Energy solution: In ambitious move, new plant to turn solid waste into electricity

Project a joint venture of Directorate of Science and Technology, CECOS University.

PESHAWAR: The first-ever power plant which uses solid waste to generate electricity has been introduced in the provincial capital.

The project is a joint venture of Directorate of Science and Technology (DoST) and CECOS University. It was inaugurated during a ceremony in Hayatabad on Wednesday where a practical demonstration of the plant’s operations was conducted.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Associate Professor Dr Riaz Muhammad said the initiative aims to resolve the energy crisis by using solid waste to generate 15 kilowatts of electricity.

The total cost of the plant is Rs4.3 million, of which Rs3.2 million was provided by DoST.

“We will require Rs70 million to collect solid waste in Peshawar to generate electricity,” Muhammad said. “If we recycle 1,000 to 1,200 tonnes of solid waste, we will be able to generate 15,000 to 20,000 KW of electricity.”

According to the associate professor, using solid waste to generate electricity will ensure the environment is clean. “We will charge Rs30 per unit to domestic consumers and Rs15 per unit to the commercial sector,” he added.

Muhammad said the project will enhance the city’s power production capabilities.

Science and Technology Secretary Farah Hamid Khan lauded the initiative for both seeking to control the energy crisis and recycling waste in the city. “The provincial government will also extend such projects to other areas to generate electricity for the entire province,” she said.

Khan added electricity would be provided to consumers at cheaper rates once the power plant begins its operations.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 26^th, 2015.