Ricerc@Sapienza

Municipal solid waste (MSW) is one of the residue materials considered as a potential
source for biofuel production in the EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED), which establishes
that a minimum of 10% biofuels for transport shall be used in every Member State
by 2020, thus promoting advanced biofuel from waste. A high-temperature gasification
technology transforms MSW into a syngas rich in hydrogen and carbon monoxide and
free of tar, char and harmful compounds like dioxins appearing as a promising root for
methanol production. The overall process including MSW high-temperature gasification,
syngas purification and conditioning up to methanol synthesis has been modeled with
Aspen Plus analyzing the influence of waste composition and operating conditions on
syngas composition and methanol yield. The evaluation of CAPEX and OPEX has been
carried out to obtain a cost of production (COP) estimation. The greenhouse gas (GHG)
emission has also been estimated and compared with the conventional waste incineration
process and methanol production. The technology assessment shows interesting results
technically and economically, when compared with waste to energy processes: over 50%
of incoming carbon is fixed into methanol molecule, and due to the negative cost paid for
RDF disposal, the bio-methanol COP provides a reasonable industrial margin.