Feasibility analysis of municipal solid waste (MSW) for energy production in Rajshahi City Corporation

Bangladesh is a middle income, Southeast Asian developing country, facing an energy crisis, over population of 166 million, environmental pollution etc. that hinders her industrial as well as socio-economic development. Rajshahi is the 4th most populous city in the country having a population over 0.7 million faces the complexity of municipal solid waste (MSW) management issues. The conventional ways of treating them are landfilling and incineration in open airs that create shortage of land, water contamination, respiratory diseases, skin diseases and irritation of several organs etc. Proper use of these wastes towards power generation will not only solve the electricity scarcity of the country but also reduce the environmental pollution. The daily generation of MSW is estimated as 420 tons consisting of organic matter, paper, plastic, leather & rubber, glass, textile & wood and others. The present study represents a quantitative & comprehensive analysis of electrical power as well as biogas production from MSW for Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC). From this study, it is observed that about 10.2 MW electrical power or 45300 m3 biogas or equivalent to 11.4 kiloton of LPG gas or 22650 L fuel oil could be extracted from MSW which will contribute to fulfill the increasing energy demand in RCC industrial development, making city more clean & green.