Assessment of the energy potential of municipal solid waste: A case study of Mussaka dumpsite, Buea Cameroon

A country's economic growth and urbanization often lead to environmental degradation due to the amount of waste generated. Proximate analysis was done. The objective of this study is to evaluate the energy potential of the municipal solid waste (MSW) in Buea municipality through landfill gas-to-energy and incineration technology. Methane emissions from the Mussaka dumpsite for two decades using the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) default method (DM) and Landfill Gas Emission Model (LandGEM V3.03) models were estimated. The Buea municipality's 2022 combustible MSW generated 40,593.69 tons with a low heating value of 7.37 MJ/kg, potentially producing 20.5 GWh of energy. LandGEM and IPCC DM models predicted total methane emissions during the period 2010-2030 as 21.33Gg and 54.77Gg, with annual energy potentials ranging from 0 to 5.10 GWh and 2.91 to 15.31 GWh respectively. This study provides crucial information for waste management investors and policymakers.