Development and Current Status of Full-scale Anaerobic Digestion Plants for Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste in Türkiye

This study examines the development of full-scale anaerobic digestion (AD) plants in Türkiye deployed for treating organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) between 2011 and 2024, with their current operational status. In 14 years, 23 plants have been established, primarily processing mechanically sorted OFMSW, with total capacity of 4.0 million tons/year in wet weight and with the installed electricity generation capacity of 120 MW, reaching to the total capital investment of $850 million and turnover capacity of $86.8 million/year. In 2024, approximately 2.5 million tons of OFMSW were processed, supplemented by 0.1 million tons of co-substrates. Power generation reached to 78 MW, equal to the capacity utilization of 65%. In initial period, average capacity of newly installed plants increased to 600,000 tons/year, with investments in larger cities. After 2017, this value decreased to approximately 100,000 tons/year, reflecting a shift in investment focus toward smaller municipalities. Dry, thermophilic, and continuous systems account for 95, 86, and 98% of the total capacity. Continuous dry AD has become dominant technology in Türkiye for diverting waste from landfills along with the recovery of value-added products.