ASSESSING WASTE TO ENERGY OPTIONS, IN THE CASE OF MALAWI UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

The Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST), just like many other public institutions in Malawi, is faced with an energy deficit as well as waste management challenges. The institution’s electricity bills are high and unsustainable, in addition to challenges related to unreliable utility power supplies. The university is also faced with waste management problems, which are becoming severe as the population continues to rise. Unsafe waste handling practices, such as open burning, present health and environmental risks. Therefore, this study focused on determining the potential for converting waste to energy at the university campus. The study objectives were to assess the energy needs of MUST, quantify the waste generated at MUST, characterize the waste generated at MUST, and analyze waste-to-energy technology options for MUST using the Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) approach. To meet the study objectives, the energy needs of MUST were assessed using existing energy audit data. Furthermore, waste composition and quantification were undertaken, and different waste-to-energy technologies were assessed using the MCDA approach. The study results show that MUST’s solid waste generation and composition by weight, in terms of organic waste, recyclables, and other waste, account for 77%, 23%, and 0%, respectively. The study also found that approximately 685.5 kg of fecal matter flows into the wastewater (sewage) system every day. Anaerobic digestion emerged as the most suitable waste-to-energy technology for MUST, while briquetting was the second most suitable option. Gasification and pyrolysis, incineration with energy recovery, and landfill with gas extraction technologies ranked lower, mainly due to their associated capital costs, operation and maintenance costs, and lack of expertise.