Waste-to-energy schemes studied
More than half of Bahrain’s waste could be converted into energy with the proper use of technology, an expert believes.
According to sustainable Energy Authority (SEA) president Dr Abdulhussain Mirza several Waste to Energy (W2E) technologies are being looked into to help reduce the amount of rubbish in landfills and to produce more energy.
During a recent ‘virtual meeting’ with The Federation of the Gulf Co-operation Council Chambers’ secretary general Abdulrahim Naqi, and technology partner Joseph Shakhtoura, Dr Mirza was introduced to a waste-to-energy service suggestion, one of many under the spotlight.
“One form of Waste-to-Energy is advanced incineration which the company was presenting. This was of interest to us, as they stated that their technology meets international environmental standards,” said Dr Mirza.
“Other technologies we have investigated are Advanced Pyrolysis (extremely high heat burning in the absence of air) which was presented by a company as a solution to waste water treatment outflows in Tubli Bay.
“The Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Ministry’s National Waste Management Strategy indicates that about 55 per cent of the total waste in Bahrain can be converted to energy, meaning around 50MW of electricity generated from W2E projects,” he said.
Dr Mirza added that a company in Hidd was offering W2E by generating a bio-diesel mix from used cooking oil and SEA was also interested in bio-gas or synthetic gas – generated through anaerobic digestion – as a possible solution too.
“As far as the impact of W2E on landfill quantities – the W2E technologies certainly can have a positive impact by reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill – by how much – this will be determined by the size and number of W2E projects we move forward with,” said Dr Mirza.
The GDN reported last month that governments are being provided with guidelines to formulate more sustainable waste management protocols and to turn waste into resources.
The first Waste Management Outlook was launched on June 1 in Bahrain and the region to help achieve waste-related 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
With a focus on waste management systems, finance and governance, the report provided a means to follow sustainable waste management practices.
It aims to enable a transition from a region historically dependant on a low cost of dumping waste to an approach that utilises waste as a resource.
Considering various waste-related issues, such as climate change, it also proposes an integrated waste management technology framework to enable decision-makers to address current treatment issues and maximise value derived from the treatment of municipal solid waste.
Source: http://www.gdnonline.com/Details/836954/Waste-to-energy-schemes-studied
