Industrial Biosolids from Waste to Energy: Development of Robust Model for Optimal Conversion Route � Case Study

Abstract

Utilizing sustainable energy sources is crucial for expanding the range of solutions available to meet the growing energy demand and reducing reliance on environmentally damaging and depleting conventional fuels. Biosolids, a type of biomass, are generated as secondary effluent during wastewater treatment process in municipal and industrial sites. These solids possess the potential to serve as a sustainable energy source due to their richness of carbon. For an extended period, biosolids have been landfilled, even though it can be considered a wasteful use of a precious resource and a possible mean for contamination to the food supply chain. This has served as an extra impetus to investigate the potential for harnessing the capabilities of these substances. While many research studies have looked at different ways to put biomass waste to use, very little has been written on biosolids, especially those derived from industrial sources. This research assesses the feasibility of transforming GTL derived biosolids into value-added commodities that can serve as raw materials in chemical manufacturing or be employed energy generation. The study primarily examines widely recognized thermal conversion processes, pyrolysis and gasification. An evaluation is carried out to analyze the economic, technological, and environmental aspects of the treatment methods utilizing these technologies. The aim is to demonstrate the potential of GTL biosolids conversion and to determine associated costs and environmental impacts. The ASPEN simulation tool is utilized to model thermal treatment pathways, allowing for the generation of economic and environmental estimations for each route.