Municipal solid waste to energy generation: An approach for enhancing climate co-benefits in the urban areas of Bangladesh

Abstract Ever-growing scarcity of land resources around the world brands the waste to energy (WtE) strategy as a promising option for municipal solid waste (MSW) management. WtE conversion not only reduce the land pressure problem in urban areas, but also generate electricity and heat to supply to the surrounding urban areas. Moreover it also warrants climate benefits by avoiding fossil fuel based energy. The goal of this paper is to evaluate the MSW renewable energy potential and climate benefits through carbon reduction in Bangladesh using WtE strategies for urban area waste management. The study is conducted based on the waste generation of 7 major city corporation, 308 municipalities and 208 other urban areas in Bangladesh. Energy potential of different WtE strategy is assessed using standard energy conversion model and subsequent greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions models. GHG emission avoidance is also estimated based on coal based electricity displacement and avoidance from existing MSW management practices. Six different WtE scenarios are evaluated consisting of mixed MSW incineration and landfill gas (LFG) recovery systems. The total projected GHG emission observed within the range of 3.45–4.68 million MT CO 2eq and 5.45–9.59 million MT CO 2eq by 2030 and 2050, respectively under BAU scenario. The projected highest total renewable electricity generation potential from MSW in Bangladesh observed within the range of 4173.90–5645.30 GWh by 2030, and 6582.48- 11579.12 GWh by 2050. Renewable electricity potential in Dhaka is highest (1399.56-712.86 GWh) followed by Chittagong (762.74–900.24 GWh) by 2030, with associated GHG avoidance of 1.18–1.44 and 0.64–0.76 million t CO 2eq, respectively. Scenario A 1 provides the highest economic gain with energy potential and net negative GHG emissions. The study proposes mixed MSW incineration as a potential source of renewable electricity to ensure climate friendly urban area management in Bangladesh.

[1]  Mohd Ariffin Abu Hassan,et al.  An overview for energy recovery from municipal solid wastes (MSW) in Malaysia scenario , 2013 .

[2]  Tariq Bin Yousuf,et al.  Monitoring quantity and characteristics of municipal solid waste in Dhaka City , 2007, Environmental monitoring and assessment.

[3]  Shahjahan H. Bhuiyan,et al.  A crisis in governance: Urban solid waste management in Bangladesh , 2010 .

[4]  Mohammad Al-Amin,et al.  Segregation of Biodegradable Solid Wastes of Chittagong Metropolitan Area Based on Specific Physical and Chemical Properties , 2006 .

[5]  Charles E. Brown.  World Energy Resources , 2011 .

[6]  K. M. Nazmul Islam,et al.  Municipal Solid Waste to Energy Generation in Bangladesh: Possible Scenarios to Generate Renewable Electricity in Dhaka and Chittagong City , 2016 .

[7]  W. T. Tsai,et al.  BIOENERGY FROM LANDFILL GAS (LFG) IN TAIWAN , 2007 .

[8]  M A Sufian,et al.  Modeling of urban solid waste management system: the case of Dhaka city. , 2007, Waste management.

[9]  Muhammad Mehedi Masud,et al.  Selected socio-economic factors affecting the willingness to minimise solid waste in Dhaka city, Bangladesh , 2011 .

[10]  Chettiyappan Visvanathan,et al.  Greenhouse Gas Emission Potential of the Municipal Solid Waste Disposal Sites in Thailand , 2008, Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association.

[11]  H. Hashim,et al.  Economic and environmental benefits of landfill gas from municipal solid waste in Malaysia , 2012 .

[12]  Ashok V Shekdar,et al.  Sustainable solid waste management: an integrated approach for Asian countries. , 2009, Waste management.

[13]  N. Themelis.  ANAEROBIC DIGESTION OF BIODEGRADABLE ORGANICS IN MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTES , 2002 .

[14]  P Agamuthu,et al.  Drivers of sustainable waste management in Asia , 2009, Waste management & research : the journal of the International Solid Wastes and Public Cleansing Association, ISWA.

[15]  Christian Zurbrügg,et al.  Decentralised composting in Bangladesh, a win-win situation for all stakeholders , 2005 .

[16]  Keisuke Hanaki,et al.  Willingness to pay for waste management improvement in Dhaka city, Bangladesh. , 2009, Journal of environmental management.

[17]  Changkook Ryu,et al.  Potential of Municipal Solid Waste for Renewable Energy Production and Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in South Korea , 2010, Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association.

[18]  Mohammad Rashedul Hasan,et al.  Landfill demand and allocation for municipal solid waste disposal in Dhaka city—an assessment in a GIS environment , 2009 .

[19]  Faisal I. Hai,et al.  A Study on Solid Waste Management System of Dhaka City Corporation: Effect of Composting and Landfill Location , 2005 .

[20]  Keisuke Hanaki,et al.  Factors affecting waste generation: a study in a waste management program in Dhaka City, Bangladesh , 2011, Environmental monitoring and assessment.

[21]  Maksuda Hossain,et al.  Securing the Environment: Potentiality of Green Brick in Bangladesh , 2012 .

[22]  Md. Alam Hossain Mondal,et al.  Assessment of renewable energy resources potential for electricity generation in Bangladesh , 2010 .

[23]  Abul Kalam Hossain,et al.  Prospects of renewable energy utilisation for electricity generation in Bangladesh , 2007 .

[24]  K. M. Nazmul Islam,et al.  Reliability and economic analysis of moving towards wastes to energy recovery based waste less sustainable society in Bangladesh: The case of commercial capital city Chittagong , 2017 .

[25]  K M Nazmul Islam,et al.  Greenhouse gas footprint and the carbon flow associated with different solid waste management strategy for urban metabolism in Bangladesh. , 2017, The Science of the total environment.

[26]  Daniel Hoornweg,et al.  What a waste? : a global review of solid waste management , 2012 .

[27]  Christopher B. Field,et al.  IPCC Fifth Assessment Synthesis Report-Climate Change 2014 Synthesis Report , 2014 .

[28]  Jeng Shiun Lim,et al.  Energy and emissions benefits of renewable energy derived from municipal solid waste: Analysis of a low carbon scenario in Malaysia , 2014 .

[29]  Lokman Hossain,et al.  GENERATION AND ASSESSING THE COMPOSITION OF HOUSEHOLD SOLID WASTE IN COMMERCIAL CAPITAL CITY OF BANGLADESH , 2012 .

[30]  P. Aarne Vesilind,et al.  Solid Waste Engineering , 2001 .

[31]  Fabio Monforti-Ferrario,et al.  Evaluation of energy potential of Municipal Solid Waste from African urban areas , 2015 .

[32]  Rajeev Singh,et al.  An overview for exploring the possibilities of energy generation from municipal solid waste (MSW) in Indian scenario , 2011 .

[33]  Stephen G. Agong,et al.  Energy recovery from municipal solid waste , 2017 .

[34]  M. A. Sufian,et al.  Modelling of electrical energy recovery from urban solid waste system: The case of Dhaka city , 2006 .

[35]  Shinsuke Murakami,et al.  Current status of municipal solid waste management system in Chittagong, Bangladesh , 2013 .

[36]  M. Ahamad,et al.  Electricity consumption and economic growth nexus in Bangladesh: Revisited evidences , 2011 .

[37]  Donghoon Shin,et al.  Combined Heat and Power from Municipal Solid Waste: Current Status and Issues in South Korea , 2012 .

[38]  Amimul Ahsan,et al.  CHARACTERIZATION OF MSW AND NUTRIENT CONTENTS OF ORGANIC COMPONENT IN BANGLADESH , 2007 .

[39]  Frank Kreith,et al.  Handbook of Solid Waste Management , 2002 .

[40]  George Tchobanoglous,et al.  Integrated Solid Waste Management: Engineering Principles and Management Issues , 1993 .

[41]  E. P.,et al.  A Comparative Assessment of Commercial Technologies for Conversion of Solid Waste to Energy , 2014 .

[42]  Jeroen Buysse,et al.  Energy consumption, carbon emissions and economic growth nexus in Bangladesh: Cointegration and dynamic causality analysis , 2012 .

[43]  Amimul Ahsan,et al.  MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE AND RECOVERY POTENTIAL: BANGLADESH PERSPECTIVE , 2007 .

[44]  Isak Kotcioglu,et al.  Clean and sustainable energy policies in Turkey , 2011 .

[45]  Tahmina Ahsan,et al.  Household Waste Management in High-Rise Residential Building in Dhaka, Bangladesh: Users' Perspective , 2014 .

[46]  Adrian Badea,et al.  Integrated municipal solid waste scenario model using advanced pretreatment and waste to energy processes , 2013 .

[47]  C S Psomopoulos,et al.  Waste-to-energy: A review of the status and benefits in USA. , 2009, Waste management.

[48]  Christian Zurbrügg,et al.  Improving the informal recycling sector through segregation of waste in the household – The case of Dhaka Bangladesh , 2013 .

[49]  Manfred Lenzen,et al.  Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation: Methodology , 2011 .

[50]  A. Marathe,et al.  Causality relationship between electricity consumption and GDP in Bangladesh , 2007 .

[51]  Hefa Cheng,et al.  Municipal solid waste (MSW) as a renewable source of energy: current and future practices in China. , 2010, Bioresource technology.

[52]  Mohammad Sujauddin,et al.  Household solid waste characteristics and management in Chittagong, Bangladesh. , 2008, Waste management.

[53]  Marie Münster,et al.  Optimization of use of waste in the future energy system , 2011 .

[54]  Shahriar Shams,et al.  Assessment of Municipal Solid Waste Management System in a Developing Country , 2014 .

[55]  URBAN SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT SCENARIO OF BANGLADESH : PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS , 2005 .

[56]  Shamsuddin Shahid,et al.  Vulnerability of the power sector of Bangladesh to climate change and extreme weather events , 2012, Regional Environmental Change.

[57]  Mohammed F.M. Abushammala,et al.  Review on landfill gas emission to the atmosphere , 2009 .

[58]  Md. Minhaj Uddin Monir,et al.  Municipal solid waste (MSW) as a source of renewable energy in Bangladesh: Revisited , 2014 .

[59]  Li-Teh Lu,et al.  MSW management for waste minimization in Taiwan: the last two decades. , 2006, Waste management.