Current updates on waste to energy (WtE) technologies: a review.

Economic development and related increase in global energy demand has created pressure on the supply of energy resources. To promote sustainable development a safe and renewable energy is required. For this, municipal solid waste (MSW) contributes significantly in creating a safe environment and renewable energy. Currently in developing countries, the scarcities of energy and ordinary ways of MSW disposal have generated a number of environmental and socioeconomic problems. This situation invites researchers to develop different waste to energy (WtE) conversion alternatives under several scenarios. A related review show that energy conversion technologies such as incineration, pyrolysis, gasification, anaerobic digestion, ethanol fermentation, landfill and future trends like microbial fuel cell (MFC) and microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) are the main ways. Among those WtE technologies are ecologically green that convert MSW into electricity, hydrogen gas and other chemical feedstocks. The review suggests that MFC and MEC technologies forecast future WtE for fabrication of biohydrogen from MSW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]