President Shavkat Mirziyoyev got acquainted with the presentation of projects for the production of electricity from solid waste.
Our country generates 14 million tons of waste annually. However, only 4-5 percent of it is recycled. More than 7 million tons of greenhouse gases and 43 thousand tons of toxic leachates generated at waste landfills are emitted into the atmosphere and penetrate the soil.
By recycling waste, it is possible to both reduce its impact on nature and make a profit. For this purpose, the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change, together with foreign investors, has developed a number of projects. It is planned to build 8 waste incineration plants and process landfill gas at the Akhangaran landfill, investing about $1 billion 300 million.
For example, two plants will be built in Andijan and Tashkent provinces through direct investment of $350 million by the Chinese company “CAMC Engineering”. They will process 4 thousand tons of waste per day and generate 630 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year.
Another Chinese company, “Shanghai SUS Environment|, has also shown interest in this area. It plans to invest $310 million in direct investments and build two plants in Samarkand and Kashkadarya regions. They will process 3 thousand tons of waste per day and generate 480 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year.
One plant will be built for Bukhara and Navoi regions at the expense of “Tadweer Group” company of the United Arab Emirates in the amount of $200 million. Capacity will be created to process 1.5 thousand tons of waste per day and produce 363 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year.
The project with participation of “Sejin Company” of the Republic of Korea is also important. It provides for attracting $55 million for the establishment of electricity generation from the gas generated at the landfill of domestic waste in Ahangaran district of Tashkent region. The capacity of the plant is expected to be 16 megawatts.
In general, as a result of the projects implementation, rational utilization of solid domestic waste will be ensured. More than 4.7 million tons of waste will be incinerated annually and 2 billion 100 million kilowatt-hours of electricity worth $97 million will be generated. It will also save 152 million cubic meters of natural gas and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2.4 million tons. 1.2 thousand new jobs will be created.
The projects are planned to be implemented in 2025-2027 in Andijan, Bukhara, Jizzak, Kashkadarya, Navoi, Namangan, Samarkand, Syrdarya, Fergana, Tashkent regions and the city of Tashkent.
The Head of State emphasized the social significance of the projects.
– These are not just factories, but one of the crucial issues. The suitability of our lands and waters, public health, air purity, and stability of the energy sector depend on this sphere. If waste is properly collected and recycled more, the ecological balance will improve, nature will become cleaner, society will change, – emphasized Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
In this regard, responsible persons have been instructed to make these projects exemplary and increase their number in the regions.
– Nowadays, investors and manufacturers first of all think about energy supply of their enterprises. Therefore, it is advisable to locate new enterprises near waste processing plants. And the entrepreneur’s work will not stop, and the investor will have a permanent buyer of energy, – said the Head of State.
The task has been set to develop a roadmap for increasing the number and balanced development of such projects in all regions.
In our country this sphere is being consistently improved. The Agency for Waste Management and Development of Circular Economy was established by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated September 26 this year.
The Agency will be engaged in introduction of modern methods of collection, sorting, neutralization, processing, incineration, utilization and destruction of wastes. Due to the development of circular economy the ecological situation will be stabilized, sanitary conditions will be improved, and the incidence of dangerous diseases will be reduced. Alternative energy, raw materials and organic fertilizers will be produced from waste. Eco-industrial zones will be created on the territory of waste landfills.