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A 3D model view of the waste-to-energy plant located in Kerawalapitiya[/caption]
By Uwin Lugoda
Sri Lanka welcomed its very first waste-to-energy (WTE) power plant on 17 February, joining the likes of France, the US, Germany, and India. However, according to experts, more WTE plants are required to solve Sri Lanka's waste problem.
Currently, around 86% of the country's waste is dumped in the open and only about 6% of this makes it into compost and about 4% of it is recycled. The plant which is located in Kerawalapitiya aims to address this issue by turning waste into power and contributing to the national grid.
According to data from the Western Province Waste Management Authority, Sri Lanka's daily collected waste amounts to 3,000-3,500 MT currently, with 1,800 MT being collected from the Western Province. The data also stated this number was much higher earlier, but was reduced due to the travel restrictions put in place due to Covid-19. The numbers are still 20-30% lower than they were pre Covid, due to some public areas still being closed.
The Western Power Company (Pvt.) Ltd., a subsidiary of Aitken Spence PLC, first got the licence for the project in 2007. However, due to various problems, the project was delayed several times. In February 2020, the plant was given the deadline of May 2020. However, with the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the project's involvement of Chinese workers, it was yet again delayed.
Speaking to The Sunday Morning, an official from the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) stated that they always welcome alternative energy projects such as this, which not only contribute to the national grid, but also help dispose of waste that would otherwise pollute the country. They explained that WTE power generation is currently one of the world’s most effective and green modes of managing disposal of waste.
While this is a first for Sri Lanka, its neighbouring country India has around 92 plants with a collective capacity to produce around 250 MW per day, through the use of urban, agricultural, and industrial waste. Compared to this, the local plant incinerates solid waste which is collected within the Colombo municipal area, to form 10 MW per day.
However, according to Aitken Spence Managing Director – Power Segment L. Wickremarachchi, the main goal of the plant is to reduce Sri Lanka's waste.
Speaking to The Sunday Morning, he explained that the plant's contribution to the national grid is insignificant, as it only gives 10 MW, while the entire CEB has a daily capacity of over 3,000 MW, but the plant aims to play a significant role in aiding the country's waste disposal efforts.
“Since we gained independence, we have been collecting waste from households and dumping it, creating these mountains of waste. Those mountains have polluted our environment, our groundwater, and we have even seen them cause landslides which resulted in several deaths. So, this plant is built to address this problem.”
The plant is set to use a process known as incineration, where the waste is burnt in a controlled atmosphere, while abiding by all the current environmental standards. The heat energy produced from this process is then used to generate electricity, with the only waste product being ash, which according to Wickremarachchi, is much easier to dispose of.
“This technology is used all over the world. Without incineration plants, our other option is to dump the waste that cannot be recycled any further or used to create compost. We cannot continue creating these landfills with mountains of garbage, Sri Lanka is a small country and the land we have is very scarce.”
He explained that they are currently set to get 600-800 MT of waste daily from local authorities such as the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) and the Western Province Waste Management Authority, which will be processed to produce the 10 MW.
However, Wickremarachchi added that the conversion of waste to energy depends on the quality of the waste, and stated that biodegradable waste, like kitchen and market waste, which has a low energy value, will require more than 800 MT to produce 10 MW. Similarly, waste that has more moisture content will also produce less energy.
“Sri Lanka's recycling industry is improving; even the garbage trucks are compartmentalised, so only the non-recyclables, such as lunch sheets, yoghurt cups, and things like small plastic shampoo packets make their way to the landfills. We need to understand that we cannot completely eliminate their use; we can't tell a worker coming from a village to the city for a day’s work, to not bring their lunch in these lunch sheets. Instead, we need to find a more environmentally sustainable way of disposing it. Incinerating waste will only leave behind ash which is easier to deal with.”
He stated that the plant cost Rs. 15 billion to build, with machinery having to be imported into Sri Lanka. The company had also raised a Rs. 9 billion loan from Hatton National Bank (HNB), Bank of Ceylon (BoC), People's Bank, and DFCC Bank.
Wickremarachchi pointed out that running such a plant also incurs heavy expenses, as they have to abide by all the current environmental safety standards. He explained that they have to trap the heavy metals produced by the incineration using activated carbon and lime, after which the ash goes through a filtered bag. The ash is then collected and stabilised with the addition of cement, and safely dumped into a government-allocated dump, which will be given to the project in the next two to three months.
Furthermore, another product of the reaction known as bottom ash can be used as a sand substitute, with international examples showing the product being used in the construction of pavement bricks.
Speaking on future expansions of the project, Wickremarachchi stated that investors like Aitken Spence cannot expand on such projects alone, and need to have the aid of the local government. He explained that there needs to be three players involved in these projects; the first is the CMC and Western Province Waste Management Authority which will provide the waste, the next are the investors who convert it to energy, and finally the CEB, which will buy the energy from the investors.
“We see these dumpsites run off into the rivers polluting them, and then people drink that polluted water. Therefore, there must be political will, and the Government needs to initiate these projects, so that the private inventors may join.”
Speaking to us, Western Province Waste Management Authority Director Nalin Mannapperuma stated the CMC diverts 450 MT of solid waste per day to the Kerawalapitiya plant, while the rest is being provided by them. He explained that they need two more facilities similar to this one, within the Western Province, for the rest of the non-perishable and perishable waste. He also stated that a new facility is expected to be opened in the next two years.
A 3D model view of the waste-to-energy plant located in Kerawalapitiya[/caption]
By Uwin Lugoda
Sri Lanka welcomed its very first waste-to-energy (WTE) power plant on 17 February, joining the likes of France, the US, Germany, and India. However, according to experts, more WTE plants are required to solve Sri Lanka's waste problem.
Currently, around 86% of the country's waste is dumped in the open and only about 6% of this makes it into compost and about 4% of it is recycled. The plant which is located in Kerawalapitiya aims to address this issue by turning waste into power and contributing to the national grid.
According to data from the Western Province Waste Management Authority, Sri Lanka's daily collected waste amounts to 3,000-3,500 MT currently, with 1,800 MT being collected from the Western Province. The data also stated this number was much higher earlier, but was reduced due to the travel restrictions put in place due to Covid-19. The numbers are still 20-30% lower than they were pre Covid, due to some public areas still being closed.
The Western Power Company (Pvt.) Ltd., a subsidiary of Aitken Spence PLC, first got the licence for the project in 2007. However, due to various problems, the project was delayed several times. In February 2020, the plant was given the deadline of May 2020. However, with the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the project's involvement of Chinese workers, it was yet again delayed.
Speaking to The Sunday Morning, an official from the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) stated that they always welcome alternative energy projects such as this, which not only contribute to the national grid, but also help dispose of waste that would otherwise pollute the country. They explained that WTE power generation is currently one of the world’s most effective and green modes of managing disposal of waste.
While this is a first for Sri Lanka, its neighbouring country India has around 92 plants with a collective capacity to produce around 250 MW per day, through the use of urban, agricultural, and industrial waste. Compared to this, the local plant incinerates solid waste which is collected within the Colombo municipal area, to form 10 MW per day.
However, according to Aitken Spence Managing Director – Power Segment L. Wickremarachchi, the main goal of the plant is to reduce Sri Lanka's waste.
Speaking to The Sunday Morning, he explained that the plant's contribution to the national grid is insignificant, as it only gives 10 MW, while the entire CEB has a daily capacity of over 3,000 MW, but the plant aims to play a significant role in aiding the country's waste disposal efforts.
“Since we gained independence, we have been collecting waste from households and dumping it, creating these mountains of waste. Those mountains have polluted our environment, our groundwater, and we have even seen them cause landslides which resulted in several deaths. So, this plant is built to address this problem.”
The plant is set to use a process known as incineration, where the waste is burnt in a controlled atmosphere, while abiding by all the current environmental standards. The heat energy produced from this process is then used to generate electricity, with the only waste product being ash, which according to Wickremarachchi, is much easier to dispose of.
“This technology is used all over the world. Without incineration plants, our other option is to dump the waste that cannot be recycled any further or used to create compost. We cannot continue creating these landfills with mountains of garbage, Sri Lanka is a small country and the land we have is very scarce.”
He explained that they are currently set to get 600-800 MT of waste daily from local authorities such as the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) and the Western Province Waste Management Authority, which will be processed to produce the 10 MW.
However, Wickremarachchi added that the conversion of waste to energy depends on the quality of the waste, and stated that biodegradable waste, like kitchen and market waste, which has a low energy value, will require more than 800 MT to produce 10 MW. Similarly, waste that has more moisture content will also produce less energy.
“Sri Lanka's recycling industry is improving; even the garbage trucks are compartmentalised, so only the non-recyclables, such as lunch sheets, yoghurt cups, and things like small plastic shampoo packets make their way to the landfills. We need to understand that we cannot completely eliminate their use; we can't tell a worker coming from a village to the city for a day’s work, to not bring their lunch in these lunch sheets. Instead, we need to find a more environmentally sustainable way of disposing it. Incinerating waste will only leave behind ash which is easier to deal with.”
He stated that the plant cost Rs. 15 billion to build, with machinery having to be imported into Sri Lanka. The company had also raised a Rs. 9 billion loan from Hatton National Bank (HNB), Bank of Ceylon (BoC), People's Bank, and DFCC Bank.
Wickremarachchi pointed out that running such a plant also incurs heavy expenses, as they have to abide by all the current environmental safety standards. He explained that they have to trap the heavy metals produced by the incineration using activated carbon and lime, after which the ash goes through a filtered bag. The ash is then collected and stabilised with the addition of cement, and safely dumped into a government-allocated dump, which will be given to the project in the next two to three months.
Furthermore, another product of the reaction known as bottom ash can be used as a sand substitute, with international examples showing the product being used in the construction of pavement bricks.
Speaking on future expansions of the project, Wickremarachchi stated that investors like Aitken Spence cannot expand on such projects alone, and need to have the aid of the local government. He explained that there needs to be three players involved in these projects; the first is the CMC and Western Province Waste Management Authority which will provide the waste, the next are the investors who convert it to energy, and finally the CEB, which will buy the energy from the investors.
“We see these dumpsites run off into the rivers polluting them, and then people drink that polluted water. Therefore, there must be political will, and the Government needs to initiate these projects, so that the private inventors may join.”
Speaking to us, Western Province Waste Management Authority Director Nalin Mannapperuma stated the CMC diverts 450 MT of solid waste per day to the Kerawalapitiya plant, while the rest is being provided by them. He explained that they need two more facilities similar to this one, within the Western Province, for the rest of the non-perishable and perishable waste. He also stated that a new facility is expected to be opened in the next two years.