SELECTION OF TECHNOLOGY IN COPING WITH THE MSW PROBLEM IN MALAYSIA

S.L. TongAssociation of Environmental Consultants &

Contractors of Malaysia (AECCOM)www.aeccom.org.my; sltong@pd.jaring.my

Seminar

Municipal Solid Waste ManagementAsia-Pacific Experience Sharing

26 November 2005, Hong Kong

CONTENTS

I. Current Status of MSW Management in Malaysia

II. Approach of the Government of Malaysia for MSW Management

III. Selection of Thermal Treatment Technology

IV. Operations & Maintenance Consideration

I. Current Status of MSW Management in Malaysia & MSW Characteristics

ROLE OF FEDERAL, STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN MSW MANAGEMENT

• Federal Government:

– Ministry of Housing and Local Government • Solid waste management funding and policy

development

– Department of Environment • Environmental management and control

– Ministry of Health• Developing programmes and guidance on MSW in

rural areas

• State Government:– Policy and financial matters pertaining to

Local Authorities functions

• Local Authorities:– Implementation agencies directly responsible

over solid waste collection, treatment and disposal;

– Provided services direct by the Local authorities or sub-contracted to the public

LEGISLATION RELATED TO MSW MANAGEMENT

• No Federal and State Legislation that deals specifically with all aspects of MSW

• Current legislations used to manage solid waste nationwide:

– Local Government Act 1976• By-laws: Refuse Collection, Removal and disposal By-Laws

to regulate the service

– Street Drainage and Building Act 1974

• Currently in process of new MSW legislation

PRESSING NEEDS OF SUITABLE FACILITIES TO TREAT AND DISPOSE MSW

• Most acute in the capital city, the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur (FTKL) and the surrounding state of Selangor

• Waste generation estimates for 2004:– For FTKL: 2,538 t/d – For Selangor state: 3,600 t/d

Beroga

Present TTP Site (Beroga)

Solid Waste Management within the Federal Territoryof Kuala Lumpur (FTKL) and the state of Selangor

District/MunicipalCouncil

Location Areaha

Remaining Capacity, tons

Factors Contributing to the Problem in MSW Management in FTKL

• Relatively low level of allocation of funds for upgrading and expanding MSW treatment and disposal infrastructure;

• Delay in the federalisation and privatisation of MSW services on a national scale due to delay in appropriate legislations; and

• Problems faced in acquiring land to site treatment plants and disposal sites.

II. Approach of the Government of Malaysia for Efficient MSW

Management

The Principles

The Approach

• Direct participation of Federal Government (through the Ministry of Housing & Local Government, MHLG) - regionalisation and privatisation of MSW management services

• Reducing waste generation at source, recycling and reuse of latent resources prevailing with the discarded “waste” – projected to achieve 16% by 2025

• Multi-faceted treatment and disposal strategy:– Sanitary landfill;– Incineration; and – Composting

Regional Multi-strategy MSW Plan for FTKL and the State of Selangor (~ 1999/2000)

• An incineration facility (Thermal Treatment Plant, TTP) to treat:– MSW from FTKL

• A regional, large scale sanitary landfill as:– Repository for remaining MSW generated from FTKL;– Certain developed part of Selangor state;– Residue produced by the TTP

• A transfer station to be built:– To economise transportation of MSW generated from

FTKL to the regional TTP & landfill facility

Transfer Station for FTKL

• Built & owned by the City Hall of KL at the northern part of FTKL, Taman Beringin

• Started operation: April 2002

• Capacity: 1,700 t/d

• Operated & maintained by: private company – Alam Flora Sdn Bhd

A New Sanitary Landfill

• Delay in finalisation of location of the site for more than 3 years

• Two sites were abandoned after Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (DEIA) were carried out

• Final selection in early 2005: at Bukit Tagar, northern Selangor state, ~ 70 km from Transfer station

III. Selection of MSW Thermal Treatment Technology in Malaysia

Project Management Consultant for the Thermal Treatment Plant Project

• Appointment by the Government of Malaysia under the coordination of MHLG, since 1999/2000

• Project Management Consultant (PMC) team comprising:– Yachiyo Engineering Co. Ltd, Japan as leader– Minconsult Sdn Bhd– HSS Integrated Sdn Bhd– Engineering and Environmental Consultants Sdn Bhd

Conceptual Design Study by PMC for the Thermal Treatment Plant for FTKL

• Conceptual Design Study Report completed in December 2000

• Planning framework:

– Target year: 2025

– Total waste generation: 3,433 t/d

– Recycling rate: 16%

– Waste for treatment & disposal: 2,900 t/d• Thermal treatment plant: 1,200 t/d• Regional Landfill site: >1,700 t/d

Selection of Technology

• Criteria of treatment requirements:– Maximum utilisation of resources and by-products,

namely recovery of useful metals, waste heat and bottom ash utilisation

– Minimise the amount of final disposal materials in safe manners

– To apply the most advanced and proven satisfactorily treatment technology fulfilling the environmental standards

• Two stage thermal treatment technology:– Conventional technology + ash-melting furnace

– Gasification + ash-melting furnace

Important Features of Gasification & Ash-melting Furnace Identified in Selection

1. It generates syngas with high calorific value to melt residue produced

2. Less dioxin produced because of lower temperature in gasification and higher temperature in the melting furnace

3. No hazardous substance (dioxins and heavy metals) would be leached from the molten slag

4. The slag can be used as construction material

5. Some TTP types can treat not only MSW, but also liquids & sludge

6. Higher efficiency of heat recovery

7. Useful metals can be recovered

8. Energy consumption efficiency is less compared to conventional incinerators

Comparison Study of Thermal Treatment Technology

• Three types studied:– Stoker furnace– Stoker + ash-melting furnace– Gasification + ash-melting furnace

See Table:

Selection of Gasification & Ash-melting Furnace System

See Table

Fluidized-bed Gasification furnace

Circular type ash melting furnace

gasification-Ash Melting Technology

Gasifier

Ash Melter

Flue gas

1350°C

550°C-600°C

SandMaterial

Air

Air

Slag

Waste

Air

Detailed EIA for Proposed TTP for FTKL(Main Channel of Public Participation)

• First DEIA for TTP to be located at Kampong Bohol, FTKL – 2001/2002

– For MSW from FTKL only

– Decided to shift location in late 2002

• Second DEIA for TTP to be located at Beroga, Selangor state – 2003/2004

– For 900 t/d of MSW from southern part of FTKL + 300 t/d of MSW from south-eastern part of Selangor state

– DEIA approved in mid 2004 and this clears the way for implementation

Highlights of System to Be Built

• Fully under the responsibility of the Federal government

• To treat 1,200 t/d MSW

• To reduce the weight of as-received MSW by 95%

• To recover and recycle steel and aluminum components

• To make use of the latent heat for power generation:

IV. Operations & Maintenance Consideration

• Management, operations and maintenance of the TTP likely to be under priviatisation arrangement to be undertaken by private company

• Sources of income:– Tipping fees– Sales of electricity to the grid (up to RM0.17/kWh)

• Reference rate of tipping fees:– Current rates for disposal to landfills: RM 35-50/t

Thank You!Thank You!