Feasibility Analysis for the Implementation of Thermal Treatment Technologies for Municipal Solid Waste in Colombia

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine the financial feasibility of electricity production projects in Colombia using thermal treatment technologies for Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), by assessing the generation potential, the costs associated with investment, operation and maintenance of infrastructure, and the environmental impacts in terms of CO2 emissions. The study is developed for three capital cities that reflect different conditions of production and characteristics of the MSW, which are: Bogotá D.C., Cartagena and Manizales. MSW production volumes were determined from information reported by public sanitation service providers, while their lower calorific value was estimated from a predictive model referenced in the literature. The results of the study indicate that the development of these technologies, in the three cities mentioned, would allow to contribute 2.309 GWh/year, corresponding to approximately 3,3% of the electricity demand in Colombia; likewise, they would reduce CO2 emissions by more than 3 million tons per year, compared to the emissions generated by the final disposal of waste in sanitary landfills. The plant located in the city of Bogota would have the best financial performance, with an internal rate of return of 7,1%, while the infrastructure located in the cities of Cartagena and Manizales would not have an interesting financial performance; under the assumptions raised in the study.

Revisión de mecanismos de valorización energética para residuos sólidos urbanos caso: relleno sanitario Doña Juana

“…Se estima aproximadamente que el 54 % de los residuos corresponden a los residuos orgánicos mientras que el 46 % restante está constituido por los otros materiales inorgánicos (Hettiarachchi, Riu et al, 2018). En Bogotá, Colombia se estima que el 49 % de los residuos que llegan al relleno sanitario Doña Juana corresponden a la fracción orgánica de los desechos (Ossa et al, 2020).…”

“…Un claro ejemplo de esta problemática es la ciudad de Bogotá, Colombia, donde se estima que el 49 % de los desechos que se depositan en el relleno sanitario corresponden a la fracción orgánica de estos (Ossa et al, 2020), la cual no presenta un proceso de control óptimo al ser almacenados sin un tratamiento previo.…”

Sequential Methodology for the Selection of Municipal Waste Treatment Alternatives Applied to a Case Study in Chile

“…Several studies focus on analyzing the potential of converting waste into energy with different treatment techniques [43][44][45][46][47][48]. Others address the economic feasibility of applying distinct waste treatment techniques in several cities [43,49]. In the same context but applied to specific case studies, multicriteria decision techniques have been used to consider social, economic, political and environmental aspects [4,50,51].…”