Energy generation from landfills proposed

LAHORE

Speakers at a seminar have proposed use of waste, landfills and dumpsites for energy generation in future.

The seminar focusing ‘Energy production from waste, landfills and dumpsites’ was held here Monday and was organised by the Urban Unit and Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC). The seminar was attended by waste management experts, energy sector specialists, private waste management companies, academia, NGOs working in waste sector, relevant government departments and technical experts of landfill site operations.

The speakers discussed various aspects of energy production from dumpsites and landfills in Pakistan in the near future. The Turkish experts stressed on the need of building capacity of local companies as well as learning from success stories of the countries around. 

“Energy production from waste is a promising alternative to resolve waste management and energy production issues. Pakistan has a lot of potential due to high volume of waste and its technical capacities to build the systems. The need is to learn from international best practices around the world.

Turkey has achieved a great success in developing indigenous technological solutions for waste management. We have not only developed gas extraction and energy production facilities at wild dumpsites but also have established highly sophisticated dry digestion systems for waste management” said Ali Kantur, CEO ITC, Turkey and pioneer of Research Development & Implementation of localised technology. Kantur has been involved in more than 10 waste to energy projects in Turkey. 

“Waste to energy facilities have been established in various developed nations which most of the time involve complex technology. There have been some indigenous efforts to produce energy through biogas of waste dumps in Pakistan also. One of the plants was successfully established at waste dumpsite of Rawalpindi that clearly indicated that simple technology has a promising future”, said Azhar Ali Senior Solid Waste Management Specialist, the Urban Unit while talking to the media. 

Dr Usman Hanif, Waste to Energy Expert the Urban Unit, who has worked extensively on waste to energy technology and holds a PhD in Waste Pyrolysis also presented the ‘Case Study of Waste to Energy Project in Rawalpindi.’

Rizwan Saeed, Manager Treatment and Disposal from Lahore Waste Management Company shared information regarding ‘Bio Methanisation of Organic Waste at Biogas Plants of Dunyapur and Lodhran.’ He told about the LWMC being involved in cleaning the city through effective waste collection and transport system as well as taking up the active role while bringing innovations in the system. Further, Naqi Iqbal from Lahore Waste Management Company provided facts and figures about Mahmud Booti Waste Dumpsite.