<\/p>\n

Waste management \u2013 the collection, management and disposal of solid waste \u2013 is one of the biggest challenges facing many African countries.<\/p>\n

For the last fifty years,\u00a0the Koshe dump site has been the only landfill in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.<\/p>\n

Landslide in 2017 prompts government to take action<\/h3>\n

In 2017, a landslide on the dump site killed more than a hundred people, prompting the government to take action. Now Koshe is being turned into a\u00a0waste-to-energy plant\u00a0transforming the site and revolutionising the city\u2019s approach to waste management. The plant will incinerate 1 400 tons of waste per day – about 80 percent of the city\u2019s rubbish. The electricity that is generated will supply Addis Ababa with 30 percent of its household electricity needs while\u00a0meeting European standards on air emissions.<\/p>\n

The facility, which is the result of a partnership between the Government of Ethiopia and a consortium of international companies, is the first of its kind in Africa.\u00a0Zerubabel Getachew, Ethiopia\u2019s deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, said the Reppie Waste-to-Energy project is just one component of Ethiopia\u2019s broader strategy to address pollution and embrace renewable energy across all sectors of the economy.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe hope that Reppie will serve as a model for other countries in the region, and around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

In waste-to-energy incineration plants, rubbish is burned in a combustion chamber. The resulting heat is used to boil water until it turns to steam, which drives a turbine generator that produces electricity.<\/p>\n

In cities where land is in short supply, \u201cwaste-to-energy\u201d incineration saves precious space, generates electricity, prevents the release of toxic chemicals into groundwater, and reduces the release of methane \u2013 a potent greenhouse gas generated in landfills \u2013 into the atmosphere.<\/p>\n

Waste incineration is popular in Europe<\/h3>\n

Waste incineration is popular in Europe, where nearly one-quarter of all municipal solid waste is incinerated. France\u00a0has 126 waste-to-energy plants, while Germany has 121\u00a0and Italy 40.<\/p>\n

The project is the result of a partnership between the Government of Ethiopia and a consortium of international companies: Cambridge Industries Limited (Singapore), China National Electric Engineering and Ramboll, a Danish engineering firm. The consortium was established to design, construct and in some cases own waste-to-energy facilities customised for Sub-Saharan Africa. Reppie is the first of what the consortium hopes will be a series of such facilities in major cities across the region.<\/p>\n