Waste to energy option
Energy-from-Waste (EfW) also referred to as waste-to-energy process proffer a safe, technologically advanced means of waste disposal while also generating clean, renewable energy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and supporting recycling through the recovery of metals. According to the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA), energy-from-waste facilities are economically sound investments that provide multiple financial and environmental benefits to the communities that utilize them.
With the waste to energy option the current challenge of a quantum leap in the generation of wastes in Lagos, from 10,000 to 12000 metric tonnes per day, as expressed recently by the Lagos State Waste Management Authority, (LAWMA) boss, Mr. Ola Oresanya, may ultimately open up an opportunity for a state that currently experiences an energy deficit supply of about 1000mw.
There are so many countries in Asia and Europe that have success stories with respect to waste-to-energy that Lagos state and indeed Nigeria can learn from. For example, Sweden’s waste recycling program has been very successful. In fact, Sweden has recently begun to import about eight hundred thousand tons of trash from the rest of Europe per year to use in its power plants. The majority of the imported waste comes from neighbouring Norway because it’s more expensive to burn the trash there and cheaper for the Norwegians to simply export their waste to Sweden. Japan and China have built several plants based on direct smelting or on fluidized bed combustion of solid waste. And as at June 2014, Indonesia had a total of 93.5MW installed capacity of Waste-to-Energy, with a pipeline of projects in different preparation phases together amounting to another 373MW of capacity.
According to experts, energy from waste programs may play a large part in the future, both for waste disposal and as a source of green renewable energy that does not rely on fossil fuels. The methods used for converting municipal waste to renewable energy source can vary, because there are a number of ways that this waste can be used. The waste can be burned and the heat used to create steam and electricity, or the waste can be used to create synthetic gas from burning of waste materials, which is then used for electricity and other applications. No matter which method is used to generate energy from waste, it is a better option than just throwing the waste in a landfill, where it will sit and contaminate the earth.
With millions of tons of municipal solid waste being discarded each year in this country, this is a very large alternative source of energy that can be used to meet energy needs which the country is still struggling with. In addition, turning municipal solid waste to electricity has a large number of benefits. This energy source is domestic, and is produced close to home. There are no worries about unstable regimes or sudden price spikes because of politics. Moreover, the energy is created using waste, something that is discarded because it is no longer useful. Further to its benefits, the waste- to-energy system may just be another avenue for providing the much needed electricity while creating jobs for our teeming population with the associated job multiplier effect.
Rather than harbour and tolerate waste dump sites across the country, state governments should explore the waste to energy option and draw value from what is already posing health risks to Nigerians.