Technologies for converting waste into electrical and thermal energy in Fez city (Morocco)

The generation of household waste is inevitable. With the development of the population year after year and the increase in the standard of living, the quantities of waste are increasing exponentially and their efficient management has become a priority to municipal authorities worldwide. The Moroccan government has recognized the importance of efficient resource management and the establishment of a circular economy as development of traditional waste management. In 2008, the State Secretariat for Sustainable Development and the Interior Ministry of Morocco with the support of the World Bank have elaborated the National Household Waste Management Program (PNDM), which targets for the next few years the quantitative objectives of waste collection (90% in 2020), the implementation of controlled landfills and the development of waste sorting, recycling and valorization. Waste recovery is the most optimal management solution that not only eliminates the large quantities of waste produced each day but also creates the energy needed for a constantly changing population. The objective of this research work is to assess the household waste potential for electrical and thermal energy generation in Fez city (Morocco) using two modes of energy recovery: combustion and anaerobic digestion. The maximum electric generated was 228.04 GWh from direct combustion of household waste, whereas for thermal energy, a maximum value of 633.46 GWh in 2016. For anaerobic digestion, the maximum electric generated was 50.02 GWh and thermal energy generated was 75.79 GWh in 2016.