Domestic waste disposal is a pain - any African knows this. Lagos state alone generates some 4,000 ton daily. Yet waste can be converted to electrical energy, a commodity lacking across Nigeria.
Globally, waste to energy (WTE) initiatives are quite common , and the technology is getting cheaper and better. There is none in Nigeria. And it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure why WTE ventures are needed in the country.
Check the benefits of WTE projects in the US, they are staggering:
How Waste-to-Energy Displaces Other Energy Sources and Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions in [USA]
- The energy produced by the nation’s 89 waste-to-energy facilities is the electricity generating equivalent of 30 million barrels of crude oil. (30 million tons of trash = 30 million barrels of crude oil)
- For every ton of trash disposed in a waste-to-energy plant, there is one ton LESS of carbon dioxide emission released into the air due to avoiding land disposal and fossil fuel generation. (One ton MSW = one ton CO2 equivalent)
- The energy produced by the nation’s waste-to-energy plants is enough to meet the energy needs of 2.3 million American homes.
- America’s 89 waste-to-energy plants displace 7.8 million tons of coal that otherwise would be combusted for energy each year.
There is even an electric plant in my state powered with turkey waste. Minnesota being the largest turkey producer in the US has to get rid of the over 2 million turkey litter generated yearly, efficiently, without harming the environment. The litter generate some 55 MW of electricity!
In addition to the 89 WTE plants in the US, Europe has about 400, and Japan 100. Some 70 more plants are scattered across Asia.
With less that 2000MW of generated output, isn’t it time the Nigerian state started its own WTE projects?
Imagine each state (including Abuja) building one 25MW plant each, suddenly there is a whopping 740MW!
Now imagine each plant servicing an industrial/commercial center of about 5sq. miles in each of the 37 locations…
Imagine the trickle-down effects…better sanitation, more jobs, increased productivity, declining crime, healthier community, etc.
It is long over due,Nigeria should create awarence for refuge recycling that involves everybody.If parents teach the kids about recycling ,local goverment provides refuge bin in around the communities and the government pays the workers in the recycling department regularly it will be a good start in having a cleaner and healthier environment.
June 9, 2008 at 8:17 pm