The Lagos State Government is set to establish waste-to-energy plants at strategic locations to enhance waste management and promote sustainable energy solutions.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
Gbadegesin stated that the government plans to shut down the Olusosun dumpsite in Ojota and other landfill sites to pave the way for the new energy plants.
“We will set up a materials recovery facility at Ikorodu,” he said, noting that the construction process would take approximately 15 months.
“When we close the dumpsites, we will divert the waste to a material recovery facility in Badagry. We will extract all the biogas to generate electricity and cover the waste.”
Speaking specifically about the Olusosun dumpsite, Gbadegesin mentioned that LAWMA is considering collaborating with industrial facilities located near the site.
“In the case of Olusosun, we are looking at working with industrial facilities at the back of the dumpsite, which can use the gas to power their generators,” he said.
Private investors to drive the project
The LAWMA chief noted that these projects would be executed in collaboration with private investors.
“We are planning a biogas facility; we completed the feasibility study last year in partnership with the Swedish Government,” he said.
Gbadegesin highlighted Sweden’s success in achieving zero waste, explaining that the country repurposes its sewage and organic waste to produce biomethane in large quantities.
“If they can do it, we can. We are planning to replicate the Swedish model here. Out of the 13,000 tonnes of waste generated daily in Lagos State, 6,500 tonnes are organic, which should not be going to the landfills. We should be able to use it to produce compost for greenery and agriculture and also to produce biomethane,” he said.
Gbadegesin revealed that the feasibility study for the biogas facility was conducted in collaboration with the Lagos State Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA).
“It will be bringing in 2,000 compressed natural gas-powered buses. Once the biogas plant is completed, they will be using it,” he said.
Partnership with Dutch company
Additionally, Gbadegesin announced that LAWMA has partnered with a Dutch company, Harvest Waste, to generate electricity from waste.
“We want to set it up at Epe. We have closed the landfill at Epe to set up the waste-to-energy plant. This will be set up in partnership with a private investor, a Dutch company, Harvest Waste.”
He further disclosed that Harvest Waste would provide funding worth 100 million euros for the plant’s development.
“From the development in Lagos, we are moving to another level. It gives us hope that if we put our minds to development, we can be the best,” he said.
According to Gbadegesin, the plant will process approximately 2,500 tonnes of waste daily and generate between 60 megawatts and 80 megawatts of electricity.
