Municipal solid waste management for electricity generation from landfill gas

Municipal solid waste management and economic feasibility for electricity generation from landfill gas and anaerobic reactors in a Brazilian state

Romulo Carvalho de Brito; Regina Mambeli Barros; Ivan Felipe Silva dos Santos; Geraldo Lúcio Tiago Filho; Samuel Placidio Galdino da Silva

Highlights

•Electricity generation from landfill gas and from anaerobic reactors for MSW organic fractions.

•Power, electricity, and economic viability studies were conducted for both types of enterprises.

•There is economically viability potential for electricity generation for LFG in some consortiums.

•Electricity for the state of Minas Gerais would be about 3900,000 MWh/year from 4500 kW by LFG.

•There would be obtained about 15,400 MWh/year and 3200 kW from OFMSW anaerobic digestion.

Abstract

This study aims to estimate the potential of the municipal solid waste management consortiums in Minas Gerais for electricity generation from Landfill Gas (LFG) and from anaerobic reactors for organic fractions of this waste. Economic viability studies were conducted for both types of enterprises. Projections for landfill biogas generation were made using the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) LandGem® 3.02 software program. Estimates for anaerobic digestion of organic fraction of municipal solid waste were performed based on theoretical generation from this substrate’s chemical oxygen demand. The power, electricity, and investment values for both projects were calculated, and the respective Net Present Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR), and payback time were also obtained for the various consortiums. The results show that there is economic viability potential for electric energy generation for landfill biogas at the CIAS CENTRO OESTE, CIDES, CISAB Zona da Mata, CONVALE, and CORESAB Boa Vista municipal solid waste consortiums. Electric Energy obtained for the state of Minas Gerais would be about 3,900,000 MWh/year, and the total installed power capacity would be approximately 4500 kW for a Thermal Power Plant (TPP) using LFG for all consortiums. These values were nearly 15,400 MWh/year and 3200 kW for biogas energy derived from the Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste (OFMSW) anaerobic digestion.