Economic justification of building a power plant on gas from the city dump in Skopje (Macedonia)

Municipal waste treatment is a big problem in almost all urban environments in the world. Its combustion, after previous material sorting and separation for which recycling is possible, is considered the best method. Unfortunately, this method is very expensive and it can be used only in developed countries. Methane production from the municipal waste and its further use in the electric power production is consider a more appropriate method for developing countries. In the Republic of Macedonia the municipal waste problem is foremost in Skopje, where the cumulative quantities of municipal waste enable the production of c-ca 2 million m3 methane annually, sufficing to propel of a thermal power plant capacitating 11 MW. Considering all possible risks of non systematic and incomplete waste retrieval, the estimate is that under the current conditions, the 5,5 MW need of the thermal power plant can completely be covered. According to the data processed from the 5,5 MW Greenmaunt power plant in New Zealand which is being exploited for the last 5 years, the attempt of a evaluating the economic justification of setting up an equivalent power plant in Skopje is currently underway. 2 tabs