Large-Scale Wet Digestion of Municipal Organic Waste
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Digester and gas storage at the Rayong Municipality Cogeneration plant, Thailand. Source: MUELLER (2007) |
In Thailand, the development of alternative energy sources is critical, as the government has set 2011 as the target date for 8% of the nation’s total energy reduction (MUELLER 2007). This has given large rise to various large-scale biogas projects. The Rayong Municipality has constructed a wet fed-batch high-solids plant for the treatment of the organic fraction of the municipal solid waste. The plant is comprised of two systems; a process that converts waste to biogas and fertiliser and a biogas-fired cogeneration process (CHP). Additional to the organic solid waste from the municipality, the Rayong plant uses food, vegetables and fruit wastes and night soil as waste materials. The plant has a capacity to handle 60 tons of waste per day turning out into an output of 5800 tons organic fertiliser and electricity of about 5 million kWh (MUELLER 2007).
