Energy production potential of municipal solid waste and statistical modeling: the case of Yirgalem Town, Ethiopia

One of the critical issues facing developing countries is the improper disposal of solid waste generated by human activity. Finding solid waste resources as energy sources that are sustainable and affordable is crucial because the existing energy sources are finite and expensive. This research aims to assess the potential for energy production and to build site-specific energy models. Sampling was conducted in different seasons at various waste generation sources, including residential, commercial, institutions, healthcares, and street sweeping. The American Standard for Testing and Materials guideline is used to acquire a representative sample for the study of physical and chemical characteristics. The volatile matter content of the composite solid waste was 70.41%, followed by 16.24% fixed carbon and 13.35% ash on a dry basis. Similarly, an investigation of the mixed organic fraction of solid waste showed that it comprised 32.46% carbon, 4.52% hydrogen, 46.03% oxygen, 1.04% nitrogen, and 0.17% sulfur. The model prediction values of higher and lower heating values in composite solid waste were 4731.96 kcal/kg and 4148 kcal/kg, respectively. Based on its dry amount of solid waste of 4530.42 tons per year, municipal solid waste (MSW) has an energy potential of around 21,798.98 MWh or 2.49 MW of electrical power. The content of volatile matter and fixed carbon on a dry basis serves as the basis for a new model development that predicts the energy content of municipal solid waste. Thus, the study will also contribute to environmental sanitation and forecast the amount of energy in the MSW stream.