It’s ironic that Nigeria is the largest producer of oil and gas in Africa, but has so far been unable to supply more than a fraction of the electrical power the country needs, according to an article on fin24.
However successful the country has been in growing its economy, power issues obviously have created problems that need to be solved.
Its largest city – and one of the largest in the world – is Lagos, which has been called “the garbage capital of the world.” In one day, the city of nearly 21 million people produces 10,000 tons of trash.
The Lagos Waste Management Authority’s Olusosun dump covers more than 100 acres. In some places, garbage is 82 feet high and 100 feet deep. Ola Oresanya, managing director of the authority, talked about the plan to turn the methane produced by the waste into power.
“Energy is in demand, waste is a headache. If Lagos is able to convert its headache to feed that demand, then it’s becoming a smart city,” Oresanya said. The project, which he anticipates will take five years to complete, will likely have a 25-megawatt capacity.
That’s still just a fraction of the power Lagos needs. Tolu Adeyo, manager of the Olusosun plastic recycling plant, said in an ITN report that there is a fortune waiting to be made from waste material.
“Waste is no longer waste, waste is money… there is nothing wasted unless you actually wish to waste it, so if you look at it from that point of view waste is a resource,” Adeyo said.
She encourages more private investors to get involved in the business.
A pilot project to get power using methane extracted from rotting fruit has allowed traders at a local plantain market to switch off their generators, according to fin24. Adeyo demonstrated this by lighting up the gas coming out of a hose connected to the project tank to show the power it generates.
When the project is completed, pipes in the ground will capture and carry the methane to a power plant. The Olusosun site will be covered with dirt and a green park will be built over it, Oresanya said.