Developments in, and environmental impacts of, electricity generation from municipal solid waste and landfill gas combustion

The 1991 NFFO allocations for renewable energy generation are reviewed with emphasis on electricity from municipal solid waste (MSW) and landfill gas (LFG) combustion tranches. The implications of materials recovery on the calorific value of MSW are considered, as are the environmental impacts of both MSW and LFG combustion with special reference to air pollutant emissions. The performance and economics of state of the art incineration and LFG power generating plants are examined. It is shown that energy recovery from these wastes can be both cost effective and environmentally desirable.