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Baghdad Waste-to-Energy Project

Baghdad, Iraq

2022 - Ongoing

Clean TechnologiesElectricityRenewable EnergyWaste Management

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Project Description

Approach Words: Environment Preservation, Sustainability, Urban Livability

Public Policy Instruments: Physical Intervention, Planning

Baghdad Waste-to-Energy (WtE) Project is a large-scale solid waste management and energy transition initiative located in Nahrawan district of Baghdad.¹ It is the city’s first project designed to convert solid waste into clean electrical energy.² Being part of the Iraqi government’s plans to shift towards clean energy and reduce dependence on fossil fuels,³ ⁱ the project addresses the city’s serious waste and energy challenges by implementing high-efficiency WtE solution.⁴

Title: 3D View Showing Baghdad Waste to Energy Facility.

Source: Click Here

Title: 3D View Showing Baghdad Waste to Energy Facility.

Source: Click Here

Title: 3D View Showing Baghdad Waste to Energy Facility.

Source: Click Here

Title: 3D View Showing Baghdad Waste to Energy Facility.

Source: Click Here

Envisioned as “Baghdad’s first environmentally sustainable energy project”,⁵ the initiative aims to reduce the city’s dependence both on landfills and fossil fuels by generating renewable energy from urban waste.⁶ It intends to divert significant volumes of waste from landfills,⁷ reduce environmental pollution, while supplying Iraq’s energy needs⁸ as part of Baghdad’s plan for waste treatment and clean electrical energy production.⁹

Situated on a 1 square kilometer site,¹⁰ the facility will incinerate approximately 3,000 tons of solid waste daily¹¹ to produce 100 megawatts of clean electricity. The incineration process uses advanced fourth generation grate technology, with an electrical power generation efficiency exceeding 30% and a landfill rate below 5%.¹² Generated power will be fed into the national grid to reduce Iraq’s supply gap.¹³ Specifically, the process includes:¹⁴

Waste collection through vehicles that will transport trash to the waste-to-energy plants.
Energy Production through turbines generating electricity using superheated steam produced by combustion in the facility’s boilers.

Owner/Developer (Public)

Ministries of Electricity, Environment, Science, and Technology

Municipality of Baghdad ²⁰

Consultant/Designer

Shanghai SUS Environment Co. Ltd.²¹

Funder

Iraqi Government ²²

Contractor/Implementer

Shanghai SUS Environment Co. Ltd.²³

Owner/Developer (Public)

Ministries of Electricity, Environment, Science, and Technology

Municipality of Baghdad ²⁰

Contractor/Implementer

Shanghai SUS Environment Co. Ltd.²³

Funder

Iraqi Government ²²

Consultant/Designer

Shanghai SUS Environment Co. Ltd.²¹

Initiated through a collaborative effort between the municipality of Baghdad and Iraq’s Ministries of Electricity, Environment, Science, and Technology,¹⁵ the project will be developed under a design-build-own-operate model¹⁶ with China’s Shanghai SUS Environment Co. Ltd as a contractor.¹⁷ It is fully funded by the Iraqi government, with a total investment of approximately $497 million.¹⁸

The construction is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2025, with completion expected within two years.¹⁹