Techno-economic assessment of industrial food waste composting facility: Evaluating bulking agents, processing strategies, and market dynamics

Techno-economic assessment (TEA) of a valorization of bulking agent (BA) ratios on the food waste compost value chain is made to assess economic feasibility. TEA was performed with two plans (Plan A: existing composting facilities; Plan B: new composting facilities) and each plan was under four scenarios. The BA (i.e. corn stalks, garden waste, and watermelon seedlings) ratio of 5% (S1), 10% (S2), 20% (S3), and garden waste with a ratio of 20 % (S4). Results indicate that S2, with a net present value (NPV) of 128.9 million, represents Plan A's most economically viable scenario. Although the total operating costs of S4 were 18.9 %-23.5 % higher, 25.6 %- 42.2 % higher total revenue made S4 have an NPV of 92.9 million, making it the most viable scenario in Plan B. All scenarios show positive NPV within a +/- 20 % fluctuation range. Organic fertilizer price, government subsidies, and processing capacity were the key factors influencing NPV.