London, Nov 5, 2019 (AltAfrica)-A waste to energy project funded by the European Union, EU will be provide clean energy to ten Liberian businesses under a special project to reduce greenhouse gases and landfill emissions in Liberia

The project christened “Waste-To-Energy: Innovative Approaches in Greater Monrovia,” was launched on November 1, 2019 costing about $1 million Cities Alliance is implementing the project

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The goal of the project according to Cities Alliance Liberia Country Program Manager Francisco Juarez Lopez is to test community-based initiatives to reduce greenhouse gases and landfill emissions, and provide livelihood opportunities for people in vulnerable communities to be employed in primary waste collection.

The project also seeks to contribute to environmental protection and build local resilience. The launch of the project will promote the use of Home Biogas unit that are intended to assist in the reduction of pollution, use of charcoal for cooking and contribute to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

It will also encourage proper forms of waste management and prevent soil and water pollution. The Home Biogas unit is an eco-friendly low cost technology that includes an aerobic digester made of biodegradable materials, which converts food waste into methane gas and fertilizer. Depending on the size of the unit, it provides from 1.5 up to six hours of “free, clean cooking gas daily,” and produces a nutrient-rich, natural bio-slur liquid fertilizer.

“Today’s workshop is part of the EU’s continued support to the Liberian government, and more particularly the two cities of Monrovia and Paynesville in addressing the challenges of household waste collection, sorting, re-valorizing and proper disposal,” said Vera Kellen, Program Manager-Rural Development and Climate Change of the Delegation of the EU to Liberia.

Madam Kellen said with these 10 units, we hope to be able to gather enough evidence to scale up the project. Transforming waste to energy — and in this case cooking gas — will not only help create a healthier and cleaner environment for people to live in it hopefully will also lead to a behavioral change towards waste disposal, treatment and collection.

“Cities play a major role in fighting the impact of climate change. The political commitment of Monrovia and Paynesville to this project is paramount for its success,” she said.

About 60 key stakeholders, including the municipalities of Monrovia and Paynesville, community-based enterprises in the waste management sector and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) participated in the launch.

Some of the 10 sites earmarked for the pilot include three resorts.

Cities Alliance Liberia Country Program Manager Francisco Juarez Lopez said the next steps will focus on producing a technical assessment report after the installation of the 10 biogas units, which is a pilot.

“The assessment report will determine an incremental installation of the biogas units in Greater Monrovia during 2020,” Lopez said.

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