, refurbish, remanufacture, repurpose, recycle, and recover. The concept of circular economy is believed to be essential to achieving the decarbonization goals mandated by the Paris Agreement. With a socio-legal approach, this research examines to what extent Waste Management Law can serve as the basis for implementing a circular economy in municipal areas. This research reveals that the concept of a circular economy has yet to be applied to manage waste in a municipal scope. Circular economy-based smart cities in MSW management can only be achieved through adequate facilities and changes in people’s behaviour. However, it is still questionable whether the Municipal Government is fully obliged to manage household waste because the Waste Management Law is silent on this matter but clearly states the community’s obligation to reduce and handle household waste as a waste producer. The division of waste-handling tasks also exacerbates this in several agencies, which, in practice, creates confusion for society. Hence, legal reforms are needed to reconcile the conflicting problems.
Edwin N. Richard, Askwar Hilonga, Revocatus L. Machunda
et al.
AbstractThe municipal solid wastes (MSW) management technologies in most cities of developing countries pose a continuous risk of contaminating the environment and affecting human health adversely; often because MSW technologies are not comprehensively analyzed before their implementation. For this purpose, the life cycle assessment methodology was applied to access the different MSW management scenarios in Arusha City, Tanzania. Three different scenarios of recycling and sanitary landfilling (RSL) were developed as the business as usual scenario (RSL) (SN-1), RSL combined with composting (SN-2), and RSL combined with anaerobic digestion (SN-3). Results obtained showed that no scenario performed better in all impact categories, however with the current focus on climate change and limited funds in developing countries, the best option would be SN-2. The SN-2 which is the combination of recycling, composting and the landfill had the least economic cost and environmental burdens in most categories when compared to the other scenarios. The sensitivity analysis results indicated that improving diesel consumptions, reducing methane emissions to air and increasing the recycling rate of papers and plastics would reduce the total environmental impacts on all scenarios.
Despina Vamvuka, Stelios Alexandrakis, George Alevizos
et al.
In the context of the current environmental policies of the European Union promoting the recycling and reuse of waste materials, this work aimed at investigating the environmental impact of ashes produced from the co-combustion of municipal solid wastes with olive kernel in a fixed bed unit. Lignite fly ash, silica fume, wheat straw ash, meat and bone meal biochar, and mixtures of them were used as stabilizing ash materials. All solids were characterized by physical, chemical and mineralogical analyses. Column leaching tests of unstabilized and stabilized ash through a quarzitic soil were conducted, simulating field conditions. pH, electrical conductivity, chloride, sulphate and phosphate ions, major and trace elements in the leachates were measured. The results showed that alkaline compounds were partially dissolved in water extracts, increasing their pH and thus decreasing the leachability of heavy metals from the ash. Cr leached from unstabilized ash reached a hazardous level. Upon the stabilization of ash, the concentrations of heavy metals in the extracts were reduced between 9% and 100%, and were below legislation limits for disposal, apart from Cr. The latter was achieved only when meat and bone meal biochar was used as stabilizer. Entrapment of ash elements was assigned to the amorphous silica and to the phosphates of the stabilizing materials, as well as complexed silicates formed during the process.