Thermochemical characterisation of landfill municipal solid waste for energy recovery applications

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Efficient municipal solid waste (MSW) management and energy recovery are critical for sustainable development, yet comprehensive thermochemical characterization and integrated performance assessment of MSW in Ghana remain limited. This study provides a novel, multi-faceted analysis of MSW from the Kpone Landfill in the Greater Accra Region, combining composition profiling, moisture content determination, calorific value assessment, carbon footprint estimation, Resource Recovery Index (RRI), and the Thermochemical Performance Index (TPI). The study revealed that organics constitute 36–44%, plastics 14–23.5%, paper 8–17%, textiles 1–7.5%, wood 0.97–16.28%, and miscellaneous materials 16.8–27.5% across sampled locations. Moisture content varied considerably, with organics exhibiting the highest at 67.3 ± 1.42%, and high-density plastics the lowest at 1.75 ± 0.19%. Laboratory analysis indicated calorific values ranging from 13.77 MJ/kg for organics to 34.12 MJ/kg for low-density plastics, with a total MSW HHV of 19.40 ± 0.81 MJ/kg. RRI ranged from 64% in residential zones to 95.5% in industrial zones, while estimated carbon footprint ranged from 475 kg CO₂-eq/ton in Ashaiman Middle East to 836 kg CO₂-eq/ton in Zoom Park. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression (R² = 0.940) confirmed that waste type significantly influences composition, with paper, textiles, and wood exhibiting negative effects relative to organics. Thermochemical Performance Index (TPI) analysis indicated plastics as the most efficient fractions for energy recovery (TPI = 7.455–18.254), while organics were least favourable (TPI = 0.205). These findings highlight the substantial energy potential of Kpone MSW, particularly from plastics and paper fractions, supporting targeted waste-to-energy (WtE) interventions within a circular economy framework in Ghana.