Lagos State is set to revolutionize its waste management system with the establishment of waste-to-energy plants at strategic locations, a move aimed at enhancing environmental sustainability and boosting electricity generation.
The initiative, spearheaded by the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), is expected to generate between 60 to 80 megawatts of power while reducing landfill dependency.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of LAWMA, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, disclosed the plans in an interview in Lagos, stating that the government will shut down major landfill sites, including the Olusosun dumpsite in Ojota, to pave the way for energy conversion facilities.
The construction of these plants is expected to take approximately 15 months.
“As part of our strategy, we will set up a materials recovery facility in Ikorodu,” Gbadegesin said. “Once we close the dumpsites, we will divert waste to a materials recovery facility in Badagry. Through this process, we will extract biogas to generate electricity.”
He further explained that LAWMA is considering collaborating with industrial facilities near the Olusosun dumpsite to supply them with biogas for power generation.
“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 added.
The initiative will be executed in collaboration with private investors, ensuring sustainable financing and expertise. One of the major partnerships involves a Dutch company, Harvest Waste, which will provide funding worth €100m for the development of a waste-to-energy plant in Epe.
Gbadegesin confirmed that the landfill at Epe has already been closed to facilitate this transition.
“We want to set up this project in Epe, and it will be in partnership with a private investor, Harvest Waste,” he noted. “From what we are seeing in Lagos, we are progressing to another level. This gives us hope that if we are committed to development, we can achieve global standards.”
Gbadegesin also revealed that the biogas project is modeled after Sweden’s successful zero-waste strategy, which repurposes sewage and organic waste to produce biomethane.
He emphasized that Lagos generates approximately 13,000 tonnes of waste daily, of which 6,500 tonnes are organic and could be converted into useful energy instead of being dumped in landfills.
“If Sweden can do it, we can. We are planning to replicate their model here. Instead of allowing organic waste to go to landfills, we can use it to produce compost for agriculture and biomethane for energy,” he explained.
The feasibility study for the biogas facility was conducted in partnership with the Lagos State Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA). According to Gbadegesin, the biogas plant will supply fuel for 2,000 compressed natural gas-powered buses that LAMATA is set to introduce.
LAWMA Targets 80MW Power From Waste-To-Energy Plant is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
Source: The Whistler
