Lagos community begins energy generation from waste THE second stage of a locally based integrated waste management project, mooted to reduce waste, generate energy and improve livelihoods, using a small scale bio digester system to convert organic waste has been completed. The pilot project entitled ‘Energy Generation from Waste – A Locally Based Livelihood, Resource Protection and Adaptation Project’ was completed in a local community in Lekki Local Council Development Area in Lagos State. It involved operation, training and testing for optimization activities. Supported by the African Adaptation Programme, supervised by the Department of Climate Change of the Federal Ministry of Environment and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the project is being managed by Community Conservation and Development Initiatives (CCDI). Apart from using a small scale bio digester system to convert organic waste into electricity, the mini-plant also produces fertiliser. The bio digester has been locally fabricated by Midori Solutions and was delivered to the Ebute Lekki community site in February. The project also includes a greening component where a local playing field is being secured for the use of present and future generations. Lekki is fast developing and needs to secure recreational spaces before they are totally swallowed up by development. The field has been leveled and grass planted, with trees and hedges planted to delineate the perimeter. A statement by CCDI’s Director, Programmes, Kofo Adeleke said: “It is now operational and generating electricity; being fed with waste from the local communities on a daily basis. The waste is mainly fish and kitchen waste, and grass and water hyacinth; the fish is the most potent biogas generating source of waste. Apprentices drawn from the local community have been trained to operate it. The biogas composition has been tested to show the ratio of methane to biogas and efforts are being made to source for greater quantities of fish waste from the community. “Energy generation typically generates greenhouse gases which affect the climate and discussions on waste management and climate change are often centred on how to generate energy from waste on the basis that waste can provide a source of renewable energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “ Therefore community based waste management has widespread economic and environmental implications in terms of job creation, providing low carbon energy and keeping the environment clean and healthy. This pilot project aims to highlight a method of reducing carbon dioxide emissions to mitigate climate change and to maximise economic opportunities in the transition to a low carbon society. Adeleke disclosed that “during the third stage a gas generator will be purchased for the generation of electricity and various options for its use will be tested such as a grinding machine facility, a barbers, battery charging kiosk, a fish cooler etc. A workshop will take place where all of these options will be discussed with community members as well as the choice of community based system of management to be established and the role of the local government. All of this is to be done in preparation for the handover of the bio digester and the playing field to the community. “ Developing countries to vastly outpace OECD in carbon emissions, says EIA ENERGY-RELATED carbon dioxide emissions from developing countries will be 127 percent higher than in the world’s most developed economies by 2040, according to figures released Thursday by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Under the policies currently in place worldwide, carbon emissions will grow 46 percent by 2040 from a 2010 baseline, the EIA projected in its biennial International Energy Outlook. Energy-related emissions will total around 45.5 billion tonnes in 2040, up from a reference level of 31.2 billion tonnes in 2010, said the agency, which is part of the U.S. Department of Energy. Developing countries’ carbon dioxide emissions will outpace emissions from the developed countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) over the next three decades due to their generally stronger rate of economic growth and continued use of fossil fuels. The projection for developing countries’ emissions to vastly exceed OECD emissions in 2040 compares with 2010, when non-OECD emissions exceeded OECD emissions by just 38 percent. The fast economic growth of China and India over the coming years will play a central role in the global outlook for energy demand. “These two countries combined account for half the world’s total increase in energy use through 2040,” said EIA Administrator Adam Sieminski. The report also projects that the carbon intensity of energy production will by 2040 have declined by 1.9 percent in OECD countries and by 2.7 percent in non-OECD countries from 2010 levels. Lower intensity levels mean there is less pollution produced per unit of economic output. The EIA lowered its forecast of emissions in OECD countries in 2035 relative to its previous projection in 2011. Although carbon emissions rose between the previous estimate and the current outlook in Japan, which had to substitute some of its lost nuclear capacity with fossil fuels after the 2011 tsunami, lower emissions in the United States due to a shift to shale gas and in the OECD nations of Europe offset the increase, said senior international energy analyst Linda Doman. Multilateral international financial institutions, such as the World Bank and the European Investment Bank, have in recent weeks sought to lower fossil fuel use in developing countries and voted to curtail their investments in coal projects overseas.
Posted on: Mon, 29 Jul 2013 08:09:47 +0000
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