ABSTRACT

Municipal solid waste (MSW) is described as the stream of solid waste (trash or garbage) generated by households and communities, commercial establishments, industries and institutions. Management of municipal solid waste (MSW) continues to remain one of the most neglected areas of urban development in Nigeria and other developing nations, hence one of the most challenging problems of our era given the high level of urbanization.

Municipal solid waste can be used to produce energy through various technologies. Municipal solid waste management and energy systems are closely linked by exploiting the economic and environmental benefits from this energy which is considered as a renewable energy source. When the energy content of waste can be recovered cleanly and efficiently, their combustion represents a reuse of materials and thereby contributes to our energy needs in an environmental manner. The energy content of the fuel is measured in terms of its calorific value (CV); expressed in joules per kilogram.

Waste to energy (WtE) methods include composting, gasification, pyrolysis and incineration. The incineration method is the most widely accepted method of converting waste to energy (WtE) because it can be used to treat different types of waste including municipal waste and industrial solid waste.This study of waste to energy (WtE) generation was focused on Umuahia metropolis and two different WtE is analysed to find the optimum solution to the energy deficiency being experienced in Umuahia metropolis. A sensitivity analysis is performed to evaluate the effects of moisture content of municipal solid waste (MSW) on the energy potential and the greenhouse gases (GHG) emission. The study concludes that waste to energy (WtE) strategy based on MSW incineration to generate electricity will deliver environmental benefits nationally and will warrant comprehensive MSW management for the sustainable development of Umuahia.