18 February 2021 09:02 am
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa officially launched Sri Lanka’s first waste-to-energy power plant in Kerawalapitiya, yesterday.
To address the growing problem of waste disposal, the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) invited bids for the implementation of an environmentally acceptable and sustainable mechanism for the disposal of municipal solid waste. Western Power Company (Pvt.) Ltd (WPC), a subsidiary of Aitken Spence PLC, was selected through this competitive bidding process and was the only company to complete the project amongst few others.
Aitken Spence has since spearheaded the implementation of the project and its operation is the culmination of years of careful planning and an investment of approx. Rs.15 billion. Furthermore, WPC entered into a waste supply agreement (WSA) with the CMC and a standardised power purchase agreement (SPPA) with the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), for a tenure of 20 years in 2017.
WPC also entered into a contract with a leading Chinese engineering company to design, build and transfer a modern waste incineration plant. Renowned engineering consultancy firm, Ramboll AG, headquartered in Denmark, was appointed as the Owner’s Engineer.
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, in his well-wishing message stated, “It is a milestone in the solid waste management process not only in the city of Colombo but in entire Sri Lanka. I extend my congratulations to the CMC for giving pioneering support to this project and the Aitken Spence group for giving financial support and implementing the project, the Power Ministry and CEB.”
Colombo Mayor Rosy Senanayake, in her message stated, “By implementing this waste-to-energy project, the CMC has been able to obtain a sustainable and environmentally friendly long-term solution for the solid waste collected in the city of Colombo.”
Speaking about this landmark project, Aitken Spence PLC Chairman Deshamanya Harry Jayawardena commented, “This venture is guided by the principles of sustainability, responsible corporate stewardship and progress through innovation and development. This power-plant will give Sri Lankans access to clean, reliable energy, help with beautification of the city and hopefully set a trend for clean, renewable sources of energy.”
Waste disposal has become a severe problem, especially in the Western Province, where over 3,500 metric tonnes of household waste is produced daily. In the absence of a waste-to-energy power plant, municipal solid waste will collect in landfills, polluting both the ground water and environment. The waste-to-energy power plant will incinerate this waste, supplied by the CMC. 600-800 MT of waste will be processed every day and the power supplied to the national grid.
The waste-to-energy power plant will provide 10MW of electricity to the national grid and this falls within the Western Region Megapolis Plan.