Development of models for the prediction of energy content of fresh municipal solid waste from an unsecured landfill in India

The enormous quantities of municipal solid waste (MSW) generation in Indian cities has emerged as a serious concern. In order to reduce the negative environmental impacts of MSW accumulation in dumpsites or unsecured landfills across India, various measures have been proposed to facilitate conversion of MSW into a valuable resource. One such measure is the immense potential for utilization of MSW as a source of energy. In this study, a comprehensive estimation of the energy potential of freshly dumped MSW has been conducted at a large unsecured landfill site in Okhla, Delhi, which is the capital city of India. Multiple regression models were developed to predict gross calorific value (GCV) and net calorific value (NCV) of MSW in terms of physical composition, proximate analysis and ultimate analysis of the waste. The developed models were found to give a reasonably good prediction of energy content of freshly dumped MSW in the landfill. Food waste, inerts, textile and paper were found to be the prime constituents of fresh MSW arriving at the landfill site. Based on the statistical analysis, volatile matter content and oxygen content of MSW were found to be non-significant terms in the energy content models derived using proximate analysis and ultimate analysis, respectively. The models developed in this study can be used to predict energy content of MSW at other landfill sites in India under similar climatic conditions and disposal practices.