In its Dec 1 issue, Power Magazine gives international recognition to a Malaysian effort on Renewable Energy:
Top Plant: Kajang Waste-to-Energy Plant, Semenyih, Malaysia
By Angela Neville, JD
Owner/operator: Core Competencies Sdn Bhd/Recycle Energy Sdn Bhd
At Malaysia’s first waste-to-energy plant, municipal solid waste (MSW) is converted into refuse-derived fuel for use in an integrated steam power plant. This facility was designed to achieve the twin objectives of environmentally friendly MSW disposal and generating renewable power.
Malaysia is a multicultural smorgasbord of Malay, Chinese, Indian, and British influences. This fusion of different cultures has helped to promote an entrepreneurial economy that embraces modern development.
To meet the electrical needs of this dynamic country, the private sector is turning to new generation technologies. Commissioned in 2009, Kajang Waste-to-Energy Plant, which is located approximately 13 miles from the national capital Kuala Lumpur, is an example of such innovation.
The waste-to-energy (WTE) facility consists of the refuse-derived fuel (RDF) plant, which prepares the fuel, and the steam power plant. The facility has the capacity to process approximately 1,100 U.S. tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) per day into RDF in fluff form and then use that fuel to produce approximately 8 MW of electricity daily. Electricity produced powers the RDF plant, and the remainder is sold to the national power grid.
This $50 million venture was set up by private initiative. The three revenue streams from this operation are:
- Tipping fees charged at the beginning of the process.
- The sale of by-products such as plastics, metals, and organics for composting at the intermediate stage.
- The sale of electricity at the end of the process.
These different revenue sources ensure the viability of the operations.
The facility’s twin goals of environmentally friendly disposal of MSW and maximum extraction of energy have been achieved to a large extent. Currently, 77% of dormant energy in the waste is recovered in the fuel. By adding the use of biogas released from wet organics, recovery will increase to 83%, because only 17% of the energy will be used in the conversion of waste into fuel.
Future Directions
Malaysia generates about 17,000 tons of MSW per day, which has a net power potential of 150 MW if RDF and biogas firing in boilers are used. The Core Competencies management hopes this new WTE facility will be the forerunner for large-scale adoption of this technology. The Malaysian government has already awarded one more project to handle 1,000 tons per day of MSW; that project is located in Johar province in the southern tip of peninsular Malaysia.
“Encouraged by the successful operation of this venture, the national government here is actively considering adopting this technology on a large scale,” Sivaprasad said. “This is one way of meeting the commitments that national governments have made for mitigation in the realm of climate change”
— Angela Neville, JD, is senior editor of POWER.
THE FULL STORY
We need to change the National culture of dirty habits. Although statistics are not available, it can be safely assumed that more than 80% of the population never separate their own household rubbish.
ReplyDeleteA random rummage at any dump site will indicate that bottles, plastic, organic and inorganic items are all lumped together in an 'out of sight, out of mind' attitude.
This National culture must change first before any meaningful waste management facility could operate effectively.
No need for high tech research. Just take a Sunday drive around the Klang valley through villages and see how rubbish is piled up by the road side with rats and flies doing the recycling job.
So, for starters, a massive campaign is needed to educate the masses on simple things like "filth = diseases = cemetary."
On a wider scale, take a look at our rivers. It has turned into huge drains for old furniture, sewage, scrap, industrial waste dead bodies and whatever.
Garbish management begins at home. Used cooking oil should not go through the kitchen sink, sanitary pads should not go through the toilet bowl, bottles should not end up in the bin etc. This will make a world of difference even if 50% of households begin doing so.
Sounds like a dream, but not an impossible dream.
A GOOD MAN DOES NOTHING.
Anon515pm. Spot on! It begins at home, with Parents....and followed up in school as a subject.
ReplyDeleteA reader sent in this comment through email. I am publishing it here:
ReplyDeleteHi Bernard,
Hahaha… A hobby that cost RM 180 million? I don’t think so.
Anyway, 8 MW of electricity is equivalent to supplying about 38,000 units of average household with electricity per day. The average household uses about 5kWh of electricity per day. We supply about 5.5MW to the grid and the rest we use it internally. So the maths would be:
8 MW/h= 8,000 kW/h
= 8,000 kW/h divided by 5kW
= 1,600 households per hour
= 38,400 households in 24 hours
= RM 40,000 per day @ RM 0.21 /kWh
This rate will increase to RM 0.42 /kWh by July 2011 and it will see our income from power jump to about RM 80,000 per day and that is about RM 26 million per annum. We also receive processing fee from the Majlis (about RM 9 million per annum) and income from sale of recyclable materials. Still think that renewable energy is just a wet dream? On top of that people forget that ultimately we are solving the waste problem in the long run. That is more important. Maybe if the commenter can get out of the model of stealing public funds, he/she would be able to see the business sense of this venture. My 2 cents worth. Thanks
Some facts that I just received about the Kajang Waste to Energy Plant:
ReplyDeleteShown below is some highlight on our current facility in Semenyih:
1. Savings to MPKj = Nearly RM 12 million per annum
2. Total MSW processed (up to October 2010) = 550,000 tons
3. Total power generated (up to October 2010) = 14,200,000 kWh
4. Total power exported to TNB (up to October 2010) = 9,200,000 kWh
5. Leachate water processed (up to October 2010) = 40,000 tons
6. Recycled materials processed = 11,000 tons
7. Total materials avoided from going into landfill = 220,000 tons (equivalent to Bukit Tagar or Jeram landfill not receiving any MSW for 4 months!!)
8. Total manpower at RRC-WTE plant = 340 people
9. Every RM 1 paid by MPKj, RESB spends RM 3 in operating expenditure (RRC-WTE creates 300% in direct economic contribution to the society)
10. Uses 4 times less area than sanitary landfill (over a period of 30 years for 1,000 tons/day capacity)
11. Reduction of 350,000 tons of CO2 up to October 2010
12. MPKj is able to collect MSW twice daily instead of once daily
13. Other environmental benefits?
Hope that helps you to paint a favourable picture about our contribution to the outlook on managing MSW as a whole. Thanks.
hi.the only thing that we Malaysian need to change is the third world mentality. we may be able to achieve our developed country status in term of income but can we reach the 1st world mentality.it's a long long way ,man.
ReplyDelete