Exploitation of landfill gas <i>vs</i> refuse-derived fuel with landfill gas for electrical power generation in Basrah City/South of Iraq

Abstract Municipal solid waste (MSW) decomposition in a landfill produces what is called “landfill gas” (LFG). LFG contains methane besides other gases. It can be utilized for energy generation and, thus, reduce its emission into the atmosphere and its adverse impact on global climate. Exploitation of LFG is critical for Basrah city, Iraq (one of the hottest spots in the world) to reduce its demand for non-renewable fuels. This study aims to compare the electrical power generation potential from MSW in Basrah city adopting two scenarios: (1) LFG and (2) refuse-derived fuel (RDF) with LFG. In the first scenario, all MSW components are dumped into the landfill and the LFG is converted to energy. However, in the second scenario, only the organic wastes are dumped into the landfill and the RDF components are incinerated. Thus, energy will be produced from both the LFG and RDF. For both scenarios, LandGEM software was used for quantifying the LFG. The study results showed that the annual rates of electrical energy generation by the first and second scenarios for the period between 2022 and 2035 varied in the ranges of 4.3–9.1 MW and 26.4–36.1 MW, respectively. Therefore, the application of RDF with LFG is the better choice for electrical power generation from MSW in Basrah city.