Azernews.Az

By Nigar Orujova

The use of methane generated from biomass in landfills can partially meet the electricity needs in Azerbaijan, the State Agency for Alternative and Renewable Energy Sources said on its website.

According to the agency, the source of biomass in Azerbaijan is industry, agriculture and household and other waste. The country has vast potential for biogas production from household waste recycling.

Azerbaijan possesses more than 200 sites for waste disposal, which cover an area of ​​900 hectares. Meanwhile, the country annually produces 6 to 6.5 million cubic meters of solid waste. This provides great opportunities for the use of methane generated during waste processing, the agency said.

"It is possible to partly meet the electricity demand by constructing small power plants based on methane generated at these sites," it said.

Alternative and renewable energy in Azerbaijan is presently mainly focused on producing electricity and hydropower. Some 10 percent of the power produced in the country falls to the share of hydropower plants.

The State Agency for Alternative and Renewable Energy Sources, established in 2009, plans to double the share of renewable energy sources in Azerbaijan to 20 percent by 2020.

To eliminate the waste disposal problem, the Solid Waste Sorting Plant and Baku Solid Waste Incineration Plant were launched in Azerbaijan in December 2012.

The plant is expected to develop recycling business in the country and will annually receive about 200,000 tons of solid waste, including glass, plastic, paper and colored metal. Residue from the process will be an inert clinker, which could be used as a construction material.