Abstract
Production of energy from Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is becoming a major concern for the government and private sectors in South Africa because of the drastic increase in the quantity of waste generated and its effect on the environment. Globally, the major source of energy generation has been fossil fuel which comprises of Coal, Petroleum and Natural Gas. Even though these natural given resources have helped in the development of the world to its present state these commodities have also contributed to the menace the world is experiencing since past decades especially in the aspect of environmental pollution, climate change, global warming and Greenhouse effects. Due to this, various research studies have been undertaken and some are still ongoing in order to see how we can create a sustainable environment whereby present needs are met yet not compromising the future of the forthcoming generations. In the quest for developing clean, renewable and sustainable energy, various resources are being looked at such as biomass, geothermal, wind, solar, hydropower, biofuels, landfill gas, pyrolysis amongst others. Nevertheless, due to daily increase in the quantity of waste produced in most municipalities there is a need to develop environmentally friendly and cost-effective techniques of managing MSW and produce biogas that can be upgraded to biomethane which is the purpose of conducting this research work...
Ph.D. (Mechanical Engineering Science)