The utilization of solid waste into renewable energy: A case study of local administrative organizations, Phrae province

Abstract

This study aims to identify suitable technology for transforming municipal solid waste into renewable energy in the Phrae province area. The information on the amount of the waste, together with the physical and the chemical properties of the waste generated in the area was collected and analyzed. Forty-two community waste sites managed by the local municipalities were evaluated during the dry and the rainy seasons. The municipalities were organized into three categories according to the amount of waste generated daily: small (less than 10 tons of collected waste daily), medium (10-20 tons/day), and large (more than 20 tons/day). The data were then compared with the criteria for the selection of suitable technology for converting community waste into energy developed by the Department of Alternative Energy Development (DAED) and the Pollution Control Department (PCD). The majority of the waste was found to be organic waste. The waste typically consists of organic waste (between 37-43% by weight), general waste (27-35 %), recyclable waste (22-33%), hazardous waste (0.4-3.1%), and other waste (between 0.08-0.35%). The waste generally had the moisture content between 22-32%, ash percent between 11-17%, and the heating value between 5,195 -5,720 kcal/kg. For the elemental composition, the waste consists of carbon (45.6-49.8 %), oxygen (29.5-32.3%), hydrogen (5.2-5.7%), sulfur (1.3-1.4%), nitrogen (0.47-0.58 %), and phosphorus (0.01-0.04%). Based on these data collected on the amount of the waste generation, the properties of the waste, and the criteria from DAED and PCD, the community waste in Phrae area is most suitability managed and converted into energy using the community waste incinerator to generate electricity. The waste should also be sorted either by source separation, or pre-processing, to increase the heating value. Due to high sulfur content, there should also be a system to prevent and reduce air pollution that could occur.