Techno-Economic and Environmental Assessment for Biomethane Production and Cogeneration Scenarios from OFMSW in Mexico

Abstract

Mexico City is one of the largest cities in the world and therefore there is a high generation of waste, of which 44% is equivalent to the Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste (OFMSW). In this work, two case studies are evaluated for the application of biogas obtained in an anaerobic digestion process using OFMSW. CASE I considers obtaining biomethane, while CASE II considers energy cogeneration. The biogas yield was determined and was used to carry out an analysis of the process through an economic and environmental impact evaluation on different amounts of OFMSW (100-500 MT). The net present value of this project does not show the feasibility of the process, unless subsidy support is considered. The value of the smallest subsidy over the total investment to nd NPV = 0, is 5.64 % for CASE I and 6.84% for CASE II at 200 MT of OFMSW. The WAste Reduction (WAR) methodology was used, which shows that the potential for environmental impact for the two cases is only 4%. The in-depth research of this work helps to maintain the anaerobic digestion process in a circular economy context, for the supply of energy and the protection of the environment.

Management of the Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste in the Context of a Sustainable and Circular Model: Analysis of Trends in Latin America and the Caribbean

“…Different studies showed anaerobic digestion as a promising alternative for OFMSW valorization on full-scale installations [76]. Additionally, through the determination of its energy potential, performing a comparative analysis for the electrical energy generation using MSW, including methanization of OFMSW in anaerobic digesters, which could guarantee an energy production up to 20.097 GWh per year (equivalent to 0.18 MWh per ton of organic waste) [77].…”

“…Certain factors limit the development of infrastructure for the implementation of different techniques or processes of treatment in developing countries, such as the management of OFMSW and the availability of resources. On a global scale, only 11% of MSW is utilized in waste-to-energy conversion schemes [76]. All the techniques or processes of treatment should incorporate an integrated approach, including geography, socio-economical conditions, technical requirements, and environmental legislation.…”