Govt. requests proposals for Haags Bosch waste-to-energy plant

A project to convert solid waste at the Haags Bosch dumpsite into electricity is in the making.
The Ministry of Communities (MoC), in an advertisement yesterday in Kaieteur News, said that it is the intention to process some 350 tonnes of waste daily, at the site, for the electricity.

Government is inviting proposals for the construction of a facility that will convert waste to electricity at the Haags Bosch dumpsite.

In the “Request For Waste-to-Energy Plant (WTE) Proposals” advertisement, it was explained that the project will supply power to Georgetown and its environs.
“As part of its responsibility for integrated solid-waste management, the MoC is soliciting competitive proposals from suitable firms, for a WTE plant utilizing some 350 tonnes per day of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)…”
According to the request, the facility will operate under a “Build-Own-Operate” structure at the existing Haags Bosh Sanitary Landfill Site, behind Eccles, East Bank Demerara.
The power generated will be sold under an energy purchase agreement that will be negotiated.
The dumpsite was sought as an alternative to Le Repentir one in the city which reached its capacity a few years ago and was closed amidst health and environmental fears.
Haags Bosch, operationalised in 2011, was supposed to have integrated modern methods of solid waste disposal.
The project was administered by the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, the predecessor of MoC, and funded by the Inter-American Development Bank.
Each of the cells in the landfill site has an area of 6.5 hectares (16 acres) and can accommodate garbage for 10 years from Timehri, East Bank Demerara to Cane Grove, East Coast Demerara. It caters for 15 Neighbourhood Democratic Councils and Georgetown.
The Haags Bosch location was selected with the help of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in 2000.
The construction was awarded to BK International and Puran Brothers at the cost of some US$9.7 million but there was a falling out, leaving the former contractor in charge. BK International has since been sacked from operating at the Haags Bosch Landfill site.
Government had moved to terminate the contract last year and the matter ended up in court.
The contractors were tasked with constructing and operating the Haags Bosch site over a five to nine-year period.
Guyana is currently working to facilitate a number of green energy projects, including a wind farm and hydro and solar facilities.
The country currently depends heavily on imported fuel for several generators across the land for its power needs.