More than 3,000MW combined gross electricity can be generated using agricultural residue and municipal solid waste. However, the enormous potential has not been exploited so far, though a number of waste-to-energy projects remain in the pipeline since long.
More than 3,000MW combined gross electricity can be generated using agricultural residue and municipal solid waste. However, the enormous potential has not been exploited so far, though a number of waste-to-energy projects remain in the pipeline since long.
For quite some-time, Pakistan has been exploring the development of alternative indigenous resources for power generation that are clean, renewable, environment friendly, relatively cost-effective, and have shorter gestation period compared to conventional power plants. The resources include wind-power, solar, and bioenergy/waste-to-energy. The Alternate Renewable Energy policy offers many incentives to the investors. Nonetheless, the progress achieved in this direction has been far from satisfactory. The Alternate Energy Development Board (AEDB), since its inception in 2003, has been able to add a nominal of 255MW wind-power and 53MW bagasse/biomass power generation to the national grid, despite repeated tall claims. In addition, a 100MW solar project at Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park has been operative under the Punjab government.
The country generates about 10 million tons of crop residues annually, which can be used as feedstock to generate 120MW electricity. Of the two waste-to-energy projects, both of 12MW gross capacity each, which were approved in September 2010, the SSJD Bioenergy project was scheduled to go into operation by the first quarter of 2014. However, it has been stalled and has not achieved the financial close. The project located in Mirpurkhas (Sindh) on Build, Own, Operate (BOO) basis will cost $19.82 million. A 30-years’ levelised tariff of Cents 13.05 per kWh has been announced. Generation license was issued by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) in June 2011, while feasibility report was approved by the AEDB in July 2011. The EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) contract was signed with a Chinese company in November 2011.
The other project, Lumen Energia, is being developed in Jhang (Punjab) costing $22.62 million. Nepra issued the generation license in February 2012, and determined tariff as Cents 12.92 per unit, levelised for a period of 30-years project life. The project was scheduled to achieve commercial operation date (COD) by December 2013, but has been inordinately delayed. Interestingly, Lumen Energia had plans to install a series of five units of same capacity waste-to-energy plants in Punjab. Both the projects are based on agricultural/biomass waste that includes sugarcane bagasse and trash, rice straw and husk, cotton waste and alike, and will use conventional steam power cycle technology. Energy generated by these projects will be dispersed through local grids.
The other important waste that can be converted into energy is municipal non-hazardous solid waste. There are advanced waste-to-energy conversion technologies that have been proven commercially viable and sustainable, and recognised as renewable. The waste-to-energy plants are equipped with modern pollution control equipment to clean the emissions. The country generates some 56,000 tons of solid waste on a daily basis in urban areas only, which is increasing at the rate of three percent annually. Constructing waste-t-energy plants would also effectively manage the municipal solid waste and medical and industrial hazardous waste, which is currently dumped in landfills.
Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) provides a primary source of alternate energy, as feedstock for waste-to-energy plants. Fauji Cement Company has installed the pioneering RDF processing plant of 300-400 tons RDF per day, using municipal solid waste of Islamabad/Rawalpindi for firing RDF in the kiln instead of coal. Now, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) plans to establish a waste-to-energy plant under private-public partnership modality, for which the CDA would be providing land and selling the waste. Also, a 500 tons RDF capacity plant established in Lahore converts municipal waste into RDF for supplies to major cement plants and other industries. Lahore city alone generates some 7,000 tons of municipal waste on daily basis.
Sadly, not a single waste-to-energy plant has come on stream as yet on commercial basis though feasibility studies for setting up waste-to-energy plants based on municipal solid waste were carried out long ago for installation in selected cities of Pakistan such as Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Multan, Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujrat, Sialkot, Peshawar and Quetta. Initially, a 25-28MW plant converting municipal waste into RDF was proposed for Lahore, but there was no progress. Of late, however, there have been negotiations by the provincial government with a German investor to develop a 100MW project in Lahore.
Likewise, a waste-to-energy plant of 10MW capacity was planned for construction in January 2009 in Karachi in collaboration with a US-based company, using 8,000 tons of municipal waste daily. The project could not see light of the day. Recently, Sindh Solid Waste Management Board has launched a project of constructing six garbage transfer stations in Karachi with material recovery facilities, and establishing a RDF Unit in the metropolitan. The first-ever RDF project was launched in Peshawar in January 2005, on BOT basis, with a capacity of producing about 5MW electricity. The project, which was a joint venture of foreign investors with the provincial government, was wound up half the way in 2009.
Similarly, the City District Government of Rawalpindi had approved in December 2009 a project of installing a RDF plant using 850-1,200 tons of municipal waste per day, under public-private partnership. In March 2010 foreign investor under the name ‘Waste Management Pakistan Ltd’ was awarded the contract, getting 75 acres land on long lease. The project, costing about Euro 10 million, was scheduled for completion by February 2010 but meanwhile the government cancelled the contract. Similarly, the Punjab government had pre-qualified in April 2010 three parties namely DG Khan Cement, Maple Leaf Cement and Habib Rafiq for setting up a RDF plant in Faisalabad. A waste-to-energy project Greensure Environmental Solutions Pvt Ltd of 12MW capacity is being developed in Mardan (KP) based on municipal waste for which AEDB has issued LOI.
On the other hand, the international agencies have revived their interest in waste-to-energy projects in Pakistan. International Finance Corporation (IFC) is the major financer to establish a 30MW capacity waste-to-energy project at Landhi Cattle Colony Karachi, which would utilise 5,000 tons of cattle-waste and food waste. A World Bank funded project has been initiated for conducting study for establishing waste-to-energy projects in various cities, where about 300MW cumulative power projects could be constructed. Likewise, an RDF-based project of 5-10MW capacity is proposed to be installed in Karachi, which is being funded by the US Trade Development Agency (USTDA).
Ever-increasing prices of fossil fuels have promoted waste-to-energy technology, which is fast becoming an increasingly important option for alternate power generation the world over. It has the potential to contribute largely to the total energy mix in Pakistan as well, for on-grid as well as off-grid applications. The government needs to take proactive measures to expedite work on on-going and proposed projects in public sector as well as in the private sector.
The writer is Chairman of Institution of Engineers, Pakistan
