Abstract

The aim of the present study was to establish a national database of waste characteristics for Egypt to support the assessment of various waste management strategies. The study explored the potential of applying waste-to-energy (WTE) systems to alleviate the negative environmental impacts of waste disposal while providing a renewable source of energy. An extensive field study was conducted on 1200 households in the urban centers of four representative governorates, with the aim of finding the waste generation rates and composition in correlation with key socioeconomic features such as household income, family size, and electricity consumption. The per capita waste generation rates were found to range between 0.63 and 0.82 kg/day, and the waste was composed mostly of food (41–70%) followed by plastics (6–16%). The generation rates had significant negative and nonsignificant positive correlations with the family size and electricity consumption, respectively. The Egyptian governorates were sub-grouped under the four surveyed ones based on analogous local features. Accordingly, a high-level assessment suggested that a national strategic WTE plan for the urban regions in Egypt would involve incineration in five governorates and anaerobic digestion in the remaining ones. The proposed plan would lead to an estimated total energy production of 11 TWh per year, and an annual reduction in the country’s carbon footprint by approximately 7307 Gg CO₂eq. Based on the current market conditions and waste service fees, the national WTE plan would be financially unviable; however, excluding capital investments, potential annual revenues could cover the operating cost and provide a steady profit. Charging 24 USD/ton as tipping fees for the WTE plants or increasing the electricity tariff to 0.076 USD/kWh, financial profitability of the proposed national plan would be achieved.

Graphic abstract

中文翻译：

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埃及城市固体废物的表征和可持续管理策略

摘要

本研究的目的是为埃及建立国家废物特征数据库，以支持对各种废物管理战略的评估。这项研究探索了应用废物能源转换（WTE）系统来减轻废物处理对环境的负面影响，同时提供可再生能源的潜力。在四个代表省的城市中心对1200个家庭进行了广泛的野外研究，目的是寻找与主要社会经济特征（如家庭收入，家庭规模和用电量）相关的废物产生率和组成。发现人均废物产生率介于0.63至0.82千克/天之间，废物主要由食物（41-70％）和塑料（6-16％）组成。发电率与家庭规模和用电量分别具有显着的负相关和无显着正相关。根据类似的地方特征，埃及各省被划分为四个被调查省。因此，一项高级别评估表明，针对埃及城市地区的国家战略WTE计划将涉及五个省的焚烧，其余省份的厌氧消化。拟议的计划将导致每年估计的总能源产量为11 TWh，并且每年将使该国的碳足迹减少约7307 Gg CO 因此，一项高级别评估表明，针对埃及城市地区的国家战略WTE计划将涉及在五个省进行焚烧，而在其余省进行厌氧消化。拟议的计划将导致每年估计的总能源生产量为11 TWh，并且该国的碳足迹每年减少约7307 Gg CO 因此，一项高级别评估表明，针对埃及城市地区的国家战略WTE计划将涉及在五个省进行焚烧，而在其余省进行厌氧消化。拟议的计划将导致每年估计的总能源生产量为11 TWh，并且该国的碳足迹每年减少约7307 Gg CO₂当量 根据当前的市场状况和废物处理费，国家WTE计划在财务上将不可行；但是，不包括资本投资，潜在的年收入可以覆盖运营成本并提供稳定的利润。对WTE工厂收取24美元/吨的小费，或将电价提高到0.076美元/ kWh，将实现拟议国家计划的财务盈利能力。

图形摘要