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Innocent Ruwende Senior Reporter
Government and Harare City Council have engaged a Netherlands company to construct a waste to energy plant in Pomona worth more than 120 million euros on a build, operate and transfer arrangement.

The company — Integrated Energy B.V (IEBV) — signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Government through the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing.

According to the minutes of the Joint Environment Management and Finance and Development Committee, Town Clerk Eng Hosiah Chisango told councillors that in preparation for the project IBEV had received the financial commitment which will be provided.

“Company capital of around 120 million euros, five million euros bank loan and the rest would be financed through suppliers’ contracts and periodic payments by Government.

“The town clerk reported that IEBV was a company incorporated under the laws of the Kingdom of the Netherlands,” he said.

“It operated in the area of waste management from its inception to its final disposal. The waste management process included treatment, disposal and recycling waste.

“IEBV had proposed to construct a waste to energy plant for Harare on a BOT arrangement. The scope entailed construction of the municipal waste processing plant with energy recovery by producing electricity.”

The development will see the company also constructing a wastewater processing plant and the closure of the existing Pomona landfill and construction of a recreational area.

The expected benefits from municipal solid waste management include social, technical, environmental and economic.

“Local stakeholders and communities shall benefit from the project directly through job creation, skills improvement, women empowerment, support technology transfer and indirectly improvement of environmental quality, job stabilisation and community participation,” read the minutes.

“The construction and management solutions shall deliver the required local environment performance like air quality and water quality and materially contribute to the broader environment goals.”

The joint committee debated the matter and enquired whether council was going to enter into separate MoU with the proposed partner.  Eng Chisango said a separate agreement would be signed. He also told the committee that he would ensure that the partner adhered strictly to specified timeframes stated in the MoU.

Council resolved that Eng Chisango enters into negotiations with IEBV for the development of a waste to energy plant in Harare and report to council.