https://doi.org/10.15255/KUI.2021.002
Published: Kem. Ind. 70 (11-12) (2021) 693–700
Paper reference number: KUI-02/2021
Paper type: Original scientific paper
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Projection of the Amount and Energy Potential of Mixed Municipal Waste in the Republic of Croatia

T. Domanovac, I. Sutlović, V. Filipan, D. Kučić Grgić, M. Šabić Runjavec and M. Vuković Domanovac

Abstract

In the Republic of Croatia, municipal waste management is prescribed by legal and other strategic and planning documents that set the goals of waste management, which include separate collection for material recovery, i.e., recycling. The remaining mixed municipal waste needs to be treated before final disposal. This treatment involves the implementation of mechanical-biological and energy recovery, most often the production of fuel from waste of standardised quality or direct production of electricity and heat from biogas produced at cogeneration plants within waste management centres. In accordance with the stated objectives of waste management and their assumed fulfilment, a projection of waste quantities was made. According to the projection, out of the total generated annual amount of municipal waste in 2026 of about 1.54 million tons, about 753,000 t year^–1 need to be processed at waste management centres. Mechanical-biological treatment of waste, which for the purposes of this analysis includes mechanical treatment and refining of the fuel fraction and the combined biodegradable fraction of mixed municipal waste in anaerobic and aerobic conditions, it is possible to produce solid fuel from waste in the amount of about 298,000 t year^–1 and about 41.7 ∙ 106 Nm³ of biogas. If the same biological treatment of waste is assumed for separately collected biowaste, then an additional annual production of about 26.2 ∙ 106 Nm³ of biogas can be expected. The total energy potential by waste recovery is about 5.3 PJ, or about 3.71 % from the sector of total general energy consumption for 2018.

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Keywords

municipal waste, waste quantities, waste composition, waste energy potential, biogas