According to the power producer KenGen, the plan to set up an energy plant to recycle waste at Dandora dumpsite will delay.
KenGen said that the feasibility study for the waste-to-energy project commenced this month and will take up to six months to be completed.
Last week, Nairobi MCAs raised concerns over the delay in commencement of the project as they sought to know its implementation status.
Dandora Area II MCA Silas Matara asked Nairobi County Assembly’s Environment committee to inquire about the project’s status.
However, according to KenGen, the project implementer, the viability of the venture will only be known at the end of the study, which will also determine the cost of the project among other issues that will determine the next steps of the project.
KenGen last August invited expressions of interest (EOI) from eligible consultancy firms to conduct a feasibility study for the development and operation of the waste to energy plant.
“We have signed a consultancy contract with a firm to carry out a feasibility study for the Waste-to-Energy project. The consultant has started work and the feasibility study will be comprehensive and will help to fast track the project’s implementation,” said KenGen.
NMS says the power plant will solve the county’s garbage problem and contribute to renewable energy pool.
The Dandora dumpsite is more than three times full, holding more than 1.8 million tonnes of solid waste against a capacity of 500,000 tonnes with over 2,500 tonnes of waste is deposited at the site daily.
KenGen partnered with the Nairobi Metropolitan Services last year in a deal that will see NMS make available the land within or around Dandora dumpsite, while the electricity producer finances, develops, and operates the power plant.
Initially, NMS had projected a public-private partnership but noted that the Ministry of Energy took it upon itself to build the factory at Dandora to harness energy.
