Small-scale thermal treatment of municipal solid waste (MSW) was investigated using mass and energy balances based on the assumption of thermodynamic equilibrium. A typical average MSW composition from the literature was used as basis for modelling of a one ton per day waste gasification facility (plant). Syngas production by pyrolysis, stoichiometric O-2 addition and auto-thermal (gasification with oxygen and/or air where no external heat input is required) combustion were considered. These cases were evaluated for production of electricity only, and steam. From purely thermodynamic considerations, it was observed that auto-thermal oxygen gasification produces the most electricity (47.00 kWe) and oxygen plasma gasification produces a positive net amount (4.07 kWe) on a 1 ton per day scale. Although auto-thermal air gasification also produces a net positive amount, the calorific value of the syngas is too low to fuel an internal combustion engine. As expected, the amount of steam generated by the different scenarios is high due to higher process efficiencies. The close-coupled auto-thermal oxygen process proved to be the most efficient. The cost of additional oxygen generation was however not taken into account, and may change the picture significantly.