KARACHI, March 11: A private company has offered sale of electricity to the city government at 10 per cent cheaper rate than the KESC by setting up a power generation unit capable of producing five megawatt power from solid waste.

The city government has shown its willingness in purchasing the electricity for its Dhabayjee Pumping Station for which the city government would provide land as well as solid waste. In turn, the company has to pay land rent plus charges for solid waste.

At present, an estimated 8,000 tons of garbage was collected daily in the city, which may increase to 45,000 tons per day by 2020. The garbage was either being burnt at landfill sites or was left as such, being detrimental to the environment.

The power generation project was discussed at a meeting chaired by the city nazim with officials of Alvi Projects Services on March 8. The nazim was told that the project would be completed in a four months time.

Initially the plant would produce five megawatt power, requiring 180 tons of solid waste per unit, which could be increased to 45 megawatts after the successful completion of the first phase.

The official of the private firm showed interest in launching the project on built, operate and own (BOO) basis rather than built, operate and transfer (BOT) basis, saying the firm was ready to pay rent of the land provided to the company.

About the charges for solid waste, the private company was of the impression it would be free of cost; the city nazim clearly refuted the idea.

A city government official said that it was later decided in the meeting that district officer of its Solid Waste Department would prepare a detailed working and submit the same in a week’s time.

The concerned private firm would then submit the financial modules within a week. Thereafter, the bids offered by the company would be evaluated by the CDGK committee on investment projects.