Techno-Economic Assessment of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Incineration in Ghana

Abstract

Waste incineration with energy recovery is a matured Waste-to-Energy (WtE) technology which has contributed immensely to the disposal and management of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in industrialised nations. The adoption of this technology in developing countries is currently gaining momentum due to the numerous benefits that can be derived from its use. In this study, a techno-economic assessment of MSW incineration in proposed waste incineration facilities for use in Ghana was carried out. The technical assessment was conducted by determining the plant capacity and annual electricity production based on the combustible residues of MSW collected from various population sizes in the country, while the economic assessment was carried out by determining two key economic indicators, Net Present Value (NPV) and Levelised Cost of Energy (LCOE). It was found that a total of about 400 MW of electricity can be generated from the total of about 14,000 tonnes of MSW generated in the country daily. The NPV for a 35.81 MW installed capacity of waste incineration facility was found to be USD 166,410,969.24. However, the LCOE for the 35.81 MW capacity and all others considered was greater than the tariff of electricity for their respective capacities, which means waste incineration facilities are not economically viable ventures in Ghana. The implementation of these facilities in the country would, therefore, need governmental support in the form of subsidies and tax rebates. Three locations were proposed for the piloting of waste incineration facilities in the country, and these locations are in the Accra Metropolitan, Asokore-Mampong Metropolitan, and Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assemblies.