Preliminary Design of a Municipal Solid Waste Biorefinery for Environmentally Friendly NH3 Production

A massive quantity of municipal solid waste (MSW) is generated yearly worldwide. The treatment and final disposal of this waste are both financially and environmentally expensive. Also environmentally aggressive, the NH3 production process releases great amounts of CO2 in the atmosphere. However, this process is essential for the global economy. In this work, the economic performance of a plant, which combines MSW gasification with the ammonia production process, was studied. The results showed that the project has a low rate of return (0–4%). However, municipalities, which spend billions yearly on MSW treatment, could already benefit from it. The gasifier is the most expensive equipment in the process (approximately 55% of the total installed cost). Refrigeration and electricity are both a burden for the operating cost, accounting for almost 70% of it. Further reduction in the gasifier price and an improved energetic integration could boost the economic performance.