Lagos govt partners Dutch firm to generate electricity from waste

The Lagos State Government has formalised a partnership with a Dutch firm, Harvest Waste Consortium, for the construction of a Waste-to-Energy plant on Epe landfill, which will utilise advanced technology to generate clean energy from municipal solid waste, commercial, and industrial waste.

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu signed the deal with the Dutch firm on Monday, May 27, 2024.

According to a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Gboyega Akosile, the innovative waste management solution is expected to take 40,000 homes off the national electricity grid, as the technology would enhance energy security and diversification, generating between 60 and 75 megawatts of baseload electricity annually.

Akosile added that the partnership with the Amsterdam-based firm was at the instance of the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, while the agreement was signed under the supervision of the Lagos State Office of the Public Private Partnership (PPP).

He quoted Sanwo-Olu as saying that the inadequacies of the current waste disposal practices in Lagos State led to the sealing of the partnership to bring about innovative alternatives towards reducing environmental pollution, improving air quality, and stemming degradation and contamination of water resources that posed threats to the life quality in the state.

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The governor said the partnership represented a “monumental step” forward of his administration’s waste management strategy, stressing that the move marked another milestone in the journey to build a clean, healthy, and more sustainable city.

He said: “We are thrilled to announce the construction and operation of a High Efficiency Waste-to-Energy plant in Lagos. This state-of-the-art facility will be built with the capacity to process 2,250 tonnes of waste daily, representing a monumental step forward in our waste management strategy.

“The plant will not only provide a sustainable alternative to the current practice of waste dumping, it will also divert more than 95 per cent of our waste from landfill sites.”

Governor Sanwo-Olu noted that the initiative would significantly reduce environmental footprint of Lagos waste disposal methods, with the plant expected to trap about 550,000 metric tons of Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases emitted daily from dumpsite.

Beyond the environmental benefits, Sanwo-Olu said the project, which has over 25 years operational lifespan, would stimulate economic activities around the initiative, while attracting major investments to Lagos State and creating jobs.

Deputy Consul General of the Netherlands Consulate Leonie Van der Stijl said the partnership presented the possibility of international collaboration to solve local challenges, noting that Lagos, through the pact, became the first partner of the Dutch waste management.

The envoy gave assurance of the Dutch government’s commitment to the success of the agreement.

The Star