Chiang Mai University’s waste-management technology in full swing
Chiang Mai’s Energy Research and Development Institute – Nakornping, together with the faculties of Engineering and Agriculture, came up with a full waste-management technology in 2016 in line with the university’s green strategy.
This technology is integrated with waste sorting, biogas technology for co-digestion and production technology of compressed bio-methane gas (CBG).
The process deals with approximately 10 tonnes of garbage around the university, once the waste has been sorted. The process starts with receiving and storing bags of garbage, before the bags are broken up on a conveyer belt and reusable items like glass and plastic bottles are separated from hazardous waste like batteries.
After this, the organic waste and plastic waste is separated again by the primary separator and magnetic separator systems.
In addition to separating organic waste, this system was also designed to support biomass, especially from the three tonnes of cattle dung provided by the Faculty of Agriculture, which is then fermented as biogas.
More than 530 cubic metres of biogas produced daily by the system is then used to generate 700 kilowatts of electricity per hour per day. Some of the biogas is also used to produce compressed bio-methane gas to be used for the university’s public transportation facilities. Any excessive gas is later burned off.
As for plastic waste, tonnes of it is used to generate refuse-derived fuel (RFD), which is then sold to those who have RFD ovens. Also, the 5,000 tonnes of organic waste is used as fertiliser directly or processed into dry or granular form for other uses.