1000 TPD Waste to Energy & Biogas Plant Proposed for Israel

30 October 2012 A preliminary tender for the construction of a 1000 tonne per day a waste to energy facility in the centre of Israel has been published by the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) and the Accountant General of the Finance Ministry. According to the MEP t proposed plant would be the largest such plant in the Middle East, and one of the largest in the world, and handle double the amount of daily waste produced in Tel Aviv-Jaffa. The site will also feature an anaerobic digestion (AD) facility to treat organic waste and generate biogas and fertiliser. "The tender for the establishment of an organic waste treatment facility is another step toward the implementation of the government's policy to promote renewable energy production, explained Treasury Accountant, General Michal Abadi-Boiangiu. Under the Build Operate Transfer (BOT) model, which the MEP said hadalso been used in other large and complex infrastructure projects, the winning bidder will build the facility, operate it for 25 years in accordance with the standards that will be set by the tender, and then transfer ownership back to the state. "I am certain that the BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) method will prove itself in this case as well, as the most efficient tool for the development of infrastructure in Israel that is beneficial to its citizens," added Abadi-Boiangiu. Revolution According to the MEP, construction the waste to energy and AD facilities is part of the "recycling revolution" that it is leading in the Israel. The Ministry said that under this revolution some 500,000 citizens have already started to separate their waste into two streams (wet and dry), and that by 2014 another million are expected to join them, reducing the country's dependence on landfill and offering the potential for new jobs. "Israel is rapidly approaching the recycling standards of developed countries," explained Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdan. "Much of the world already understands that turning waste into a resource is a must in today's economies. This not only creates new jobs and allows for energy production that does not harm the environment, but it also reduces dependence on oil," he added. A Joint Tender Committee from the Ministries of Environmental Protection and Finance has already published the pre-qualification stage of the tender, with the WtE plant expected to begin operating in 2016. The deadline for submission of bids in the preliminary tender stage is January 2013. The next stage is expected to take place in the second half of next year. Read More Multiple New Waste Facilities Backed by Israeli Government Israel's Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) has granted 250 million shekels ($67 million) to private entrepreneurs and local authorities for the construction of twenty waste treatment and transfer facilities. Blue Sphere Agreement for Two U.S. Biowaste to Biogas Projects Israel based organic waste to biogas specialist, Blue Sphere (OTCBB: BLSP) has signed a definitive project agreement to implement two waste to energy projects - a 5.2 MW plant in North Carolina and a 3.2 MW plant in Rhode Island. Israel Moves Ahead with Waste Treatment Facilities in the West Bank There are currently three approved solid waste sites in the West Bank, as highlighted by Civil Administration progress report: the Zaharat Finjan landfill site â a World Bank financed project serving communities in the North, the Abu-Dis landfill serving communities in the Bethlehem and the Jerusalem periphery and the Tovlan landfill situated in the Jordan valley. Free Magazine Subscription Free Email Newsletter