A feasibility study of energy recovery of RDF from municipal solid waste

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is being used in energy-to-waste plants and as fuel substitutes in different industrial processes. Particularly Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) from MSW has been widely using in the current practice. This paper aims at conducting a feasibility study of energy recovery of RDF from MSW generated in Pyongyang per year. This study considers the combustibles as RDF resource (i.e. plastics, paper, textile, mixed organic waste, wood, and rubber) in an evaluation of energy recovery. This feasibility study is conducted in two ways: the evaluations of potential energy content and electricity from the RDF resource, which are carried out by methodologies based on heating values of RDF resource and efficiencies of energy recovery, respectively. The results show that the total energy content from RDF resource based on Lower Heating Value (LHV) is approximately 2,813,678.7 GJ/yr, while it is available to generate electricity in a range of 101,320,570−210,435,030 kWh/yr depending on different net efficiencies. This research findings provide a feasibility of RDF utilization for energy recovery to the local planners.