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Date Submitted: 12/11/2012 10:11 PM
THE FINANCIAL FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS OF MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE TO ETHANOL CONVERSION
By
Osamu Sakamoto
PLAN B MASTER RESEARCH PAPER
Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of
MASTER OF SCIENCE
Department of Agricultural Economics
2004
ABSTRACT
THE FINANCIAL FEASIBILITY OF MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE TO ETHANOL CONVERSION
By
Osamu Sakamoto
Lignocellulosic portion of municipal solid waste (MSW) is considered a potential feedstock for fuel ethanol production. I review the trends in MSW generation, composition and disposal practices, and evaluate the aggregate and regional potential of MSW as a feedstock. I present an overview of the current technology of MSW to ethanol conversion. An attractive feature of MSW-ethanol conversion is that the feedstock is available at a negative cost; i.e. disposal facilities charge tipping fees ranging from $15$100/ton to accept MSW. I assess the financial feasibility of a typical MSW-ethanol plant with a capacity of 500 tons per day under a number of scenarios with respect to tipping fees, ethanol prices, capital costs, byproduct prices and ethanol tax incentives. I find the profitability to be robust across scenarios. I then discuss technical, economic, environmental and social barriers that inhibit commercialization.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to extend my appreciation to Dr. Satish Joshi, my major professor, with all respect for his making this research available to me, for his quick feedback for my analysis and revising all of my drafts, and for his enormous supervision. I express thanks to Dr. Sandra Batie and Dr. Patricia Norris from the Department of Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies for the support as my committee members. I am grateful to the General Motors and Engineering Research Council, Canada, for providing funding for this research through a grant to Dr. Joshi. I have learnt a great deal from the research...