Murad okays waste-to-energy project meant to generate 250MW

Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has directed the Sindh Solid Waste Management Authority to prepare a policy to generate energy from the thousands of tonnes of solid waste produced in Karachi.

Presiding over a meeting on the Waste and Water Energy Project (WAEP) at the CM House on Monday, CM Shah issued the directives saying that Karachi generates nearly 17,000 tonnes of garbage daily from which 250 megawatts (MW) could be easily generated.

Minister for Local Government Saeed Ghani, Adviser to the CM on Information and Law Murtaza Wahab, Sindh Planning and Development Board Chairman Mohammad Waseem, Principal Secretary to the CM Sajid Jamal Abro, Local Government Secretary Khalid Hyder Shah, Sindh Solid Waste Management Board MD Saeed Mangnijo, Water Board MD Khalid Shaikh and water and energy experts from the private sector attended the meeting.

Shah said he had consulted with experts and they had informed that 50 MWs could be generated by feeding 3,000 tonnes of garbage every day to such a waste-to-energy project. “We generate 17,000 tons of garbage and could easily install five [power generation] plants with each one of them having 50 MWs capacity to generate a total of 250 MWs from garbage,” he said.

He directed the local government minister to prepare a policy of handing over garbage to any private company for power generation and get it approved from the Sindh Public Private Partnership Policy Board. “This would help to invite any private party for installation of a power plant at the landfill site at Jam Chakro,” he said, and directed Ghani to reserve a separate piece of land at the landfill for the power generation project.

After a thorough discussion, the chief minister directed the Karachi Water & Sewerage Board to prepare a proposal for recycling 73 million gallons per day (MGD) wastewater for industrial purposes. “This is high time to take necessary measures for implementation of the project.” CM Shah also directed the P&D Chairman Mohammad Waseem to send the proposal to the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Unit for expeditious processing of unsolicited bid as per PPP rules.

In the meeting it was proposed to convert a reverse osmosis (RO) water filtration plant installed at Hub into a 100 MGD desalination unit. Along with this desalination unit, a 900 MW RLNG-based power plant can also be installed, the experts proposed to the CM.

Shah said that he would talk to the federal government to materialise the project and the electricity to be generated from the plant would be sold to K-Electric. He also issued directives for processing of unsolicited bidding process under PPP rules.

The chief minister was told that discussions with DHA and Clifton Cantonment Board had been done for the installation of a 10 MGD desalination plant and the search was underway for a suitable piece of land for it at the outskirts of CBC/DHA.

It was decided that the Dhabeji Pumping Station would be refurbished and CM Shah issued directives that the bidding process be initiated.