Pomona dumpsite energy project on course

Blessings Chidakwa and Remember Deketeke

The US$328 million waste-to-energy project at Pomona dumpsite is moving according to plan with Geo Pomona Waste Management meeting the targetted timelines in the roadmap it laid two years ago.

Geo Pomona, which took over the dumpsite from Harare City Council in April 2022, has also eliminated the stench and perennial fires that used to engulf the area, posing health threats to both humans and the environment.

On May 4 2022, Geo Pomona Waste Management’s chief executive officer and executive chairman Mr Dilesh Nguwaya laid out a roadmap for the project, which was given national status, saying construction of the waste incineration plant would begin after the first 20 months.

“The incorporated technology is of modern standards, precisely the technology that is used in major European capitals, as a final solution for integrated waste management. The company will also invest in several social projects for the community.

“In order to make it clear for the public, it should be noted that within 20 months Harare will also witness another important change; air pollution will be inconsiderable, as extensive parts of Pomona will be turned into a green park that will be given to the city in a short time,” said the statement.

Construction of the structural works for the sorting, water treatment and hazardous waste plants is also in the pipeline while more than 150 people have been employed directly as promised.

Geo Pomona Waste Management Pvt Ltd employees work on the waste-to-energy processing plant at the Pomona dumpsite in Harare yesterday.

As part of corporate social responsibilities, state-of-the-art sporting facilities, including a FIFA-approved football pitch, have also been constructed and are ready for use.

Mr Nguwaya yesterday said the project was progressing well.

“We are on schedule and remember we took over from the city of Harare in April 2022. We then started to construct this waste management site in May. So, this is year two which is going to end this coming month so we are on course.

“The construction of the waste-to-energy plant is going to start in year three. We finished the construction of the sports fields and now we have started the construction of a sorting plant where we are going to separate our waste,” he said.

“Also we managed to construct the waste treatment plant. We are going to treat the water which is on the ground here which will be used for the waste-to-energy plant and irrigation”.

National coordinator of the Zimbabwe National Editors Forum Njabulo Ncube, who facilitated the tour, said they were approached by Geo Pomona Waste Management to come and appreciate the project as part of the firm’s media awareness campaign”.

Last month Harare City Council councillors toured the facility which, and despite having rejected the project earlier, they expressed satisfaction with the progress.