Recovering methane from wastewater treatment plants to generate power not only saves energy costs. It also helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which offers operators in developing countries an opportunity to sell carbon credits under the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). The sale of these credits could be used to finance treatment plants.

The Andean Development Corporation (CAF) is helping Peru's state water utility Sedapal to see how the sale of carbon credits could help finance a pilot project at the Carapongo wastewater treatment plant, in Lima's Ate Vitarte district. Sedapal has bought equipment to convert the methane gas that is produced at the plant. Potential buyers for the carbon credits will be sought through the CDM.

Other examples of projects involving methane recovery from wastewater treatment, including two projects from India, can be found on the CDM Bazaar web site (search on "wastewater").

Web sites: Clean Development Mechanism [CDM] ; CDM Bazaar ; Andean Development Corporation (CAF) ; Sedapal.

Source: BNamericas [subscription site], 16 Apr 2009

Tags: financing, latin america & caribbean, wastewater treatment