Theoretical Estimation Of Biogas Potential From Household Organic Solid Waste For Biogas Production In Onitsha North Local Government Area

Abstract

This study theoretically estimated the biogas potential from household organic solid waste for biogas production in Onitsha North Local Government Area (ONLGA). The study was carried out in two phases. The first phase of the study was field work for the identification and quantification of the composition of organic solid waste generated by households and the second phase involved the theoretical calculation of the amount of biogas obtainable from the generated quantity of organic waste using the biogas potential estimation equation: Biogas potential = VS (%) × Biogas yield (m3/t VS). The study revealed that organic solid waste generated by households in the study area consists mostly of food waste, categorized into 45% fruits and vegetable peels, pits, stems and seeds (F&V); 40% tubers peels (T); 8% leftover cooked food (LCF); 5% protein waste (meat and fish bones and egg shells; P/W) and 2% other scraps associated with meal preparation, by percentage composition. Also with an average 0.299kg of organic solid waste generated per person per day in the study area, and a population of 201,358, ONLGA witnesses a daily generation of about 60.206 tonnes of organic solid waste which can yield about 4,695.398m3 of biogas daily. This translates to 1,713,820.27m3 per annum. The availability of the household organic solid waste and the composition which is mostly high organic content food waste make it an excellent feedstock for biogas production through anaerobic digestion. Hence anaerobic digestion should be drafted into the waste management system in ONLGA.

Keywords: Household organic solid waste, biogas potential, biogas, anaerobic digestion, resource recovery.