LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Local Government and Community Development, Zeeshan Rafique, has said that the province will generate 150 megawatts (MW) of electricity from waste in different phases.
Presiding over a meeting on the Waste-to-Energy Project under the Suthra Punjab Programme at the Civil Secretariat, the minister said that a 50 MW plant will be set up in Lahore as a pilot project.
The meeting was attended by Secretary Local Government Shakeel Ahmed Mian, Secretary Energy Dr Farrukh Naveed, and CEO of Lahore Waste Management Company Babar Sahib Din.
The minister said that under Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s Clean and Green Punjab vision, garbage collected daily will now be recycled to produce electricity. “Punjab has the capacity to produce 150 MW power from garbage, and the Chief Minister has directed that the first project should start from Lahore,” he added.
Rafique said that waste dumped at the Lakho Der site will also be recycled, which will help improve the environment. A 50 MW power plant will be set up at Sundar Industrial Estate near Lakho Der, using 3,000 tons of waste daily. He said that five foreign companies have shown interest in the project, which is expected to bring in Rs50 billion foreign investment.
He also directed the Energy Department to study the possibility of setting up plants under the Punjab government’s ownership.
The minister said the Suthra Punjab Programme has already created millions of direct and indirect jobs and will continue to create more opportunities. He added that even Japan has appreciated Punjab’s clean and green initiative.
— ALSO READ —
Islamabad approves 22 acres for Aga Khan University Hospital
Rafique said that there is huge potential for waste-to-energy plants in other major cities including Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Multan, Bahawalpur and Sialkot, which will be developed step by step.
The meeting was informed that 1,200 waste-to-energy plants are operating worldwide, with China alone hosting 300 plants of 11,000 watts capacity, and 800 more under construction. Punjab produces 50,000 tons of waste daily, which can be turned into a valuable resource through recycling.
The minister said that this will be the first-ever waste-to-energy project in Pakistan, and directed the Energy Department to make an eco-friendly design on the Japanese model.
Secretary Local Government Shakeel Ahmed Mian said that energy plants in six more cities would also be reviewed. Secretary Energy Dr Farrukh Naveed assured that the pre-qualification process for foreign companies will be completed soon.
