Prefeasibility Study on Refuse Derived Fuel Project: Municipality of Buriram, Thailand

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) implemented a regional technical assistance, TA 8566: Mainstreaming Integrated Solid Waste Management in Asia, to conduct an assessment of solid waste management practices in five case study cities in Asia and to provide recommendations and best practices that can guide municipalities, ADB project officers and others on how to improve proper waste management and achieve a clean, livable city.

In Thailand, where two of the five cities under the TA are located, local administrative organizations are being encouraged by both the national government and civil society to have a more effective waste disposal. As only minor investment costs would be involved in optimizing current Buriram landfill operations, the focus is on investments that reduce both incoming and existing waste in the landfill. Currently, the investment with the greatest perceived return is refuse derived fuel (RDF) – a process in which waste is separated and prepared to RDF 2 quality specification then transported and sold to modern cement kiln owners that buy it as a coal substitute for heating.

This prefeasibility report presents a preliminary assessment of key commercial and technical issues for a proposed Refuse Derived Fuel plant that would be located on the premises of Buriram’s existing landfill. This report should be read together with the Buriram Solid Waste Action Plan which features a proposed terms sheet and bid parameters. This study acts as a pre-cursor to a Final Full Feasibility Study along with fully developed Prequalification and Bidding Documents inclusive of a Draft Detailed Contract, which could potentially follow on from this TA.