“Tamiz Shahar” JSC achieved significant goals in 5 years
08/10/2013 23:50
City dwellers still remember smoke and stench in Balakhani dumpsite years ago. The waste generated in the territory of Baku was disposed improperly and Balakhani dumpsite was in unbearable condition.
Need for proper waste management and placement arose in Baku – the city with millions of residents. That is why according to the Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev “On Improvement of Waste Management in Baku” dated August 6, 2008 “Tamiz Shahar” JSC was established. In short term The Company achieved significant goals in improvement of environmental situation through organization of placement and utilization of waste in compliance with up-to-date standards generated in the territory of the capital city. So that “Balakhani” problem disturbing the residents of Baku and city visitors was solved.
In the middle of October of 2009 burning source of solid waste was completely eliminated, smoke cover was removed, the landfill was fenced and security system was established, acceptance and registration system of waste was created, modern internal and external infrastructure and favourable conditions for employees was made in Balakhani landfill that was handed over to “Tamiz Shahar” JSC. Turning Balakhani dumpsite into a landfill conforming to the up-to-date and the most stringent environmental standards of European Union was realized within the scope of Integrated Solid Waste Management Project. It should be noted that the purpose of Integrated Solid Waste Management Project realized by World Bank and Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan is to support proper and sustainable collection and utilization of municipal solid waste.
Along with reestablishment of Balakhani landfill, “Tamiz Shahar” JSC aims at learning advanced international experience and taking measures in Baku to apply these advanced experiences with the support of Azerbaijani Government. The most successful step taken in establishment of proper waste management system in Baku is construction of Baku Waste-to-Energy Plant.
The Plant that officially started to operate on December 19, 2012 is able to utilize 500.000 tons of municipal waste and 10.000 tons of medical waste annually. As a result of waste incineration in the Plant constructed in 20 ha area in Balakhani settlement by French Company CNIM, 231.5 mln. kWt/h electrical power is produced and this quantity is enough to supply 100.000 households with power. That is why this kind of plant is not just called waste incineration plants, but “Waste-to-Energy” plants throughout the world.
The Plant is considered to be the biggest Waste-to-Energy Plant in Eastern Europe and CIS countries. The plant was constructed using 4G technologies and completely complies with local and European standards of environmental protection. Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) carbon project of Waste-to-Energy Plant submitted by “Tamiz Shahar” JSC was successfully registrated in the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change.
According to waste management conception waste has two values – energy and raw material. Extracting recyclables from general mass of waste and directing them to recycling, saving natural resources is one of the main directions of activity of “Tamiz Shahar” JSC. With this purpose Material Recovery Facility constructed in Balakhani settlement with annual capacity of 200,000 tons started to operate on December 19, 2012. As a result of sorting recyclable materials such as paper, glass, plastic, non-ferrous metals, iron and other raw materials are segregated and it reduces general volume of waste, saves energy and reduces negative environmental impact. So that recycling 1 ton paper saves 17 trees from being cut. Along with environmental advantages sorting is also economically beneficial, as it helps the formation of cheap raw material market in the country, stimulates establishment of recycling business and dependence on raw material import reduces.
One of the main objectives of the Company is to improve environmental situation of the city and to develop green economy on the principles of market economy.
With this purpose Balakhani Industrial Park was established according to the Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. All the required conditions will be provided for the establishments willing to develop green business in Balakhani Industrial Park. Thus, the energy and natural resources will be saved by means of using waste or by-product of one industry as raw material for another industry and dependence on raw material import will reduce in the country. The support of Azerbaijani government to green business and recycling industry will lead to rapid development of these sectors and it will bring comprehensive development of the economy and will reduce environmental impact and negative effects to human health.
However, the Company still has a lot of objectives and targets to achieve. The works realized and to be realized serve advancement of waste management that will contribute to the improvement of environmnetal situation along with reducing negative impacts to human health.
Successful and sustainable waste management depends on public behaviour. A number of measures is taken by “Tamiz Shahar” JSC in this respect and these measures are given great significance. A lot of summer schools, cleaning actions, tree planting and greening campaigns, various ecological games, lectures, conferences and workshops, study tours to plants, etc. have been organized by the Company up today. The most significant and popular among these projects is “Tamiz Gala” project realized with the support of Heydar Aliyev Foundation. In Europe different types of waste is disposed into the containers of different colours and collected in sorted form. To apply this in Gala within th scope of “Tamiz Gala” project organic and inorganic wastes are collected in different containers and separately transported.
If 5 years ago people tried not to pass along Balakhani settlement, now government officials from different countries, executive members, experts and others travel to our country to see modern infrastructure established in Balakhani settlement. Today, with its proper waste management experience, Baku is sample for a lot of countries. Realization of all these works in short time is the result of government attention and care to this sphere.
