EVALUATION OF SOLID WASTES FOR UTILISATION IN BIOGAS PLANT IN LIBYA- A CASE STUDY

Biogas is a combustible gas consisting of methane, carbon dioxide and small amounts of other gases and trace elements. Production of biogas through anaerobic digestion of animal manure and slurries as well as of a wide range of digestible organic wastes and agricultural residues, converts these substrates into electricity and heat and offers a natural fertiliser for agriculture. In this paper, solid waste management status in the city of Misurata has been investigated through an extensive survey carried out and generation of organic waste in the city of Misurata was calculated to establish a database for build up a biogas plant in the city. The average solid waste generation rate was found to be 1.48 kg/person/day. Only 3% of the solid waste was recycled and open dumping is currently the most popular form of waste disposal for 360 tons of waste daily.The waste composition was mainly comprised of 56 % organic, 26.5 % plastics, and 8% paper.The waste was evaluated, the moisture content and the calorific heating values were calculated. The results of this study along with key findings are discussed and summarized. In addition, several effective recommendations and improvements of solid waste management (SWM) are suggested.