The approximately US$ 344M Pomona waste-to-energy project, developed by Germany-based GeoGenix BV, has received critical regulatory permissions according to Delish Nguwaya, the GeoGenix’s national representative.
Also Read: Zimbabwe’s Gwanda solar plant project timeline
Nguwaya explained that with this permission, the 22-megawatt power plant project has now received all regulatory permits. This includes approvals and guarantees from the ministries of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, Finance and Economic Development, and the Environmental Management Agency, with the Environmental Management Agency stepping in once the project begins.
Implementation of the Pomona Waste-to-Energy Plant Project
The Pomona Waste-to-Energy Plant project will be carried out under a Build, Own, Operate, and Transfer (BOT) model. GeoGenix will design, develop, operate, and transform the Pomona waste management facility owned and leased by Harare city to the investor for the next 30 years into an energy plant.
Harare City will pay Geogenix BV US$40 per tonne of garbage provided, with a minimum daily delivery of 550 tonnes or a minimum of 200 750 tonnes per year – a total of US$8,03 million for Geogenix BV in the first year. The daily tonnage is scheduled to climb to 650 in the second year, 750 in the third year, 850 in the fourth year, and 1000 at the start of the fifth year, implying that Harare would pay Geogenix BV a minimum of US$14,6 million per year from 2027 to 2052.
Expectations for the project
The power generated from the Pomona waste-to-energy plant project will be sold to Zesa Holdings, a state-owned power provider, bolstering the government’s strategy to address Zimbabwe’s waste management issue.
The government is also pushing local governments to launch similar schemes in other cities and towns to ensure ecologically friendly garbage management throughout the country.
