Economic and environmental benefits of landfill gas from municipal solid waste in Malaysia

Anwar Johari, Saeed Isa Ahmed, Haslenda Hashim, Habib Alkali and Mat Ramli

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2012, vol. 16, issue 5, 2907-2912

Abstract: Discharge of Green House Gases (GHGs) and the management of municipal solid waste (MSW) continue to be a major challenge particularly in growing economies. However, these are resources which can be converted to green energy. Landfill gas which is essentially methane (50–55%) and carbon dioxide (40–45%) (both GHGs) is released from MSW by biodegradation processes. The estimation of this methane and its economic and environmental benefits for environmental sustainability are the objectives of this study. Methane emission from MSW disposed of in landfills was estimated using Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) methodology. From the study, based on 8,196,000tonnes MSW generated in Peninsular Malaysia in 2010, anthropogenic methane emission of about 310,220tonnes per year was estimated. This was estimated to generate 1.9billionkWh of electricityyear−1 worth over RM 570 million (US$190 million). In addition, this leads to carbon dioxide reduction of 6,514,620tonnesyear−1 equivalent to carbon credit of over RM 257 million (US$85 million). These results were also projected for 2015 and 2020 and the outcomes are promising. Therefore, the exploration of this resource, besides the economic benefits helps in reducing the dependence on the depleting fossil fuel and hence broadening the fuel base of the country.

Keywords: Municipal solid waste; Landfill gas; Methane emission; Green energy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (40)

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DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2012.02.005

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