estimation of production potential of biogas and electricity from municipal sewage sludge in the iran

producing biogas is the most common method of energy generation in municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plants in the world. methane production rate depends on degradation rate of organic pollutants in wastewater, temperature and treatment process. typical parameters for assessment of organic wastewater such as bod or cod indicate the potential to produce methane. there is no accurate information about wastewater treatment plants in the country and exact calculation is not possible, so in this article, average amount for wastewater produced in the country and approximate coefficients were used. based on demographic calculations, the maximum amount of methane produced from anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge produced in the country, is estimated about 219437.03 ton/ yr (more than 307.21 mm3/yr), equivalent biogas is about 337595.43 ton/yr (more than 472.63 mm3/yr) and maximum electricity generation capacity is approximately 174.52 mw. calculations show that, if the activated sludge treatment plants in the country equipped with anaerobic digesters and power generation systems such chp, there is a potential to produce electricity about 44 mw. furthermore, taking into account wastewater plants with anaerobic digester, a capacity of 22 mw electricity generation is attainable.