Anaerobic Digestion of Food: Waste Characterization, Biomethane Potential, Power Generation and Digester Design: A Case Study in Zahle District, Lebanon.

Sammanfattning

Due to the waste crisis in Lebanon and its impact on the social, environmental, and economic sectors, many municipalities like Zahle District and its Unions of Municipalities planned to apply the circular economy to tackle the mismanagement of solid waste. Theoretically, many studies have been conducted at Zahle landfill to integrate was-to-energy technologies and get benefit of the gas generated by anaerobic digestion of biodegradable waste such as food. However, several basic variables related to anaerobic digestion AD had not been taken into consideration such as variation in the organic composition, waste generation related to the population, and power generation efficiency. Therefore, based on the plans set by Law 80 on Integrated Solid Waste Management ISWM to achieve 35% recycling rates 2025-2035, and Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) with conditional target 30% of recycling by 2030, the aim of this thesis is to estimate the biomethane production and power generation achieved at different rates of food waste digestion between 2025 and 2035, to achieve 30 and 35% recycling of FW beside the composting.Thus, scenario A where 10 to 20% of FW is digested, by increasing 1% every year from 2025 t0 2035, and 15% for composting as constant, results show a biomethane yield of 604000 to 1725000m3 annually, with a power generation 2400 to 6800 MWh/years for 2025 and 2035 respectively by usage of 1MW CHP 41.25% electrical efficiency. The achievement of scenario A requires 5 to 9 150m3digesters.Scenario B where digestion rates are 25% by 2025 and 35% by 2035 requires 10 to 19 150m3digesters, where biomethane and power production have ranges of 1466500 to 3019000 m3 annually, and 5800 to 11900MWh/year, respectively.