Solid Waste Management and Waste-to-Energy Feasibility in Kigali - A Case Study of the Mpazi Rehousing Project

Sammanfattning

This master’s thesis explores a Waste-to-Energy solution for Kigali, specifically focusing on the Mpazi Rehousing Project. Kigali faces challenges with Solid Waste Management (SWM) despite its reputation for cleanliness and efficient urban planning. It aims to transform biowaste into biogas, contributing to sustainable urban development and reducing waste at Nduba landfill. The research addresses three main questions: the current state of SWM in Kigali, the suitable operational parameters for a community-based biogas digester in Rwanda, and the biogas potential and investment costs for a village-scale fixed dome biogas digester in the Mpazi Rehousing Project. The study encompasses a comprehensive approach involving literature review, data analysis, field observations and stakeholder interviews. The results indicate significant potential for biogas production, estimating daily outputs of 42 m3 for maximum resident capacity in Mpazi, titled Scenario I, and 36 m3 at 85% capacity, titled Scenario II. The investment costs are projected to be approximately 10 100 USD for a 70 m3 reactor and 8 600 USD for a 59 m3 reactor. Implementing smallscale investments like the community-based biogas digester presented in this master’s thesis, do not only present a more feasible and immediate solution for mitigating waste at Nduba Landfill, but also lays the groundwork for scaling up projects in the capital.