Green Hydrogen Production Potential from Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste (OFMSW) in Abuja, Nigeria

Abstract

The increasing global demand for clean and sustainable energy sources as a result of climate change has led to growing interest in green hydrogen as a potential solution to reduce carbon emissions and enhance energy security around the world. Several research papers have been published on waste management and waste to energy in Abuja, Nigeria; however, no specific study has focused on the use of Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste (OFMSW) for Hydrogen production in Abuja, Nigeria. In this context, this study explored the production potential of green hydrogen from OFMSW. The methodology of this research involved a comprehensive review of existing literature on green hydrogen production technologies, data on waste generation and population were collected from existing literature, and the Abuja Environmental Protection Board. Additionally, waste- to-energy conversion technologies like Anaerobic digestion and steam reforming were considered due to easy adoption and technology readiness level respectively. The findings of this research revealed that with the current 3.8 million population in Abuja, and 146659.96 tonnes of organic waste generated annually, 7.62 million m3 of biogas and 1220508.699 kg/year of hydrogen could potentially be generated annually. Similarly, 40.27 TWh of electricity could also be generated annually which surpasses the 29,684 GWh of electricity generated in Nigeria in 2022. Projection of energy potential for 2025, 2030, and 2035 were also calculated and reported in this study. As waste management practice is not efficient in Nigeria, solutions to help achieve an efficient OFMSW to hydrogen conversion were also suggested. The results of this study could stimulate actions from key stakeholders to integrate OFMSW to hydrogen into the city’s energy mix and the country’s national hydrogen strategy when implemented and contribute to a cleaner energy landscape nationwide.