Kazakhstan to launch waste-to-energy project

NUR-SULTAN. KAZINFORM - Kazakhstan is considering the possibility of implementing the Waste-to-energy project, which implies the introduction of principles for the processing of municipal solid waste (MSW) into energy, Kazinform reports with the reference to the International Center for Green Technologies and Investment Projects.

The Waste-to-energy project is being implemented in Kazakhstan for the first time. It involves the study of the morphological composition, physico-chemical properties and energy parameters of solid waste at landfills of Kazakhstan. To implement the project, it is necessary to attract international companies experienced in waste-to-energy.

Household waste accumulation is a pressing problem in Kazakhstan. The volume of solid waste in the country is growing annually. Currently, over 3.5 million tons of wastes have already been accumulated at 3.5 thousand landfills and more than 4.5 million tons are generated annually. Sorting and processing of solid waste in the country today does not exceed 15%.

Thermal utilization of household waste can reduce greenhouse gas emissions which is especially important for Kazakhstan as it has to fulfill its obligations under the Paris Climate Agreement. It is worth noting that the country’s annual emissions amount to 5.4 million tons of CO2.

Today, more than 2.5 thousand waste processing plants have been built around the world.

Now Kazakhstan is studying their experience in implementing waste-to-energy principle. In general, the creation of an effective solid waste management system in the country and the modernization of the existing infrastructure require the attraction of significant investment volumes.