Techno-economic and Feasibility Analysis of a Thermo-chemical Waste to Energy Conversion Technology from the Perspective of Dhaka City, Bangladesh

Abstract

As a consequence of dynamic growth in its economy, Bangladesh has seen rapid urbanization in recent years. Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, serves as the economic, cultural, and educational center. Unfortunately, Dhaka has severe issues with its urban planning, and its unreliable waste management system results in waste accumulation in different neighborhoods. The generation of MSW is growing fast in Dhaka city as it is directly related with economic development and urbanization. Hence, the necessity of a comprehensive waste management system and the use of appropriate Waste to Energy Technologies (WTE) is a crying need in the present scenario of Dhaka city. Electricity generation concept comes as an alternative energy source. This concept of electricity generation utilizing municipal solid waste is highly encouraged in the national waste management policies of Bangladesh. But due to the lack of proper attention, this concept is still underdeveloped and requires more improvement. Under this consideration, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the energy generation potential, the economic viability, and the environmental impact of a municipal solid waste-based incineration WTE conversion power plant in Dhaka city. In the second study, we have analyzed the energy generation potential of biogas collected from landfills and sewage treatment plants in Dhaka city. Energy potential for six scenarios was analyzed along with economic analysis. To do so, waste collection prediction was conducted. IPCC model was used to calculate the biogas generated from landfills and Von Sperling's method to quantify biogas production from the sewage treatment plant. The best scenario was the combined use of biogas from both plants to produce electricity with a generation capacity of 21 MW and a payback period of 10.70 years.