Techno-economic assessment and life cycle analysis of restaurant food waste-to-electricity conversion in Malaysia and Singapore within a circular bioeconomy framework

Goh, Kai Chen and Kurniawan, Tonni Agustiono and Mohamed, Sulzakimin and Zhang, Dongdong and Khan, Muhammad Imran and Othman, Mohd Hafiz Dzarfan and Aziz, Faissal and Anouzla, Abdelkader and Wou Onn, Choo (2025) Techno-economic assessment and life cycle analysis of restaurant food waste-to-electricity conversion in Malaysia and Singapore within a circular bioeconomy framework. Biomass and Bioenergy, 197. pp. 1-21.

Text J19659_b029a8eec9e74e32cb02c66083b77878.pdf Restricted to Registered users only Download (1MB) | Request a copy

Abstract

Waste-to-energy technologies provide a sustainable solution to managing the increasing volume of restaurant food waste in Malaysia and Singapore while addressing environmental and economic challenges. This study conducted a comparative assessment of three Waste-to-energy technologies—anaerobic digestion, pyrolysis, and gasification—to evaluate their feasibility in converting food waste into renewable energy. The study also examined how policy and regulatory frameworks in Malaysia and Singapore influence the adoption of WtE solutions, offering actionable insights for the food industry and policymakers. The findings indicated that anaerobic digestion was the most promising technology, capable of reducing waste volume by 60 % and generating up to 5 MW of renewable energy per year of food waste processed. A techno-economic analysis (TEA) showed that anaerobic digestion was financially viable, providing a return on investment (ROI) of 12–15 % and a payback period of 5–7 years for medium-scale installations. The environmental impact assessment through life cycle analysis (LCA) revealed that anaerobic digestion reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 0.8 kg CO2eq per kg of food waste compared to landfilling. With appropriate policies, technological advancements, and community engagement, Malaysia could generate an additional 75 MW of renewable energy from food waste, sufficient to power over 30,000 homes annually. These findings contribute to the transition toward a circular bioeconomy, supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) and promoting a low-carbon, resourceefficient future for Malaysia and Singapore.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Circular bioeconomy Climate change Decarbonization Waste to energy Resource recovery
Subjects:	T Technology > TD Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering
Divisions:	Faculty of Technology Management and Business > FPTP
Depositing User:	Mr. Mohamad Zulkhibri Rahmad
Date Deposited:	20 Aug 2025 00:16
Last Modified:	20 Aug 2025 00:16
URI:	http://eprints.uthm.edu.my/id/eprint/13103

Actions (login required)

View Item