Biomethanization of municipal solid waste in a pilot plant

In this study, the behaviour of a sanitary landfill was reproduced in a pilot plant under controlled conditions. The experiment was carried out in an opaque PVC reactor at 36±1°C with recirculation of the leachates. The municipal solid waste (MSW) employed came from the regional landfill site of Asturias and the study was carried out in three stages. Firstly, 48.5 kg of MSW were introduced into the pilot plant (first cell) and several phases of the waste degradation were monitored; the methanogenic phase being reached after 264 days. In the second stage, 66 kg of new MSW was added on top of the degraded waste of the first stage (second cell). In the third stage, 59 kg of new MSW were added on top of the waste digested in the two previous steps (third cell). The waste was digested faster in the second and third steps and the methanogenic phase was reached earlier (second step: 55% CH4 on day 20; third step: 50% CH4 on day 30).