- Sustainable energy firm Gaia has signed an agreement with waste-to-energy company 4R Energy to accelerate biomethane production and use to increase the security of energy supply in Ethiopia.
- The two companies will work together with environmental company Lem-Ethiopia and Addis Ababa Water and Sewerage Authority to develop a green business concept.
The concepts will leverage a modern biomethane production system and will be applied at the Kaliti and Akaki Wastewater treatment plants.
The biomethane produced from the sewerage treatment plants will be used to power industries and households, replacing liquid petroleum gas, kerosene, and even charcoal and woody biomass.
The project is expected to reduce household fuel costs.
Alan Schilli, managing director at Gaia, said: “With this pioneering project and the strong local partners, Gaia expects to open up a whole new market sector in Ethiopia. Furthermore, this private-public partnership project aims to create social and economic benefits for the local community and sets a good ground for greening the economy.
“There is a huge demand for affordable renewable energy solutions, especially for household cooking needs. Waste-to-energy projects could be a prominent answer. However, the road is long: One of the key barriers in Ethiopia is the lack of experience in biomethane production plants.
“Therefore, 4R Energy is not only developing the whole value chain of the biomethane production industry but we are also developing quality standards together with Ethiopian Environmental Protection Authority in conformity with ISO standards.”
Author: Nicholas Nhede
This article was originally published on ESI Africa and is republished with permission with minor editorial changes.
