Organic municipal solid waste (MSW) as feedstock for biodiesel production: A financial feasibility analysis

The pursuit towards an alternative solution to fossil fuel has facilitated science investigation initiatives that compare various options leading to biodiesel production. Besides conventional feedstock derived from vegetable oils, alternative sources that could be produce in large scale at competitive costs are the main scope of research in this field. This paper investigates the financial feasibility using organic solid waste as a feedstock, which results in the production of biodiesel through the conversion of volatile fatty acids into lipids (VFA). As a result, based on existing references of capital and operating costs, production and extraction yields for VFA and lipids and an internal rate of return of 15% in real terms, we concluded that biodiesel production is competitive compared to subsidized biodiesel traded in regions of Europe and the United States. These results encourage research aims to examine this technology at a larger scale. The adoption of public policies for the urban waste's disposal and collection, to reduced municipality's costs associated to the treatment, is also important for the implementation of these technologies.