KARACHI: The energy department has finalised the Waste-to-Energy Policy 2021 as some firms have approached the provincial government for generating electricity and gas from waste in Jam Chakro, it emerged on Tuesday.

Well-placed sources told Dawn that the companies had initially expressed interest to generate 150 megawatts from waste generated in the city.

They said that aims and objectives of the policy were discussed and finalised at a meeting chaired by Energy Minister Imtiaz Shaikh.

The managing director of the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board told the participants that there were two landfill sites — 500-acre Jam Chakra and 450-acres Gond Pass.

He said that at present solid waste collected from across the city was being disposed of at Jam Chakro.

The meeting was informed that over 10,000 tonnes of waste was being generated in Karachi daily and about 200 MW could be generated from this waste.

It was informed that the power obtained from Jam Chakro could be easily given to the distribution company, which also had a grid station nearby the landfill site.

The local government secretary informed the meeting that some companies had approached the provincial government showing keen interest in generating 150MW from waste initially.

He said that companies were also interested in generating gas from the solid waste.

The minister said that the main objective of the government was to clean up Karachi’s waste and to use this waste for energy generation was a very reasonable practice. “By generating electricity from waste, we can increase the city’s electricity needs on the one hand and on the other hand, converting waste into clean energy will help improve the environment,” he said.

He said that the final Waste to Energy Policy 2021 would be presented at the next meeting of the provincial cabinet for approval.

Published in Dawn, November 3rd, 2021