Biogas production from multiple feedstock at the district-level centralized facility for multiple end-use options: a case study in Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Abstract

In the 7th? Agenda of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, sustainable energy is one of the main interests and it should be renewable. Biogas is considered as one of the renewable sources of energy. In maximizing biogas production, the challenge is to establish feasible processes considering multiple factors as it can be produced from more than one type of feedstock. In this study, the biogas production's potential is assessed at the district level of Johor Bahru, Malaysia, through mathematical modelling approach. The potential feedstocks include food waste, wet market waste, domestic wastewater, agricultural waste, and animal waste. Landfill gas collection is also considered as the gas will be mixed with the anaerobic digester biogas in a centralized facility mode. The availability of the sources is based on the literature and the associated government departments. Multiple options of end-use of the biogas are considered. Apart from the techno-economic parameters regarding the involved processes, the collection and pre-processing costs of the applicable feedstocks are also considered. 14.5 MW of renewable electricity and 25 t/h of steam can be generated through the processes indicated by the optimal solution of the mixed-integer nonlinear integer model. Collection, transportation, pre-processing costs of the applicable organic wastes, and the end-use technology costs are the critical items that contribute significantly pertaining the project’s economics. The study’s result provides practical insight into how the proposed idea can be implemented in the real world.