###### Abstract  
The optimal initial moisture content and seeding proportion with mature compost (microbial inoculant) during food waste composing were investigated. This involved six different moisture contents (42%, 55%, 61%, 66%, 70%, and 78%) and four different mature compost seeding amounts (0%, 10%, 20%, and 30% _w/w_). The temperature variation of these different setups during the first four days of composing was used to determine the most effective one. Our findings showed that the initial moisture contents of 55-70% and the 20% _w/w_ of mature compost were optimal for effective food waste composing. A 400 kg compost pile with the optimal compost mixture ratio was then used to study the evolution and spatial distribution of the temperature during a 30-day composting period. Finally, the heat produced during the 30-day composing process was estimated to be 2.99 MJ/kg. Further investigations, including a cost-benefit analysis from a pilot facility, would be required to comprehensively conclude the feasibility of food waste composing as a bioenergy source. f acultative aerobic treatment; moisture content; microbial inoculant; bioenergy recovery; waste-to-resource 2020 220  
cereal plant straws, are used to control the initial moisture content and adjust the C/N ratio of the composting mixture [16; 17]. The common bulking agents, being more ligninous in nature compared to the food waste, also provide structure to the mixture, which enhances the flow of air within the compost, and thereby promotes aerobic biodegradation [16]. A microbial inoculant, such as mature compost, is used to enrich the compost with the vital microbial communities required for the biotransformation of food waste [18; 19]. In addition, parameters including moisture and turning frequency/aeration rate of the compost mixture are of vital importance for effective composting [20; 21]. For instance, a dry compost mixture would inhibit nutrient mobility, while a very wet mixture would hinder oxygen penetration, leading to anoxic conditions [21]. These two extreme moisture conditions would result in lower aerobic microbe activities and negatively affect the composting process. The accepted moisture content range for effective composting is 40-65% [21]. The composting process is exothermic, where heat is released as a result of the biodegradation of the food waste by aerobic microbes [22]. The heat is mostly produced during the thermophilic phase, where the temperatures of the compost pile could be as high as \(>\) 70 \({}^{\circ}\)C [23]. Few researchers have calculated the heat produced and their results greatly varied, which could be because of the diverse biomass and composting methods used in those studies [22; 24]. For example, [PERSON], [PERSON], and [PERSON] [22] calculated the heat generated from composting a mixture of poultry and wood shavings during the thermophilic phase to be 16.83 to 19.7 MJ/kg. Thus, the heat from the composting process has the potential to be captured and utilized in several applications including water heating. However, the heat recovery from composting varies depending on the composting method, composting mixture, type of loading, composting scale, the heat exchange system, basis for the operational data, geographical location, and heat recovery duration [25; 26]. [PERSON], [PERSON], and [PERSON] [25] reviewed 45 composting heat recovery systems and reported that the average recovery rates were 1159, 4302, and 7084 kJ/kg dry mass of compost feedstock for lab-scale, pilot-scale, and commercial-scale composting systems, respectively. Therefore, the objective of this study is to determine the optimal initial moisture content and amount of mature compost to be added to the compost mixture. Six initial moisture contents (42%, 55%, 61%, 66%, 70% and 78%) and four mature compost ratios (0%, 10%, 20%, and 30% _w/w_) were investigated. In addition, an attempt was made to estimate the heat that can be produced from a 400 kg compost pile after a 30-day composting process.