Evaluation of the Energy Generation Potential from Urban Waste: A Case Study for the Municipality of Lima Duarte, Minas Gerais, Brazil

The growing demand for replacing fossil fuels for energy generation is one of the main issues on international public policy agendas. Countless concerns with the supply of energy, environmental pollution, and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions have been raised, making it essential to invest in alternative renewable sources to diversify the energy and electricity matrix worldwide and in Brazil. At the same time, treating and properly disposing of a large amount of waste has also been a considerable challenge for public authorities and the private sector. Within this context, the main objective of this work was to estimate the energy potential of the liquid residual biomass from the sewage produced in the municipality of Lima Duarte - Minas Gerais and to propose solutions that are viable from a financial and environmental point of view in the short and long term, to the local government. From a previous consultation with the public agencies of the municipality studied, it was possible to extract information that subsidized the development of the research. Energy conversion methodologies, design of generation systems, and financial and environmental analysis were used. The results indicated that more than the enterprise's energy return is needed for the system to be financially viable. However, concerning the treatment of sewage used as raw material and the decarbonization of the electrical matrix, the proposal generated attractive financial-environmental relations.