| Title | From wastewater to renewable energy production: Opportunities and challenges in mid-sized cities in Latin America and the Caribbean |
|---|---|
| ID_Doc | 10178 |
| Authors | Matus, SS; Fernández, D; Montañez, A; Gil, M; Blanco, E; Llavona, A; Naranjo, L; Sarmanto, N |
| Title | From wastewater to renewable energy production: Opportunities and challenges in mid-sized cities in Latin America and the Caribbean |
| Year | 2023 |
| Published | Natural Resources Forum, 47, 4 |
| Abstract | The adoption of circular economy principles for methane recovery in wastewater treatment plants is already widespread in most mega-cities of Latin America and the Caribbean. The next step is to promote the adoption of this technology in intermediate wastewater treatment plants for which, this paper estimates its economic and environmental impacts. It does so by calculating the benefits from the methane recovery and electricity generation in plants that together serve 33 million people, distributed in the region, since they are from Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Peru. The results show an estimated cost of USD $251 million required for these investments, or USD $7.6 person equivalent (p.e.). These investments would allow obtaining incomes for 20 years of USD $10.2 p.e., representing a benefit/cost ratio of 1.34. Regarding environmental benefits, an 88% reduction in methane emissions into the atmosphere would be achieved, equivalent to a third of Nicaragua's total emissions in 2018. Thus, the article shows that this type of investment is feasible in intermediate plants. This is essential to accelerate the achievement of both SDG 6 and seven targets but requires innovative governance as well as access to finance and technological support. One main conclusion is that these endeavors are at the heart of setting standards that allow societies to live within planetary limits. |
Similar Articles
| ID | Score | Article |
|---|---|---|
5341
|
Michalovicz, DT; Bilotta, P Impact of a methane emission tax on circular economy scenarios in small wastewater treatment plants(2023)Environment Development And Sustainability, 25, 7 | |
| 14000
|
Escamilla-García, PE; Coria-Páez, AL; Pérez-Soto, F; Gutiérrez-Galicia, F; Caire, C; Martínez-Vargas, BL Financial and Technical Evaluation of Energy Production by Biological and Thermal Treatments of MSW in Mexico City(2023)Energies, 16, 9 | |
| 8136
|
Emilio, EGP; Fernández-Rodríguez, E; Carrasco-Hernández, R; Coria-Páez, AL; Gutiérrez-Galicia, F A comparison assessment of landfill waste incineration and methane capture in the central region of Mexico(2022)Waste Management & Research, 40.0, 12 | |
| 1439
|
Flores, CC; Bressers, H; Gutierrez, C; de Boer, C Towards circular economy - a wastewater treatment perspective, the Presa Guadalupe case(2018)Management Research Review, 41, 5 | |
| 29455
|
Ramírez-Ríos, LF; Becerra-Moreno, D; Ortega-Contreras, JY Potencial de aprovechamiento del gas metano generado en el relleno sanitario del municipio de Villavicencio, Colombia(2024)Ingenieria Y Competitividad, 26.0, 2 | |
| 13031
|
Santos, E; Albuquerque, A; Lisboa, I; Murray, P; Ermis, H Economic Assessment of Energy Consumption in Wastewater Treatment Plants: Applicability of Alternative Nature-Based Technologies in Portugal(2022)Water, 14.0, 13 | |
| 16773
|
da Silva, SV; Barbosa, MO; Peyerl, D How Can Renewable Natural Gas Boost Sustainable Energy in Brazil?(2023) | |
| 68588
|
Albalate-Ramírez, A; Padilla-Rivera, A; Rueda-Avellaneda, JF; López-Hernández, BN; Cano-Gómez, JJ; Rivas-García, P Mapping the Sustainability of Waste-to-Energy Processes for Food Loss and Waste in Mexico-Part 1: Energy Feasibility Study(2024)Sustainability, 16, 14 | |
| 24761
|
de Castilho, MEG; da Fraga, FN; Pereira, CDS; Cavalcanti, IRBDM; Cavalcanti, M; Ribeiro, SP Possibilities Of Energy Recovery For The Improvement Of Municipal Solid Waste Management(2023)Periodico Tche Quimica, 20, 44 | |
| 26817
|
Gutiérrez, AS; Fandiño, JMM; Eras, JJC Alternatives of municipal solid wastes to energy for sustainable development. The case of Barranquilla (Colombia)(2021)International Journal Of Sustainable Engineering, 14, 6 |