By Joey Aguilar/Staff Reporter
By implementing the waste-to-energy principle, an average of 30MW electricity is produced daily at the government-owned Domestic Solid Waste Management Centre (DSWMC) near Mesaieed, a suburb of Doha.
While 25MW is exported to the Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa) grid, the remaining 5MW is consumed internally, Gulf Times learnt yesterday during a media tour of the facility, which is spread over 300 hectares.
DSWMC, operated by Keppel Seghers, a Singaporean company, is capable of treating at least 2,300 tonnes of a total of 2,700 tonnes of waste generated in Qatar daily.
“The integrated approach we have taken with the centre means that, of the waste we receive, 95% is now converted to energy or recycled instead of being sent to a landfill,” explained Stefan Kipp, regional director (Middle East and North Africa) at Keppel Seghers.
The waste management facility uses an advanced technology to convert mixed domestic wastes into clean energy. It does not process hazardous and toxic wastes.
“DSWMC is one of the most modern, unique and biggest waste management facilities in the world,” Kipp stated.
The waste-to-energy plant can generate a total of 42MW of energy daily, according to Oon Ee Heng, general manager at DSWMC. The plant burns at least 1,500 tonnes of waste per day.
“DSWMC also has an Anaerobic Digestion and Composting plant, comprised of five biogas engines, which can produce up to 6.8MW of power, taking the total power generation capacity of the facility to up to 50MW, at full capacity,” he said.
The wastes are burnt at DSWMC and the steam produced in turn generates electricity, explained Heng while asserting that the entire process is “green” or environment-friendly.
“Waste-to-energy mitigates the need for more landfill sites, protecting the open deserts and land of Qatar for future generations to enjoy,” Kipp maintained.
It was in 2006 that the Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning signed an agreement with Keppel Seghers to design, build and operate the Middle East’s first fully integrated Solid Waste Management Facility.
Kipp recalled that at that time, the global market for such technologies was worth $4.8bn. Today, it is worth $10.2bn, with an expected $27.2bn in 2021.
The DSWMC was completed and transferred to government ownership in October 2011. This also marked the beginning of the second phase of agreement under which Keppel Seghers continues to operate and maintain the facility for the Ministry of Environment until 2031.
“From the magnitude of treatment that we are doing here, it is quite unique worldwide,” Kipp added.
The DSWMC is the first integrated waste management facility in the Middle East and features one of the largest composting plants in the world.