Oyo to generate 5mw of electricity from waste

… project to cost $25m

Oyo State govern- ment is partnering Highland Energy Solution Services Limited (HESSL), an inter- national investor, to generate five megawatts of electricity from waste.

The investment is to be solely financed by HESSL and is expected to cost $25 million. The project, based on Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) model, will be hand- ed over to the state govern- ment or renewed after the first 25 years of operating the company by the HESSL.

The Public-Private Part- nership (PPP) waste-to-en- ergy project will be located at Ajakanga Landfill in Oluyole Local Government Area of the state.

An estimated 0.5kg/capi- tal/day wastes are collected daily in the state in which the bulk comes from the every Thursday and monthly sanitation exercises.

At the project ground- breaking ceremony in Ibadan, Governor Abiola Ajimobi said with the com- ing of the project, the people of the state and, especially residents of Ajakanga area will be enjoying stable power
supply.

While reiterating the commitment of his admin- istration to turn other idle dumpsites to an economic viable entity, Ajimobi said it would also address other socio-economic and wel- fare needs of the people such as education, health as well as enhancing the envi- ronmental transformation programme of the present administration.

The solid wastes collect- ed would be converted and used to generate electricity for socio-economic bene- fits, including accelerating industrialisation and im- proved employment genera- tion capacity, he said.

In his address, Akinpelu Shogunle, CEO of HESSL, who thanked the state gov- ernment for providing the enabling environment, said the project would put the state at the top of electricity generation, as the project would provide 25,000 direct and 200,000 indirect jobs for indigenes of the area and the state in general.

Earlier in his welcome address, Joseph Alabi, gen- eral manager, Oyo State Solid Waste Management Authority, said the benefits of the project included job creation, generation of bio-substances in com- mercial value, saying this “will boost the internally generated revenue of the state government as well as boost electricity supply in the state.”

REMI FEYISIPO, Ibadan