Anaerobic digestion of municipal solid waste: A modern waste disposal option on the verge of breakthrough

This paper is the synthesis of three years of work in the field of anaerobic digestion (AD), waste management issues in general and many plant visits to operational digestion installations, carried out in the framework of the International Energy Agency's Bioenergy Agreement, Annex XI's Anaerobic Digestion of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) activity. The paper presents an overview of the current status and deployment of AD-technology for MSW, systems available on the market, opportunities and barriers relating to this technology when competing with alternative ways for the management of MSW (landfill, incineration, aerobic composting), including its advantages (renewable energy source a.o.) and limitations. Furthermore, AD is placed in the context of end product and energy markets and in the context of recycling and environmental aspects in general.