Iraq's Babil launches waste-to-energy project exceeding 30 MW
Shafaq News– Babil
Babil province authorities signed a memorandum of understanding on Tuesday with three British, German, and Turkish companies to implement a strategic investment project aimed at recycling and incinerating waste to generate electricity with a capacity exceeding 30 megawatts, Governor Alaa Al-Araji told Shafaq News.
According to Al-Araji, the project will be built on an area
of nearly 100 dunams (10 hectares) and will provide a long-term solution to the
waste problem. He revealed that the facility’s processing capacity will reach
1,600 tons of waste per day.
The investing companies will purchase waste from the province, Al-Araji said, noting that the project is expected to create significant job opportunities, help reduce unemployment, and improve overall sanitation and environmental conditions across Babil. He also pointed out that the project includes a community grant to support the health, education, and environmental sectors in the province, describing it as a voluntary contribution from the implementing companies.
Gordon Dickey, head of the British company IM Power, told
Shafaq News that the German firm SIMS will supply the project’s core equipment.
He indicated that British financing for the project is secured and ready to
proceed once all official approvals are completed in Babil, adding that the
construction period will depend on the speed of obtaining regulatory
clearances, but is expected to range from one to one and a half years.
Meanwhile, Atila Kayar, construction director at the Turkish
company ESTA, which will implement and operate the project, told Shafaq News
that the company is ready to begin work immediately after administrative
procedures are completed. He said the project will be carried out using the
latest technical specifications and global technologies in waste recycling,
incineration, and electricity generation.
In December, a senior official told Shafaq News that Iraq would begin generating electricity from trash in 2026 through its first national waste-to-energy project, designed to process part of the country’s 12 million tons of yearly refuse.
Iraq’s Environmental Statistics Department reported that 69% of the Iraqi population outside the Kurdistan Region lacked access to waste collection and transportation services in 2024, adding that most temporary waste collection sites operate without environmental approval.
Read more: Waste in Iraq: a significant untapped resource lacking investment
