Title : Sustainable energy generation and materials recovery from urban wastes in the United Arab Emirates
Abstract:
Bioenergy is the largest source of renewable energy nowadays. Multitude of biomass feedstocks can be used to produce electricity, heating houses, biofuels for transportation, and supplying process heat for industrial facilities. Biomass residues and waste are potentially major contributors of resources for energy and material production. A range of such biomass feedstocks, including forest, agricultural, and animal residues, food and wood-based industry residues, and the organic component of municipal waste, can be utilized. Amongst all, this paper presents the local potential of energy production and materials recovery from urban waste, considering the amount of waste from two types of urban waste sources: municipally solid waste (MSW) and sewage sludge. The potential urban waste source quantity was computed according to statistical reports and literature review. In United Arab Emirates (UAE), the per capita waste generation rate (1.9 kg/day) is among the highest worldwide. Thus, the UAE has the potential for utilizing MSW through waste-to-energy (WTE) projects. The adoption of waste-to-energy gives the UAE a chance to reduce climate change, diversify its energy mix, entice green investments, and valorize the waste that is always growing. Regarding the materials recovery, phosphorus can be recovered from manure and sewage sludge, while nutrient recovery has often been a key factor in sewage sludge treatment and utilization.
