Abstract

The potential for energy generation from municipal solid waste (MSW) in Quito, Ecuador was calculated using general models for biochemical and thermochemical processes in this study. According to the findings, Quito's MSW constituted 69.3% biodegradable trash and 30.7 percent non-biodegradable waste, with putrescible garbage accounting for 81.4 percent of biodegradable waste. The calculated energy potentials through thermochemical and biochemical routes were 5970 kWh/tMSW and 62 kWh/tMSW respectively. Similarly, the power generation potentials were estimated at 0.78 and 0.07 MW/tMSW for biochemical and thermochemical processes, respectively. This study thus illustrates that Quito´s MSW has high potential for producing biogas and heat energy.