Selection of Waste-to-Energy Technologies with Economic and Financial Analysis for Application in the Integrated Solid Waste Management Center, Rayong Province
Keywords:
Solid waste disposal technology, Waste to energy technology, Incineration, Economics and financial analysisAbstract
The Rayong Provincial Integrated Solid Waste Management Center serves as a critical hub for managing solid waste in Thailand, designated to handle large-scale waste management clusters (L clusters) with a current capacity of over 1,000 tons per day. However, future waste projections indicate an alarming increase to 2,000 tons per day within the next two decades, necessitating the adoption of advanced technologies to enhance waste management efficiency and facilitate waste-to-energy transformation. This study aims to identify and evaluate innovative waste management technologies to address these challenges, including grate incineration, anaerobic digestion, landfill gas collection, refuse-derived fuel (RDF) processing, and gasification. A systematic methodology was employed, beginning with a qualitative analysis to determine the most suitable technological alternatives for each category. These alternatives were subsequently evaluated and scored across four dimensions: technical performance, economic viability, environmental impact, and social acceptability. The final step involved a comprehensive economic analysis of the selected technologies. The results identify grate incineration technology as the most effective solution for improving waste management efficiency and converting waste into energy. The economic feasibility analysis reveals a benefit-cost ratio (B/C) of 1.22, an economic internal rate of return (EIRR) of 14.96%, and a net present value (NPV) of 415.54 million baht. Additionally, financial feasibility assessments show a revenue-cost ratio (R/C) of 1.01, a financial internal rate of return (FIRR) of 8.09%, and an NPV of 15.50 million baht. These findings highlight the potential of grate incineration technology as a sustainable and economically viable solution to meet future waste management demands in Rayong Province, offering a replicable model for other regions confronting similar challenges.
References
Arena, U. (2012). Process and technological aspects of municipal solid waste gasification. A review. Waste management, 32(4), 625-639. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2011.09.025
Astrup, T., Møller, J., & Fruergaard, T. (2009). Incineration and co-combustion of waste: accounting of greenhouse gases and global warming contributions. Waste Management & Research, 27(8), 789-799. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734242X09348677
Bagchi,A (2004). Design of Landfills and Integrated Solid Waste Management, 3th ed., John Wiley & Son, INC.
Belgiorno, V., De Feo, G., Della Rocca, C., & Napoli, R. M. A. (2003). Energy from gasification of solid wastes. Waste management, 23(1), 1-15.
Consonni, S., Giugliano, M., & Grosso, M. (2005). Alternative strategies for energy recovery from municipal solid waste: Part B: Emission and cost estimates. Waste management, 25(2), 137-148. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2004.12.006
Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency (2015). Feasibility Study of Energy Production from Solid Waste by Incineration. Retrieved Nov 15, 2015, from https://webkc.dede.go.th/testmax/node/2245
ERDI-CMU (2022). Six Technologies : Waste to Energy. Retrieved May 24 ,2022 from https://erdi.cmu.ac.th
Fodor, Z., & Klemeš, J. J. (2012). Waste as Secondary Raw Material and RDF as an Alternative Fuel in Cement Plants. Applied Thermal Engineering, 29(1), 298–303. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2007.03.021
Gallardo, A., Carlos, M., Bovea, M. D., Colomer, F. J., & Albarrán, F. (2014). Analysis of refuse-derived fuel from the municipal solid waste reject fraction and its compliance with quality standards. Journal of cleaner production, 83, 118-125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2014.07.083
Kourkoumpas, D.-S., Papadakis, V. G., Kyriakarakos, G., Kavadias, K., & Grigoriou, D. (2018). Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF): Applications and Challenges in Waste-to-Energy Conversion Systems. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 81, 1853–1868. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2017.05.278
Lombardi, L., Carnevale, E., & Corti, A. (2015). A review of technologies and performances of thermal treatment systems for energy recovery from waste. Waste management, 37, 26-44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2014.11.010
Nithikul, J. (2007). Potential of refuse derived fuel production from Bangkok municipal solid waste. Thailand, Asian Institute of Technology School of Environment, Resources and Development.
Rayong Provincial Administrative Organization.(2022). Development of the Center of Integrated Solid Waste Management (CISWM), The Model of Sustainable Energy. Rayong Provincial Administrative Organization.
Sumio,Y., Mazuto, S., Fumihiro,M. (2004). Thermo select Waste Gasification and Reforming Process, JFE Technical Report. Retrieved June 24, 2022 : http://www.jfe-steel.co.jp/en/research/report/003/pdf/003-05.pdf
Swithenbank, J., Nasserzadeh, V., & Goh, R. (2003). Refuse-Derived Fuel for Waste Management and Power Production. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part E: Journal of Process Mechanical Engineering, 217(2), 115–124. https://doi.org/10.1243/095440803322328931
Taherdoost,H (2017). Decision Making by Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), International Journal of Economics and Management Systems 2. Retrieved Jan 5, 2024, from https://ssrn.com/abstract=
TEI. (2019). Development of the Cooperation in Waste to Energy Management TEI.
Velis, C. A., Longhurst, P. J., Drew, G. H., Smith, R., & Pollard, S. J. T. (2010). Production and Quality Assurance of Refuse-Derived Fuels (RDF). Waste Management, 30(4), 573–584. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2009.11.013
Wang, K., & Nakakubo, T. (2020). Comparative assessment of waste disposal systems and technologies with regard to greenhouse gas emissions: A case study of municipal solid waste treatment options in China. Journal of cleaner production, 260, 120827.
Williams, P. T. (2005). Waste Treatment and Disposal, 2nd ed., John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
Categories
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Applied Science and Emerging Technology
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
