“WASTE MANAGEMENT IN HETAUDA”

A PROJECT WORK SUBMITTED FOR THE PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF

THE REQUIREMENT FOR GRADE 12 SCIENCE IN PHYSICS

By

Aarav Chaudhary

Ankush Bhatta

Bobby patel

Samir azam

Grade 12

2079

Hetauda School of Management and Social Sciences

National Education Board (NEB)

Hetauda, Makwanpur, Nepal

Date: (2079/08/10)
 CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL

The project entitled “WASTE MANAGEMENT” by Mr. Aarav chaudhary, Mr.

Ankush Bhatta, Mr.Bobby Patel Mr.Samir Azam, under the supervision of Sujan
Khatiwada , Hetauda School of Management and Social Sciences, Nepal is hereby
submitted for the partial fulfillment of the requirement of Chemistry in Grade 12.
This project work has not been submitted in any other school or institution
previously for Grade 12.

-------------------------- ----------------------------

Supervisor Head of the department

Sujan Khatiwada Min Bahadur Rana

Department of Physics Department of Physics

Hetauda School of Management Hetauda School of Management

 RECOMMENDATION LETTER

This is to certify that the project work entitled “WASTE MANAGEMENT” has
been carried out by “Aarav Chaudhary Ankush Bhatta,Bobby Patel,Samir Azam ”
as a partial fulfillment of Grade 12 in Chemistry under my supervision. To the best
of knowledge, this work has not been submitted to any other purpose in this
institute. I, therefore recommend the project work for appraisal.

---------------------

Sujan Khatiwada
Department of physics

Hetauda School of Management and Social Sciences

Hetauda 4, Makwanpur

Date: (2079/08/10)
 DECLARATION

We, “Aarav Chaudhary Ankush Bhatta,Bobby Patel,Samir Azam ” declare that the
project entitled “WASTE MANAGEMENT” under the supervision of “Sujan
Khatiwada” ,Hetauda School of Management and social sciences ,Hetauda ,Nepal
”presented herein is genuine work done originally by us and has not been
published or submitted elsewhere for the requirement of any degree program . Any
literature, data or works done by others and cited in this project work has been
given due acknowledgement and listed in the reference section.

-------------------------------------------------------

“Aarav Chaudhary Ankush Bhatta,Bobby Patel,Samir Azam ”

Grade XII

Date: 20789/07/30
GENERATION OF ENERGY FROM WASTE
We live in a throwaway society that accumulates vast quantities of waste every
day. While this comes with pressing challenges, there are also opportunities for
professionals including electrical engineers to process at least some of the waste to
produce much-needed renewable energy.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), in 2018 a total of

68 U.S. power plants generated around 14 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity from
29.5 million tons of combustible municipal solid waste (MSW). Biomass, which
comes from plants and animals and is a source of renewable energy, was
responsible for more than half (about 51%) of the electricity generated from waste.
It also accounted for about 64% of the weight of the MSW used. The rest of the
waste used was from other combustible materials including synthetic materials
made from petroleum and plastics. Glass and metal are generally not
noncombustible.

There are a variety of technologies for generating electricity from municipal solid
waste, but in the US the most common system involves mass burning of MSW in a
large incinerator that has a boiler that produces steam, and a generator that
produces electricity. Another entails processing MSW into fuel pellets for use in
smaller power plants.

Waste materials destined to be processed to generate electricity

Generating electricity in mass-burn WTE plants is remarkably straightforward and

follows seven basic steps:

The MSW is dumped out of garbage trucks into a large pit.

A crane with a giant claw attachment is used to grab the waste and dump it into a
combustion chamber.

The waste, which now becomes the fuel, starts to burn, releasing heat.

The heat that is released turns water in the boiler into high-pressure steam.

The steam turns the turbine generator’s blades and produces electricity.

The mass-burn plant incorporates an control system to prevent air pollution by

removing pollutants from the combustion gas before it is released through a
smoke-stack.

Ash is inevitably produced in the boiler and the air pollution control system, and
this has to be removed before another load of waste can be burned.

While the volumes burned as fuel in different plants vary, for every 100 pounds of
MSW produced in the US, potentially, more than 85 pounds could be burned to
generate electricity.

Of course, the USA isn’t the only country that uses waste-to-energy plants to
generate electricity from MSW. And in fact, when compared to a lot of other
countries, the percentage of MSW burned with energy recovery in the U.S. is
minimal. At least nine countries are named by the EIA as bigger producers of
electricity from municipal waste. In Japan and some European countries, for
instance, there are fewer energy resources and not much open space available for
landfills. So generating electricity from MSW is an obvious opportunity.

GENERATION OF ENERGY FROM WASTE

With world resources finite, and increasing public awareness of the harmful effects
of our ‘throwaway culture’, a move towards what’s known as a circular economy
seems a sensible option. In short, this means making products last longer, and
recovering materials or other benefits from them when they can’t be fixed.

Generating energy from waste – whether that’s electricity or heat – that can then
be used in homes and businesses is a logical part of this move towards circular
thinking.

How green is waste-to-energy?

It’s important to place the idea of generating energy from waste in its proper
context – and the waste hierarchy does this best. The waste hierarchy tool indicates
an order of preference for actions to reduce and manage waste.

It places energy generation (recovery) below reducing waste, re-use, and recycling
and composting, meaning it’s those options that should be considered first when
managing waste; but above waste disposal meaning that waste-to-energy is
preferable to landfill.

How truly ‘green’ waste-to-energy is depends on the efficiency of the plant turning
the waste into energy, and the proportion of the waste that is biodegradable. This
affects whether the approach is considered to be ‘recovery’ or simply ‘disposal’ of
waste.

There are number of ways of generating energy from waste. These include
combustion, gasification, pyrolysis, anaerobic digestion and landfill gas recovery.

Combustion: Burning up what’s left behind

First up, combustion. This is where heat produced by burning waste produces heat,
driving a turbine to generate electricity. This indirect approach to generation
currently has an efficiency of around 15-27%, albeit with a lot of potential for
improvements. Whether any approach to generating energy from waste can be
considered sustainable depends on the ‘net calorific value’ of the waste going into
the process. Where incineration of waste is concerned, that figure must be 7 MJ/kg,
meaning the likes of paper, plastics and textiles are best suited to the combustion
method of generating energy from waste.

Of course, combustion produces emissions – 250-600 kg CO2/tonne of waste

processed – but this is offset by the fact that fossil fuels don’t need to burned.
There are, however, other pollutants emitted from combustion in the form of flue
gas.

Gasification: waste’s a gas

Gasification, rather than being the business of driving turbines directly, is about the
production of gas from waste. Our everyday rubbish, consisting of product
packaging, grass clippings, furniture, clothing, bottles, appliances and so on, is not
a fuel as much as the feed for chemical conversion at very high temperature. The
rubbish is combined with oxygen and/or steam to produce ‘syngas’ – synthesised
gas which can then be used to make numerous useful products, from transport fuels
to fertilisers or turned into electricity.

But a problem here is that gasification is often followed by combustion, leading to

some of the same emissions issues as combustion. The same issue can apply to
what happens after the pyrolysis of waste.

Gasification is also not a particularly efficient mechanism of producing energy, as

the pre-processing requires a lot of energy and the reactors need to be closed down
for regular cleaning.
Pyrolysis: no oxygen, no trouble?
Where pyrolysis is different from other methods listed so far is that decomposition
of various solid wastes takes place at high temperature, but without oxygen or in an
atmosphere of inert gases. This means the process requires lower temperatures, and
has lower emissions of some of the air pollutants associated with combustion.

It’s worth noting, however that Friends of the Earth doesn’t consider the energy
generated through either gasification or pyrolysis as truly ‘renewable’ due to the
fact that they release CO2 from both fossil fuel origins such as plastics and
synthetic textiles as well as biological materials.
Tackling organic matter
Anaerobic digestion can be used to generate energy from organic waste like food
and animal products. In an oxygen-free tank, this material is broken down to
biogas and fertiliser.

It’s an approach with big potential. If we treated 5.5 million tonnes of food waste
this way, we’d generate enough energy to serve around 164,000 households while
saving between 0.22 and 0.35 million tonnes of CO2, in comparison to
composting.

Extracting the biogas produced by biodegrading materials on landfill sites is

another way of getting useful energy from waste. Although it’s an approach that’s
in decline due to the reduction of the amount of organic matter going to landfill,
it’s making a notable contribution to UK energy supply: the source 3.04TWh of
green electricity in the last year, in fact.
Tackling the plastic problem
Plastic waste has risen to significant levels of public consciousness in recent years,
for its negative impact on habitats and species. In response, the UK Government’s
25-year Environment Plan pledges to eliminate all ‘avoidable’ plastic waste by the
end of 2042 – and it’s not alone in making such political commitments. Can waste-
to-energy step in here?

Converting plastic waste to energy certain makes sense from a chemical

perspective, given plastics come from the same origin as fossil fuels. We’ve
already looked at the two main techniques involved: pyrolysis, where plastic is
heated in the absence of oxygen, and gasification, where air or steam heats the
waste, creating gases that either produce petrol or diesel, or are burned to generate
electricity.

New techniques such as cold plasma pyrolysis, provide the potential to create fuels
such as hydrogen and methane, as well as useful chemicals for industry.

But there are barriers in the way of wider uptake of plastic-to-energy techniques.
Gasification of plastics requires significant investment, including advanced
controls and pre-treatment facilities. Also, developing plastic-recycling plants
presents a risk of limiting those facilities, when decision-makers may instinctively
opt for waste strategies where general waste is processed together, rather than
separating out different elements.

Novel approaches to waste management in the UK will surely rise in the coming
years. Recycling rates seem to be plateauing, with only minor increases seen.
While generating energy from waste has a lot of promise, we need to focus on
making products last longer, and when they really can’t be fixed, finding ways to
recycle and reuse them. Only when those options are exhausted should we turn to
waste-to-energy.

The UK is obliged under the revised EU Waste Framework Directive to apply the
waste hierarchy. This ranks waste management options in order of environmental
preference and the first priority is waste reduction.

Recovering energy from waste is only appropriate for waste that cannot be
prevented, reused or recycled with less greenhouse gas emitted.

Energy recovery can be a sustainable option for waste that would otherwise go to
landfill and create landfill methane emissions.

Conventional technologies
Direct combustion (incineration) of dry biomass

The heat generated by the following wastes can be used directly to warm homes
and buildings or to generate electricity using a steam turbine, or both, through
combined heat and power systems:

direct combustion (incineration) of dry biomass waste such as wood waste, straw
and poultry litter

the biomass part of municipal waste

some commercial and industrial wastes

some construction and demolition wastes

Where waste is combusted in a combined heat and power unit, it is possible to

produce both heat and power at greater efficiencies.

Combustion of waste-derived fuel

The methane produced from landfill (landfill gas) is a waste-derived fuel. It can be
used in the same way as for combustion plants or it can be injected into the
national gas grid. Waste derived fuel is also referred to as Solid Recovered Fuel
(SRF) or Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF).
Anaerobic digestion
Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a natural process in which micro-organisms break
down the organic matter found in wet biomass waste (such as sewage sludge,
animal manure and slurry and waste food) in the absence of oxygen, to produce
biogas (mainly a mixture of around 60% methane and 40% carbon dioxide) and
digestate (a nitrogen rich fertiliser).

The biogas can be burned directly in a gas boiler to produce heat or burnt in a
combined heat and power (CHP) unit to produce heat and electricity. Alternatively,
the biogas can be cleaned to remove the carbon dioxide and other substances, to
produce biomethane. This can be injected into the national gas grid to be used in
the same way as natural gas, or used as a vehicle fuel.

The National Non-food Crops Centre (NNFCC) runs the government’s Anaerobic
Digestion Portal - a gateway to information on anaerobic digestion, biogas and
digestate.

Advanced conversion technologies

A number of innovative advanced, high temperature processes are beginning to
emerge. These have the potential to be more efficient than conventional processes
and can offer a range of different types of energy from bio-based wastes, including
wood waste and municipal wastes.

The Low Carbon Innovation Co-ordination Group has recently published a

Technology Innovation Needs Assessment (TINA) on Bioenergy, including wastes,
which examine the potential for innovation in the bioenergy sector and the
potential economic benefit they can deliver for the UK.

Read about bioenergy innovation funding opportunities, including details on an

open call for EU proposals.

Gasification
Gasification is a type of advanced conversion that produces a combustible gas that
is a mixture of carbon monoxide, hydrogen, carbon dioxide and methane. This gas
can be used directly to generate heat and electricity. Alternatively it can be
upgraded to an ultra clean gas called syngas. This can be used to manufacture
either biomethane, which can be injected into the national gas grid, or transport
fuels such as hydrogen, ethanol, synthetic diesel or jet fuel. The energy given off
can be harnessed to generate heat and power.

Pyrolysis
Pyrolysis is a type of advanced conversion that can be used to produce either a
combustible gas, oil or solid char (sometimes known as biocoal). In the future, it
will be possible to upgrade pyrolysis oil to produce petrol and diesel using oil
refining techniques.

The choice of technology for any project depends on the type of waste available,
local circumstances and finance.

More information on the different technologies is available on the NNFCC

website.

Environmental controls
All energy from waste plants must comply with regulations concerning
environmental protection, animal by-products, duty of care, health and safety,
waste handling and planning permission.

For more information on environmental regulations, see the Netregs website.

The Anaerobic Digestion Portal holds more regulatory information for anaerobic
digestion projects.
Obstacles to energy from waste

There are a number of challenges facing energy from waste projects, even for the
established technologies, and these need to be overcome for the sector to expand.

The outcome of the review of waste policies in England was published on 14 June
2011. The review looked at all aspects of waste policy and delivery in England to
ensure we are taking the necessary steps towards creating a ‘zero waste’ economy,
where resources are fully valued and nothing of value gets thrown away.

The review recognised the important part that energy from waste can play in
helping to meet renewable energy targets, diversifying supply, and providing
economic opportunities. It suggested that renewable electricity generated from
waste through combustion technologies could almost treble from the current
1.2TWh to between 3.1TWh and 3.6TWh by 2020.
It outlined a number of actions, which are aimed at overcoming barriers to
deployment to ensure we get the most energy out of genuinely residual waste.
Actions include:

· improving communications and information on energy from waste

technologies

· exploring ways to help communities benefit from hosting energy from waste
infrastructure

· supporting industry in developing supply chains for waste feedstocks

· ensuring waste management legislation does not have unintended

consequences on the development of energy plants

Anaerobic digestion strategy and action plan

The Anaerobic digestion strategy and action plan was also published on 14 June
2011.

The strategy sets out a vision for AD, with an estimate of potential that could reach
between 3-5 TWh for heat and electricity by 2020.

The accompanying action plan is the result of the Department of Environment

Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), the Department of Energy & Climate Change
(DECC) and other departments working closely with industry to identify the key
barriers to the development of AD and the actions that are needed to overcome
them. These include:

· creation of a £10 million loan fund to develop new AD capacity in England

· improving the dissemination of information, particularly on regulatory

controls

· guidance on the costs and benefits of AD, including best practice projects

· tackling specific barriers, such as the cost and complexity of connection to

the gas grid

· developing skills and training for AD operators

· building markets for digestate

An update on progress on detailed actions was published in July 2012 and we will
continue to work with industry to implement the agreed actions.

Recommendation

Through the study conducted in the Hetauda Municipality, the status of solid waste
management was analysed and the following recommendations are made to the
best of

authors’ knowledge:

Ÿ Frequency of the waste collection practice should be increased;

Ÿ Throwing waste in a nearby open field should be discouraged;

Ÿ Since many wards are at a little far distance from the municipal office, the SWM
authority can hand the responsibility to the ward offices and they can manage the
household waste of respective wards;

Ÿ If possible, each ward could have a community composting facilities; else at

least sufficient number of composting plant could be established;

Ÿ Each ward should be provided with waste collection container and a certain
transporting/disposal mechanism;

Ÿ Educating people and encouraging them to manage the organic waste at

household level;

Ÿ Increase of helping hand is needed to minimise waste;

Ÿ Personnel for SWM service must be increased and it would more beneficial if
local people could be hired in each ward.Acknowledgement

We would like to express our sincere thanks to all the team members of Solid
Waste Management Technical Support Center (SWMTSC) for their guidance and
support throughout this study. Besides, we would like to thank officials from the
Hetauda Municipality Office for providing valuable information and suggestions.