Optimizing Operational Parameters to Maximize Hydrogen- Enriched Syngas Yield from Municipal Solid Waste Gasification: A Strategic Waste-to-Energy Framework for Urban Sustainability in Surakarta

Afif  Faishal; Suyitno; Muhammad  Hisjam; Imron  Rosyadi

doi:10.6180/jase.202606_29(6).0014

Optimizing Operational Parameters to Maximize Hydrogen- Enriched Syngas Yield from Municipal Solid Waste Gasification: A Strategic Waste-to-Energy Framework for Urban Sustainability in Surakarta

Afif Faishal^1,2This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Suyitno², Muhammad Hisjam², and Imron Rosyadi³

¹Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta, Central Java, Indonesia

²Faculty of Engineering, Sebelas Maret University, Central Java, Indonesia

³Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa, Banten, Indonesia

Received: July 28, 2025
Accepted: October 26, 2025
Publication Date: November 12, 2025

Copyright The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are cited.

Download Citation: ||https://doi.org/10.6180/jase.202606_29(6).0014

This study explores the application of gasification technology for converting municipal solid waste (MSW), specifically from Surakarta City, Indonesia, into a viable energy resource. The research focuses on developing a simulation model using ASPEN PLUS to assess the gasification process and optimize its operating parameters. This study focused on evaluating the influence of key operational parameters, specifically temperature and steam-to-MSW (S/M) ratio, on the composition of syngas produced through municipal solid waste gasification. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was employed to statistically determine the optimal conditions for maximizing hydrogen (H₂) yield. Simulation outcomes demonstrated that gasification at 700 ◦C with an S/M ratio of 3 resulted in a syngas composition comprising 64.33 % H₂, 9.02 % CO, 26.62 % CO₂, and 0.04 % CH4. The parametric trends indicated that increasing the steam ratio promoted greater H₂ and CO₂ formation while suppressing CO and CH₄ generation. Additionally, cold gas efficiency (CGE) and carbon conversion efficiency (CCE) were analyzed to comprehensively assess the system’s energy and carbon utilization performance. RSM-based predictive modeling also determined that the highest H₂ yield (at 853 ^◦C, S/M ratio of 3.5) and maximum COconcentration (at 1103 ^◦C, without steam) occur under different conditions, emphasizing the importance of multi-variable optimization. These findings highlight the potential of MSW gasification as an efficient waste-to-energy strategy and underscore the significance of tailored operational control for enhancing syngas composition and system efficiency.

Keywords: municipal solid waste (MSW); gasification; hydrogen-rich; syngas; waste-to-energy (WtE)

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