The Lagos State Government has announced plans to partner with Siemens Group to provide technology support for waste-to-energy projects aimed at converting municipal waste into electricity.
This disclosure was made on Tuesday in a statement posted on the official X account of the Lagos State Government.
According to the statement, the collaboration will be jointly supervised by the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources and the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.
The government explained that the state currently generates between 13,000 and 14,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste daily, out of which portions have already been committed to various waste-to-wealth initiatives, a Dutch company, and Lafarge for power generation.
“The Lagos State Government on Monday hinted at a collaboration with the Siemens Group on Technology Support on waste-to-energy initiatives.
“Speaking during a strategic meeting with representatives from Siemens Group held in Alausa, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab said the collaboration will be jointly handled by the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources as well as that of Energy and Mineral Resources,” the statement read in part.
The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said a large share of Lagos’ waste remains untapped, creating opportunities for new waste-to-energy projects. He cited the Epe power plant and material recovery facilities in Ikorodu and Badagry as part of efforts to reduce landfill pressure and expand renewable energy.
The Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Biodun Ogunleye, noted that with Lagos rapidly urbanising, the government will provide an enabling environment for private partners such as Siemens to invest in waste-to-power initiatives.
The Commercial Director of Siemens Group, Durgen Schumann, pledged the company’s global expertise in power generation to help Lagos tackle waste challenges and boost electricity supply.
What you should know
The planned partnership with Siemens adds to a series of recent steps taken by the Lagos State Government to turn waste into energy.
- Earlier in July, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, announced a $400 million plan to establish a waste-to-energy plant in Epe. The project, to be executed through a private sector-led design, build, finance and operate model, is expected to deliver a 12% internal rate of return over 20 years, supported by electricity tariffs and tipping fees.
- Wahab had also disclosed a €120 million commitment from the Netherlands government to support a waste-to-energy project with the Harvest Waste Consortium, a Dutch firm that has been engaged by the state.
In a related effort, the state government in February signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Lafarge Africa Plc to collect and process non-recyclable combustible waste from companies and dumpsites across Lagos for use as alternative fuel at Lafarge’s Ewekoro plant.
