Urban Farm DB
Research catalogue
Database research record2021·Kenya (Nairobi)

A Comprehensive Review of Biomethanation of Urban Food Waste in Nairobi City County, Kenya

Hope Baxter Chamdimba, Isaiah Omosa, Simon M. Wandera

Journal of Energy Environmental & Chemical Engineering

Urban Farm DB summary

This review analyzed urban food waste in Nairobi City County, Kenya, which accounts for 64% of recoverable municipal solid waste, totaling 29.4 thousand tons annually. The study found that food waste has a biomethane potential of 508.45 ml CH4 /g VS, suggesting that the city's food waste could yield 10.5 million m3 of methane and 1.38 MW of electricity. While food waste is increasingly used for animal feed and composting, its application for energy recovery via anaerobic digestion is limited by a lack of source separation. Biogas is shown to be more economical than liquefied petroleum gas, but long-term methane generation requires supportive policies.