**6. Waste incinerator: a case study of Hatyai municipality**

Hatyai, the largest district of Songkhla province is situated near to the city of Songkhla and is the main gateway to Malaysia and Singapore. Hatyai is an attractive tourism city affording a variety of shopping centers and duty-free stores and has been identified as the major southern business center. Hatyai is located on the eastern side of Southern Thailand close to the Thai Gulf coast and it is strategically located only 60 km from the land entry port at Sadao. Hatyai has undergone significant development in the recent past and has rapidly been transformed into the commercial, transportation, communication, educational, and tourism hub of the southern part of Thailand with consequent economic growth [31]. Hatyai municipality is approximately 21 km2 in area and is separated into 15 sub-districts, 104 communities and 4 administrative zones (**Figure 3**). Hatyai has a tropical climate, which is hot and humid, like other parts of Thailand but it has only two seasons; wet and dry. The wet season, which is influenced by the monsoon and rainstorms, extends from May to December, while the dry season extends only from January to April. Additionally, there have been occasional floods in Hatyai due to heavy rain; it is not unknown for it to rain for twenty-two days in November with more than 300 mm of precipitation (Wikipedia, 2015). The population of Hatyai municipality in 2016 was a little under 160,000 of whom around 74,000 are male and more than 85,000 are female (December 2016) [32].

Since the provincial administration and regional environmental office 16 set up a collection center for hazardous waste in 2013–2014, hazardous waste in Hatyai municipality has been

The WTE facility consists of a FET facility, combustion machines, a boiler, a gas cleaning system, a controller system, an electricity generator, and a pollution control system (wastewater treatment, slag and sludge treatment, and an air pollution emission control system). Waste

**Amount (tons)**

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collected from communities prior to disposal by private companies.

**Month Generated waste**

October 2013 5,777.38 November 2013 5,253.81 December 2013 4,988.00 January 2014 4,558.15 February 2014 4,203.72 March 2014 4,610.77 April 2014 4,510.68 May 2014 4,723.88 June 2014 4,715.25 July 2014 4,292.63 August 2014 4,887.37 September 2014 4,769.37 Total 57,291.01

**Table 3.** Waste generated in fiscal year, 2014, Hatyai municipality [33].

**Figure 3.** Waste collection zones in Hatyai municipality [32].

In regard to waste management in Hatyai, the total amount of MSW in Hatyai was 164, 182, and 158 tons per day in 2012, 2013, and 2014, respectively. In the fiscal year, 2014, the highest monthly amount of waste generated was in October 2013, during the rainy season (**Table 3**).

The waste collection system has been divided into four zones, as shown in **Figure 3**, the air being to efficiently serve each individual zone. As an illustration, the waste composition in Pom-Hok, was investigated as a pilot community between 2012 and 2014 (**Table 4**) and it was found that food waste and plastic made up the largest portion of mixed waste [33]. Fees were paid to contractors with respect to waste collection amounting to between 500 and 1,000 kg of waste per day.

The waste generated is transported to a 0.22 km2 sanitary landfill in Kuan Lang community which is separated into two parts, a landfill of about 0.13 km<sup>2</sup> (**Figure 4**), and a WTE plant occupying 0.02 km2 (**Figure 5**). The MSW input is treated in the WTE facility, which is operated by a private company, by means of ash melting gasification technology. It operates on a guaranteed daily capacity of 250 tons of waste and has a maximum capacity of 400 tons per day with a generating capacity of 6.7 MW of electricity per day which is sold to the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) at 6.4 Bht per unit. The Hatyai Municipality Office (HMO) has to pay a waste disposal fee of 290 Bht per ton to a private company for waste treatment [33].

**Figure 3.** Waste collection zones in Hatyai municipality [32].

adjustment or improvement of the anaerobic microbial activity of enzymes. Finally, the feasibility of investing in this kind of project should be carefully considered taking into consideration social awareness and people's willingness to participate since both are essential for the

Hatyai, the largest district of Songkhla province is situated near to the city of Songkhla and is the main gateway to Malaysia and Singapore. Hatyai is an attractive tourism city affording a variety of shopping centers and duty-free stores and has been identified as the major southern business center. Hatyai is located on the eastern side of Southern Thailand close to the Thai Gulf coast and it is strategically located only 60 km from the land entry port at Sadao. Hatyai has undergone significant development in the recent past and has rapidly been transformed into the commercial, transportation, communication, educational, and tourism hub of the southern part of Thailand with consequent economic growth [31]. Hatyai municipality

4 administrative zones (**Figure 3**). Hatyai has a tropical climate, which is hot and humid, like other parts of Thailand but it has only two seasons; wet and dry. The wet season, which is influenced by the monsoon and rainstorms, extends from May to December, while the dry season extends only from January to April. Additionally, there have been occasional floods in Hatyai due to heavy rain; it is not unknown for it to rain for twenty-two days in November with more than 300 mm of precipitation (Wikipedia, 2015). The population of Hatyai municipality in 2016 was a little under 160,000 of whom around 74,000 are male and more than 85,000

In regard to waste management in Hatyai, the total amount of MSW in Hatyai was 164, 182, and 158 tons per day in 2012, 2013, and 2014, respectively. In the fiscal year, 2014, the highest monthly amount of waste generated was in October 2013, during the rainy season (**Table 3**).

The waste collection system has been divided into four zones, as shown in **Figure 3**, the air being to efficiently serve each individual zone. As an illustration, the waste composition in Pom-Hok, was investigated as a pilot community between 2012 and 2014 (**Table 4**) and it was found that food waste and plastic made up the largest portion of mixed waste [33]. Fees were paid to contractors with respect to waste collection amounting to between 500 and 1,000 kg

ated by a private company, by means of ash melting gasification technology. It operates on a guaranteed daily capacity of 250 tons of waste and has a maximum capacity of 400 tons per day with a generating capacity of 6.7 MW of electricity per day which is sold to the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) at 6.4 Bht per unit. The Hatyai Municipality Office (HMO) has to pay a waste disposal fee of 290 Bht per ton to a private company for waste treatment [33].

(**Figure 5**). The MSW input is treated in the WTE facility, which is oper-

in area and is separated into 15 sub-districts, 104 communities and

sanitary landfill in Kuan Lang community

(**Figure 4**), and a WTE plant

**6. Waste incinerator: a case study of Hatyai municipality**

sustainable development of such projects.

is approximately 21 km2

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are female (December 2016) [32].

The waste generated is transported to a 0.22 km2

which is separated into two parts, a landfill of about 0.13 km<sup>2</sup>

of waste per day.

occupying 0.02 km2

Since the provincial administration and regional environmental office 16 set up a collection center for hazardous waste in 2013–2014, hazardous waste in Hatyai municipality has been collected from communities prior to disposal by private companies.

The WTE facility consists of a FET facility, combustion machines, a boiler, a gas cleaning system, a controller system, an electricity generator, and a pollution control system (wastewater treatment, slag and sludge treatment, and an air pollution emission control system). Waste


**Table 3.** Waste generated in fiscal year, 2014, Hatyai municipality [33].

**Figure 4.** Hatyai municipality landfill [34].

transported from the municipality is stored in an open-area in front of the FET facility. The waste is moved by a waste pusher to a conveyer through a shredder and a dryer in the FET prior to being fed into the combustion zone which is equipped with an air supply system.

**Composition Unit (%)**

**Figure 6.** Gasification process [35].

Paper 12.31 4.46 Food waste 39.90 31.28 Clothes 1.89 6.70 Plastic 19.94 32.43 Napkins 0.0 4.47 Leather and rubber 1.73 0.0 Metal 10.45 0.56 Glass 11.56 5.59 Stone and ceramic 0.05 5.59 Shells 0.0 2.23 Hazardous waste 0.08 0.56 Other 2.17 6.14 Total 100.0 100.0

**Table 4.** Waste composition in Pom-Hok community, Hatyai municipality [33].

**Year 2012 Year 2014**

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**Figure 5.** Layout of Hatyai municipality WTE power plant [34].

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#### **Figure 6.** Gasification process [35].

transported from the municipality is stored in an open-area in front of the FET facility. The waste is moved by a waste pusher to a conveyer through a shredder and a dryer in the FET prior to being fed into the combustion zone which is equipped with an air supply system.

**Figure 4.** Hatyai municipality landfill [34].

230 Advances in Biofuels and Bioenergy

**Figure 5.** Layout of Hatyai municipality WTE power plant [34].


**Table 4.** Waste composition in Pom-Hok community, Hatyai municipality [33].

rainy season and wood chips were mixed with the MSW before combustion to increase the heating value (**Figure 8**). Recently however, the FET has been under renovation with a view

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The Ministry of Energy has targeted WTE production of 160 MW of electricity and 100 kilotons oil equivalent (ktoe) of thermal energy by 2021 a substantial increase from the amount of 44.324 MW reported by the Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency (DEDE) in 2015. The 10-year (2012–2021) Alternative Energy Development Plan focuses on increasing the ratio of alternative energy use to one-fourth of overall use. Currently, about 22 MW electricity is produced from landfill biogas, 20 MW is generated from waste gasification and incineration, and 2 MW from AD from waste. From the total thermal energy produced of 78.6, 77.3 ktoe was derived from RDF, and the remaining small amount of 1.3 ktoe was from using methane biogas instead of fossil-fuel-based cooking gas. In addition, some cement kilns also utilize waste as a substitute fuel instead of

To support WTE productivity, the government has promoted campaigns to encourage public participation in waste separation and WTE conversion, as well as providing information and conducting meetings with local administrative organizations, communities, municipalities, academic institutes, and students to enhance awareness and understanding about municipal waste management for a sustainable environment and energy security. It has also initiated measures to promote WTE production beginning with a 3.50 Bht per kWh subsidy for power generated from waste incineration and gasification, and a 2.50 Bht per kWh subsidy for landfill gas converted to electricity and AD from waste fermentation. The Energy Service Companies (ESCO) revolving fund for the energy support project from Thai government was also established to support energy conservation and investment in renewable energy, with investments in facilities and equipment being eligible for financial support from the Board of Investment (BOI) and the machinery import tariff being waived. Moreover, an exemption from corporation tax for 8 years with a further 5-years at a 50% reduction will apply to alternative energy projects. To motivate energy-from-waste production in 2014, a 4.54 million Bht budget has been allocated to study and enhance the efficiency of potential WTE projects [36]. Latterly, the National Energy Policy Commission (NEPC) has replaced its policy of applying additional rate payment structures with a "feed-in tariff" (FiT) system based on actual cost. For renewable energy from MSW, the FiT rate will be varied based on the annual cost of fuel. In particular, very small power producers (VSPPs, i.e., power producers generating less than 10 MW per year) have now been converted from the additional rate to FiT in power purchase agreements (PPAs) for 20-year project lifetimes. The new VSPP PPAs will apply a competitive bidding model instead of a first-come first-served process. Besides, an FiT premium for all project lifetimes privilege will be provided at a rate of 0.50 Bht per unit extra above the regular FiT in order to provide an incentive in the Southern border provinces to support energy security in those areas. WTE projects located in southern border provinces are eligible for a higher FiT incentive with regards to logistic and location. Details of these schemes are shown

to improving its operation.

coal [36].

in **Table 5** [36].

**7. WTE promotion strategies and FiT incentive**

**Figure 7.** Structure of the WTE gasification power plant [36].

The mixed waste is ignited and burned in a gasification process (**Figure 6**). The schematic layout of the WTE gasification plant is illustrated in **Figure 7**.

The technology employed is focused on solving the problem of the increasing amount of waste generated in Thailand [37]. However, the heterogeneous composition of the waste which has a high moisture content has resulted in varying heating values especially in the

**Figure 8.** Wood chip mixed with residual waste before gasification.

rainy season and wood chips were mixed with the MSW before combustion to increase the heating value (**Figure 8**). Recently however, the FET has been under renovation with a view to improving its operation.
