Renewable Energy Potential Generated by Organic Waste in Algeria

Renewable energy contributes strongly to the sustainable development for witch waste-to-energy conversion represents an important opportunity. This is due availability of waste, their low cost and the necessity of their collection and treatment. This paper contributes to promote waste-to-energy conversion threw organic waste methanisation. We have evaluated the potential of renewable energy generation and the CO2 sequestration. Three types of waste are studied : 1) urban solid waste which are estimated at 8.5 million tons per year, 2) sewage sludge quantified at more than 338 103 tons per year, and 3) cow dung estimated yearly at 33 103 tons. These wastes are mobilizable, widely available in urban and rural areas and increased continuously. Results indicate that the last of energetic valorization of these wastes induces a significant losses estimated at 1.7 million m(3) of biogas production and 3.57 TWh of electricity generation. This situation leads the sequestration of 2.05 million tons of CO2 which is estimated without recording the greenhouse gas emission induced by the wastes degradation in public dumps.