Mtoni dump to produce power next month

POWER generation from solid waste is expected to take place at the Mtoni dump next month. The Dar es Salaam City Council Environmental Engineer, Mr Mohammed Mkumba, told the Minister of State in the Vice-President’s Office (Environment), Dr Batilda Burian, in Dar es Salaam today that the project would involve generation of 2.5 megawatts which would be fed into the National Grid.

Mr Mkumba said the project implemented by an Italian investor, Consorzio Stabile Globus, at a cost of 1.5million Euros (about 3bn/-) would used about 18 million tonnes of solid waste. Dr Burian said at the project site that such projects were very important in efforts to minimise the effects of climate change.

The Minister said she was in Monaco (France) recently where ministers for environment from all over the World were meeting to chart out strategies to control climate change. “We should introduce projects which could change solid waste to something which is useful for the national economy but without causing health hazards”, she said One of the residents near the project area, Ms Matuni Bakari, said people there were afraid of effects to be caused by emission of gas from the project.

However Mr Mkumba assured them that their health would not be endangered as a 10 – 15 metre long chimney would be built to reduce the spread of carbon gases. However, the DSM City Council told the minister that implementation of other projects was hampered by inadequate resources. Mr Mkumba mentioned the Sanitary Landfill project at Pugu Kinyamwezi and construction of a Solid Waste Transfer Station which he said needed about 5bn/- and 1.8bn/-, respectively to be finalised.

Source: Daily News; Tuesday,February 26, 2008 @17:02