1st phase of Egypt's first safe closure for waste dump completed: Minister

CAIRO - 7 May 2024: Minister of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities, Dr. Assem Al-Gazzar,  stated that the implementation of the first phase of the safe closure project for the Al-Salam public dump is being completed.

 

The project is called “The first safe closure project for a waste dump in Egypt,” aiming in its first phase, to get rid of the negative effects of random dumps, while rehabilitate the site, implement the infrastructure for investment in a public park, and build an electricity station using biogas in the second phase of the project.

 

The Minister of Housing indicated that the project is located in Al-Salam City in Cairo Governorate, between Al-Mahrousa buildings and Rawdat Al-Obour buildings, with an area of 72 acres. It is a random waste dump containing solid municipal waste, construction and demolition waste, and hazardous industrial waste, weighing an estimated 8.5 million tons. Its volume is 14.7 million cubic metres, and the Obour City Authority is carrying out the safe closure of the waste dump, to transform it into a public park to preserve the health of citizens.

 

Dr. Walid Abbas, Vice President of the New Urban Communities Authority for the Planning and Projects Sector - Supervisor of the Office of the Minister of Housing, added that studies are being prepared for the second phase of the project, which focuses on afforestation, planting, and landscaping the general site, with the aim of transforming the area into a public park that provides a green environment and improves air quality in the region, which contributes to maintaining the health of citizens and enhancing the level of well-being in the city.

 

The supervisor of the Office of the Minister of Housing said that the plants for processing and producing electricity from biogas generated from the dump, which will be supplied, are part of a comprehensive strategy to make the most of available resources and achieve environmental sustainability.

 

This aspect of the project reflects the state’s commitment to transforming environmental challenges into opportunities for sustainable development and providing clean energy sources.