ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Municipal Solid Waste as a Renewable Source
of Energy: an Overview from the Lahore District
in Punjab, Pakistan
Shabnam Shahzad1, 2, Aleem Butt1, 3, Shahzad Anwar1, Sajid Rashid Ahmad3, Tehmina Sarwar4, Nihal Asghar1
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1Solution Environment and Analytical Laboratories, Kot Lakhpat, Lahore, Pakistan
2University De Liege, Belgium
3College of Earth and Environmental Science
4Institute of business Management, UET, Lahore
Submission date: 2016-11-18
Final revision date: 2017-02-23
Acceptance date: 2017-02-23
Online publication date: 2017-10-13
Publication date: 2017-11-07
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2017;26(6):2721-2729
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ABSTRACT
Pakistan is currently facing a severe energy crisis. According to the latest 2016 figures issued by the
government of Pakistan (GOP), electricity demand of the country is about 21,200 MW against the maximum
generation 16,000 MW, with a shortfall of about 5,000 MW. The presented study was carried out to find
an environmentally friendly renewable source of energy to fill this gap. For this purpose Lahore municipal
solid waste was used to calculate the power generation potential. Sampling was completed from all three
economic zones – high income (H), medium income (M), and low income (L) – during the whole year, capturing
the impacts of all seasons. These samples were brought to a laboratory and analyzed for their calorific
values with the help of a bomb calorimeter according to WTE-thermal treatment process. Gross calorific
and theoretical energy recovery potential value (from H, L, and M) areas were 3,670, 2,753, and 1,960 kcal/
kg, and 5,872, 4,405, and 3,136 kwh/ton, respectively. This waste-to-energy (WTE) treatment is the most
suitable solution for pollution-free LMSW conversion into a renewable energy generation source.