Municipal Solid Waste Generation Trend and Bioenergy Recovery Potential: A Review

Abstract

Finding sustainable solutions to the increasing waste generation in Ghana has received a lot of attention in recent years. Through several waste-to-energy processes, the energy potential of municipal solid waste has recently witnessed significant technological advancements. The Renewable Energy Master Plan has projected the production of about 122 MWp from waste-to-energy installations by 2030 in Ghana. To help policymakers and engineers achieve national goals, this paper reviews the waste generation in Ghana estimated from 2010 to 2030 and the status of various bioenergy technologies in Ghana. This paper further estimates the energy recovery potential of municipal solid waste in Ghana under incineration, anaerobic digestion, and landfill gas recovery technologies. The review establishes that, by 2030, municipal solid waste generation will increase by 123% of the 2023 quantities and may produce 1484.25 MW of installed electricity capacity and 13,002.03 GWh per year, which would amount to nearly 59% of Ghana’s 2030 renewable energy target. Additionally, it was determined that anaerobic digestion, incineration, and landfill gas recovery technologies, when properly developed, will add 105.33 MW, 301.4 MW, and 377.31 MW of installed electrical capacity, respectively, to Ghana’s energy mix in 2028.

Unlocking Energy from Waste: A Comprehensive Analysis of Municipal Solid Waste Recovery Potential in Ghana

“…Additionally, gasification efficiency is heavily contingent on the physical and chemical quality and composition of the feedstock. Ghana's municipal solid waste (MSW) exhibits heterogeneity, including high moisture content and contamination, necessitating complex and costly pre-treatment processes such as drying, sorting, and size reduction [75]. While gasification offers cleaner emissions compared to conventional incineration, air pollution risks persist.…”

“…This scarcity not only poses safety risks but also has the potential to contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Consequently, there is a pressing need for the implementation of robust leak detection and mitigation strategies, as emphasized by [75].…”

Hybrid Waste-to-Energy Solutions within a Circular Economy Framework Directed towards Sustainable Urban Waste Management in Ghana

“…Many previous studies have proven the energy recovery potential of waste in Ghana [45][46][47]. For instance, it has been estimated that 13,000 GWh of energy can be recovered from waste by 2030 [48]. However, the government has failed to prioritize achieving this goal.…”

“…This can gradually be implemented by identifying the hotspots in the country for waste generation, which is also linked to the population. Various studies have identified metropolitan areas as the most important hotspots for waste generation, with a high potential for renewable energy through waste [46,48,55]. More importantly, urban areas have a higher waste generation rate due to their consumption patterns, and the collection rate was reported as 51.4% for urban areas, as compared to 5.8% for rural areas [88].…”

Integrated Waste-to-Energy Process Optimization for Municipal Solid Waste

“…Therefore, it would be worthwhile to produce valuable chemicals and products from an MSW-handling industry. In the upcoming years, with the growing population of Ontario, it will be crucial to address the proper conversion of these waste materials into useful chemicals and products [27]. The economic feasibility of biobased materials relies on the optimization of their efficiency and the reduction in toxic gas emissions during pyrolysis, gasification, and combustion processes.…”