A Feasibility Study for Anaerobic Digestion of Municipal Solid Waste for South Hampshire

This paper investigates the feasibility of processing the organic fraction of the municipal solid waste from the Winchester, Southampton, Eastleigh and wider areas (population ~450,000) using anaerobic digestion. Commercial and agricultural organic waste is also considered. Data for feedstock location, volumes and type is collated from many information sources. A model is used to estimate the energy yield. Further modelling calculates the return on investment for various scenarios. It is found that there is sufficient feedstock local to the area to make treatment of the organic fraction of municipal waste through anaerobic digestion economically feasible in theory. However, confidential commercial agreements that form the Project Integra (incineration orientated) integrated waste management scheme make it impossible to confirm this in practice. Further work investigating the nature of these contracts is required.