Municipal Solid Waste Potential for Indonesian Electrical Energy Sharing: Process Simulation Study

Indonesia’s growing energy demand and increasing municipal solid waste (MSW), projected to reach 48.19 million tons by 2027, present significant challenges and opportunities for sustainable energy solutions. This study investigates the conversion of MSW to electricity using validated Aspen Plus® simulations calibrated against real-world operations with one MSW based power plant located in Indonesia. The study evaluated four technologies—air gasification, steam gasification, plasma gasification, and incineration—to assess their electricity generation potential and pollutant emissions. Gasification technologies outperformed incineration, generating 15–27 MW of electricity, with gas engines demonstrating superior efficiency compared to steam turbines due to fewer energy conversion stages. Air gasification increased electricity production with reduced air input but resulted in elevated pollutant emissions, including NH₃ (up to 8 ppm), H₂S (up to 210 ppm), and HCl (up to 1052 ppm). Steam gasification enhanced hydrogen production at optimal steam levels; however, excessive steam inputs reduced efficiency and increased pollutant concentrations, such as NH₃ (14 ppm), H₂S (369 ppm), and HCl (1846 ppm). Plasma gasification maintained stable CO₂ concentrations (~14% vol) but experienced diminishing electricity returns with higher heat inputs. This study also highlights the inefficiency of incineration technology since it produced lower NH₃ and H₂S emissions but notable levels of NOₓ, SOₓ, and HCl, emphasizing the importance of advanced emission control systems. This study provides valuable insights for optimizing waste-to-energy processes, supporting industrial adoption, and informing sustainable waste management strategies to enhance Indonesia’s energy security and environmental sustainability.