Utilization of Biodegradable Wastes As a Clean Energy Source in the Developing Countries: a Case Study in Myanmar
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energies Article Utilization of Biodegradable Wastes as a Clean Energy Source in the Developing Countries: A Case Study in Myanmar Maw Maw Tun 1,2,* , Dagmar Juchelková 1,* , Helena Raclavská 3 and Veronika Sassmanová 1 1 Department of Power Engineering, VŠB-Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 15, 70833 Ostrava-Poruba, Czech Republic; [email protected] 2 Department of Energy Engineering, Czech Technical University, Zikova 1903/4, 166 36 Prague, Czech Republic 3 Centre ENET, VŠB-Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 15, 70833 Ostrava-Poruba, Czech Republic; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] (M.M.T.); [email protected] (D.J.); Tel.: +420-773-287-487 (M.M.T.) Received: 12 October 2018; Accepted: 12 November 2018; Published: 16 November 2018 Abstract: Nowadays, waste-to-energy has become a type of renewable energy utilization that can provide environmental and economic benefits in the world. In this paper, we evaluated the quality of twelve biodegradable waste samples from Myanmar by binder laboratory heating and drying oven at 105 ◦C. The calculation methods of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) were used for the greenhouse gas emission estimation from waste disposal at the open dumpsites, anaerobic digestion, and waste transportation in the current situation of Myanmar. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emission and fossil fuel consumption of the improved biodegrade waste utilization system were estimated and both were found to be reduced. As a result, volume and weight of the biodegradable wastes with 100% moisture reduction were estimated at approximately 5 million cubic meters per year and 2600 kilotonnes per year, respectively, in 2021. The total GHG emissions in the current situation amounted to approximately 1500 and 1800 Gigagrams of CO2-eq per year in 2019 and 2021, respectively, while the total GHG emission avoidance from a sustainable approach amounted to 3500 and 4000 Gigagrams of CO2-eq per year, respectively. The study aimed at highlighting the utilization of biodegradable wastes as a clean energy source in developing countries. Keywords: renewable energy source; biodegradable waste; waste quality; greenhouse gas emission; sustainable approach 1. Introduction Nowadays, waste has become a local and global issue related to society, wild species, and the environment. Waste generation in developing countries has been increasing along with the growing population, increasing per capita waste generation and economic growth. Without an effective and efficient solid waste management program, the waste generated from various human activities, both industrial and domestic, can result in health hazards and have a negative impact on the environment [1]. The urban population in most Asian developing countries in 2012 might be increased by around 50% in 2025 [2]. Since waste generation rates are closely related to the population and per capita waste generation of a country, the Asian developing countries might have significantly increased waste generation rates during 2012–2025 (Figure1). Energies 2018, 11, 3183; doi:10.3390/en11113183 www.mdpi.com/journal/energies Energies 2018, 11, 3183 2 of 20 EnergiesEnergies 20182018,, 1111,, xx 22 ofof 2020 300300 200200 250 250 160160 200200 120120 150150 8080 100100 Kilotonnes per dayper Kilotonnes Kilotonnes per dayper Kilotonnes Inhabitants (millions) Inhabitants 40 Inhabitants (millions) Inhabitants 5050 40 00 00 PopulationPopulation 20122012 PopulationPopulation 20252025 SolidSolid WasteWaste GenerationGeneration 20122012 SolidSolid WasteWaste GenerationGeneration 20252025 FigureFigure 1. 1. TotalTotal pop populationpopulationulation and and solid solid waste waste generation generation in in the the selected selected developingdeveloping Asian Asian countries countries duringduring 2012 2012–20252012––20252025 [2,3 [[2,32,3]].].. AccordingAccording toto thethethe World WorldWorld Bank BankBank 2012 20122012 Report ReportReport [2 [2],],[2], the thethe amount amountamount of of municipalof municipalmunicipal solid solidsolid wastes wasteswastes (MSW) (MSW)(MSW) of the ofof thecitiesthe citiescities around aroundaround the world thethe worldworld might mightmight reach 2.2reachreach billion 2.22.2 tonnesbillionbillion per tonnestonnes year per byper 2025 yearyear and byby waste20252025 and generationand wastewaste ratesgenerationgeneration might ratesdoublerates mightmight over doubledouble the next overover two thethe decades nextnext twotwo in developing decadesdecades inin countries. developingdeveloping The countries.countries. country-specific TheThe countrycountry waste--specificspecific composition wastewaste compositioniscomposition mainly influenced isis mainlymainly by consumptioninfluencedinfluenced byby patterns, consumptionconsumption educational patterns,patterns, and livingeducationaleducational standards, andand householdlivingliving standards,standards, income, householdandhousehold economic incomeincome development.,, andand economiceconomic Generally, development.development. compared Generally,Generally, to the developed comparedcompared countries,toto thethe developeddeveloped most developing countries,countries, mostcountriesmost developingdeveloping have greater countriescountries organic havehave greater fractionsgreater organicorganic of their fractionfraction MSWss of composition,of theirtheir MSWMSW composition,composition, being over 50% beingbeing of overover the total.50%50% ofFigureof thethe total.total.2 shows FigureFigure the 22 comparisonshowsshows thethe ccomparisonomparison of waste composition, ofof wastewaste compositioncomposition collection,, collectioncollection efficiency efficieffici andencyency per andand capita perper waste capitacapita wastegenerationwaste generationgeneration in Asian inin developing AsianAsian developingdeveloping countries countriescountries as per the asas World perper thethe Bank WorldWorld 2012 ReportBankBank 20122012 [2] and ReportReport the scholars [2][2] andand [ 4thethe] It scholarsisscholars observed [4][4] thatItIt isis the observedobserved MSW in thatthat most thethe of theMSWMSW Asian inin most developingmost ofof thethe countries AsianAsian developingdeveloping is mainly composedcountriescountries ofisis organicmainlymainly composedwaste,composed with ofof around organicorganic 55%, waste,waste, followed withwith byaroundaround other 55%,55%, (16%), followfollow papereded (17%), byby otherother plastic (16%),(16%), (11%), paperpaper and (17%),(17%), glassand plasticplastic metal (11%),(11%), (1%) andonand average. glassglass andand The metalmetal collection (1%)(1%) efficiencyonon average.average. and TheThe per collectioncollection capita waste efficiencyefficiency generation andand of perper these capitacapita developing wastewaste generationgeneration countries are ofof theselowerthese developingdeveloping than 70% and countriescountries 1.5 kg perareare capitalowerlower than perthan day, 770%0% respectively. andand 11.5.5 kkgg perper capitacapita perper dayday,, respectivelyrespectively.. 100100 22 8080 1.61.6 6060 1.21.2 4040 0.80.8 efficiency (%) efficiency efficiency (%) efficiency Kg per capita per day per capitaper Kg 2020 0.40.4 day per capitaper Kg 00 00 Waste composition (wt. %) & Collection Collection &%) (wt. composition Waste Waste composition (wt. %) & Collection Collection &%) (wt. composition Waste OthersOthers MetalMetal GlassGlass PlasticPlastic PaperPaper OrganicOrganic CollectionCollection EfficiencyEfficiency PerPer CapitaCapita WasteWaste GenerationGeneration Figure 2. FigureFigure 2.2. ComparisonComparison of of waste waste composition composition,composition,, collection collection efficiency efficiencyefficiency and and per per capita capita waste waste generation generation in in Asian developing countries [2,4]. AsianAsian developingdeveloping countriescountries [2,4[2,4]].. Energies 2018, 11, 3183 3 of 20 Due to the higher organic fraction and higher moisture content of the MSW, thermal waste treatment is not suitable for energy recovery without additional fuel supply in the developing countries [5,6]. In addition, due to the high investment costs of waste-to-energy technologies, the developing countries commonly use open dumping and landfilling as their principal waste disposal methods [2,7]. However, the negative impacts of waste disposal at open dumpsites and landfills significantly affect the environment [8,9] and public health due to the environmental pollution from the greenhouse gas emissions generated from anaerobic digestion of biodegradable wastes to the atmosphere [10] and landfill leachate impact on the groundwater [11], hygienic issues for waste service workers and the residents residing near the landfilling areas, and the likelihoods of spreading the diseases carried by insects and bacteria to the residents [12]. Further, accelerating waste generation rates in most developing countries could potentially encounter the limited land area for waste disposal at open dumpsites and landfills [13–15]. Nowadays, there is a growing interest in the utilization of renewable energy sources, including biomass, due to the environmental concerns of fossil fuel energy consumption [16]. Currently, the biofuel production from renewable sources is a major challenge in research [17]. Methods of hydrogen generation from waste products have been developed [16]. MSW incineration plants have been advantageous to developed countries for energy recovery and reduction of