Pyrolytic liquid fuel: A source of renewable electricity generation in Makkah

ABSTRACTMillions of Muslims from all over the world visit the Holy Cities of Saudi Arabia: Makkah and Madinah every year to worship in form of Pilgrimage (Hajj) and Umrah. The rapid growth in local population, urbanization, and living standards in Makkah city along with continually increasing number of visitors result in huge municipal solid waste generation every year. Most of this waste is disposed to landfills or dumpsites without material or energy recovery, thus posing substantial environmental and health risks. The municipal plastic waste is the second largest waste stream (up to 23% of total municipal waste) that is comprised of plastic bottles, water cups, food plates, and shopping bags. The sustainable disposal of plastic waste is challenging task due to its clogging effects, very slow biodegradation rates, and presence of toxic additives and dyes. Pyrolysis is one of the promising waste-to-energy technology for converting municipal plastic waste into energy (liquid fuel) and value-added products...