Waste to Energy: Review on the Development of Land Fill Gas for Power Generation in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

This study focused on the development of land fill gas for power generation in Sub-Saharan Africa. In rapidly expanding cities in developing and emerging nations, it has been observed that municipal solid waste (MSW) has increased dramatically, raising public concern about the effects on the environment and public health. In Sub-Saharan Africa today, the garbage of people within this region especially in Nigeria is carelessly disposed. Environmental pollution and its effects on people's quality of life have become more sensitive topics among residents and decision-makers in Sub-Saharan Africa. Additionally, municipal solid waste management (MSWM) is becoming a more important topic on the local political agenda. Local decision-makers routinely debate whether to invest in waste-to-energy technologies as part of their effort to modernize waste management systems. Waste-to-Energy technologies are being promoted more and more as an alluring solution to a number of problems, including the urgent issue of waste disposal. These issues include inadequate power production, a shortage of landfill space, and greenhouse gas emissions from improper waste management. As an alternative to waste burning and composting, landfilling is one of the municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal techniques that are most frequently used. Due to its financial benefits, the sanitary landfill method is still often employed in various nations for the final disposal of solid waste. Landfill gas (LFG) is mostly produced by the anaerobic breakdown of the biodegradable component of municipal solid waste (MSW), specifically kitchen and yard trash, which is disposed of in landfills. Due to the anaerobic breakdown of the organic portion of solid waste, landfill gas is continuously produced. As a result, if an extraction system is not constructed in a landfill, there will be an overpressure that will force the biogas to be released into the atmosphere, which will have an adverse effect on the environment. Methane and carbon dioxide make up the majority of the gases that make up landfill gas, which is a mixture of other gases. Many landfill sites include an operational gas collection system that draws gas from both horizontal and vertical gas wells using a blower. The gas from the landfill was thought to only include carbon dioxide and methane. Methane's typical volume composition is 49%, hence it was believed that carbon dioxide would have a volume composition of 51%. Reviewing the information gathered by numerous studies regarding the volume of waste being dumped in landfills reveals that the waste produced in sub-Saharan Africa is sufficient to power the area with electricity. It was discovered that the quantity of electricity generated will fluctuate over time based on the flow rate of landfill gas. It will initially rise until a peak is attained. A million tons of landfill waste typically emits 434,000 cubic feet of LFG each day, which is sufficient to generate 0.80 MW of power. About 70% of LFG projects use internal combustion engines, gas turbines, and micro-turbines to produce power.

Keywords

• Landfill gas
• Power generation
• Sub-Saharan Africa
• Waste management
• Waste-to-energy technologies

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