Dhaka’s WtE project a death knell for city dwellers 

When the massive increase in air pollution has become a death warrant for the residents of Dhaka, the North City Corporation is set to implement the much talked about “waste-to-energy” project amid huge concerns from the environmental activists and civil society members.

Citing the report by IQAir, they said Dhaka has been frequently among the top three most polluted cities in terms of air quality, among 124 capitals of the world. Additionally, Dhaka is the least livable city among 173 cities worldwide. And now the government is planning to burn the waste of the city which would increase air pollution by leaps and bounds, causing various deadly diseases like cancer, heart attack, infertility and asthma.

At present, Dhaka's air pollution has been mainly caused by vehicles 58 percent, construction sites 18 percent, transports 10 percent, burning garbage 8 percent, and other factors 6 percent. That is why, environmental organisations urged the government to scrap the proposed Tk 5,745-crore North Dhaka 42.5-megawatt waste-to-energy (WtE) project in Aminbazar, alleging that it would impose a heavy financial burden, worsen air pollution further, and undermine sustainable waste management. 

Coastal Livelihood and Environmental Action Network (CLEAN), the Bangladesh Working Group on Ecology and Development (BWGED) and the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) expressed concerns over environmental and health impacts, claiming the plant would emit about 4,11,392 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, alongside ash, ultrafine particulates and toxic pollutants, including heavy metals, dioxins and furans, which pose serious health risks.

Under the Special Provision Act for increasing supply in the power and energy sector, on December 1, 2021, a tripartite waste supply and power purchase agreement was signed between the Power Division, Dhaka North City Corporation, and China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC). However, from the very beginning, civil society organizations demanded that the government not undertake such a project. Additionally, research reports from Waste Concern and Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) had warned the government about the negative impacts of this project.

Why the project is conflicting with environment: They claimed if the power plant operates at full capacity, 73,576 tons of bottom ash, fly ash, and fine particulate matter, 39.56 tons of toxic gases (heavy metals, dioxins, and furan gases), and 1.17 tons of hazardous gases (nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen chloride) will be mixed into Dhaka's air. 

On average, 13 to 18 kilograms of carbon are emitted per unit of electricity generated from waste incineration, which are about six times that of coal powered and three times that of gas powered electricity. If operated at full capacity, the Dhaka North waste-to-energy plant will emit 411,392 tons of carbon dioxide annually, directly affecting the city dwellers of Dhaka and increasing Bangladesh's overall carbon emissions. In Delhi, the waste-to-energy plant has become one of the reasons for increasing, rather than decreasing, air pollution.

Cost of Electricity: if the plant operates at 85 percent capacity (PLF), it will generate 31.65 million units of electricity annually. At this rate, the government will purchase electricity at 21.78 cents per unit (26.79 taka), which is two and a half times the cost of solar power and double that of coal powered. If the PLF drops to 40 percent, the per-unit electricity price will rise to 47 taka. If for any reason the PLF falls to 20 percent, the government will have to pay at least 75 taka per unit. As a result, the burden of a new 58.87 million dollar (724 crore 20 lakh taka) capacity charge will fall on the government's shoulders.

Cost Analysis: According to the proposed budget, the construction of the power plant will cost 467 million dollars (5,745 crore taka). The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has loaned 100 million dollars (1,230 crore taka), the New Development Bank (NDB) has loaned 100 million (1,230 crore taka), and CMEC has invested 157 million (1,931 crore taka) in the project. And the remaining 110 million dollars (1,353 crore taka) was borrowed from some sources that have never been disclosed. There has been this kind of opacity at every stage of the project.

Waste Production: As per project plan, Dhaka North City Corporation will supply 3,000 tons of municipal solid waste per day. If sufficient waste cannot be supplied for any reason, a fine of 50 dollars (6,150 taka) per ton must be paid. Currently, DNCC generates an average of 2,750 tons of municipal waste per day. If this plant becomes operational, the city corporation will need to produce even more waste. Otherwise, it will have to pay fines. 

Destructive Venture: According to Bangladesh's existing Environmental Conservation Act, Solid Waste Management Rules 2021, and Air Pollution Control Rules 2022, there is an obligation to burn waste at a minimum temperature of 1000 degrees Celsius for waste-to-energy generation. However, the boiler being used in this project burns waste at 850 degrees Celsius. Recently, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change proposed amending the national law solely for the benefit of CMEC to permit the 850-degree standard. The reason for changing regulations for the benefit of a single company is beyond our comprehension.