An analysis of renewable electricity generation potential from municipal solid waste: a case study (Khuzestan Province, Iran)

A consequence of urbanization and rapid economic development is a huge quantity of municipal solid waste (MSW), which could be considered as a promising source for renewable electricity generation. This study was aimed to assess the renewable electricity generation potential in Khuzestan Province from MSW through anaerobic digestion (AD) and gasification technologies. The results showed that Khuzestan Province has the potential to generate approximately 17,678 GW of MSW-based bio-power annually. As a result, in addition to earning about 167 thousand USD, around 6.7 thousand tons of CO(2)eq emission could also be avoided. Also, the GIS-based Fuzzy-AHP method was applied to select the most suitable location to construct MSW power plants. Approximately, 30% of the province's area is suitable to construct such bio-power plants. The findings provide basic scientific evidence for the government to draw a roadmap toward reducing GHG emissions by converting MSW to renewable electricity in Khuzestan Province.

Automated summary

Urbanization and rapid economic development have led to a significant amount of municipal solid waste (MSW), which can be used as a potential source for renewable electricity generation. This study assessed the renewable electricity generation potential in Khuzestan Province from MSW through anaerobic digestion (AD) and gasification technologies. The results showed that the province has the potential to generate approximately 17,678 GW of MSW-based bio-power annually, leading to both financial benefits and reduction in CO2 emissions. Additionally, the GIS-based Fuzzy-AHP method was used to identify suitable locations for constructing MSW power plants.