Qualitative determination of energy potential and methane generation from municipal solid waste (MSW) in Dhanbad (India)

Methane generation from waste landfills is one of the biggest contributors to global warming. The purpose of this study was twofold: (i) to investigate methane concentration from Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) at three landfills in Dhanbad city, India and (ii) to evaluate the amount of energy that could be recovered based on the MSW characteristics if it were to be incinerated. The waste samples were collected and analysed for composition, energy content, and methane concentration. Results from MSW characterisation revealed that the main component of Dhanbad MSW is organic waste, which made up to 75% of the waste by weight. Methane concentration and moisture content from Railway station (site 1) and Memco-more (site 2 and site 3) measured as 140.53, 18.18 and 20.28 ppm methane/g waste and 25.49, 3.40 and 2.96% dry weight respectively. The calorific value for the waste samples ranged between 10.7 and 13.0 MJ/kg. These findings confirm that the methane generated at the sites can be used for energy recovery. Additionally, the energy content of the MSW suggests that it is a suitable feedstock that can be utilized for electricity generation through combustion.