Current and emerging waste-to-energy technologies: A comparative study with multi-criteria decision analysis

In response to the rise in waste crisis and the possibility of energy utilization from waste, there has been increasing interest in waste-to-energy (WtE) conversion technologies, which requires intense scientific attention. There are diverse WtE technologies that apply to different waste types and require multidisciplinary decision support. The paper applies a Multi-criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) tool to compare their economic, technological, socio-cultural, and environmental aspects to help identify the most promising choice. The comparison used in this study concerns four widely used technologies: Incineration (INC), Anaerobic Digestion (AD), Gasification (GAS), and Pyrolysis (PYR), and one emerging WtE conversion technology, Hydro-thermal Carbonization (HTC). The Comparison criteria are divided into four main criteria and fifteen sub-criteria. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) model was implemented using ’SuperDecisions’ software to make pairwise comparisons of identified criteria and to rank the WtE technology alternatives. Thirty-two international studies were shortlisted to gather data and provide input into the AHP model. The results show that the environmental factors are prioritized with a priority vector of 0.56. Further, the study concludes that the most suitable WtE technology, based on chosen parameters, is AD, followed by HTC, INC, and PYR with the priority vectors of 0.348, 0.201, 0.162, and 0.148, respectively, provided applicability. The emerging technology, HTC, is found to be the second most suitable technology. Further, the results represent the hierarchy structure arranged so that the main components are divided into sub-components with alternatives at the structure’s base, and the ’SuperDecisions’ model based on this hierarchy can be used in the future to find suitable WtE technology for a specific city with the necessary input for identified main and sub-criteria. This research not only provides a structured comparison of WtE technologies but also offers a scalable AHP framework that can be adapted for specific municipal contexts in future studies. By addressing the diverse needs of decision-makers across different regions, our model contributes to a more nuanced understanding of WtE technology selection and lays the groundwork for incorporating local policies and regulations in subsequent research phases.