Modernization of solid waste management system in Almaty city - Feasibility Study

The level of solid waste generation in Kazakhstan is increasing over the years. Whereas, waste is still disposed at landfills without preliminary sorting and neutralization. Almost all landfills have exhausted their validity period, thus it is highly required to carry out the procedures for recultivation and collection of landfill gas at the existing landfills, as well as to build new sanitary ones. Waste transfer stations do not operate in the country where recyclables and biodegradable fractions for the production of green energy and compost would be extracted.

In January 2012, an agreement between the EBRD and “Almaty city development center” JSC was signed in order to attract COWI RU and BDC Consulting experts to provide services for the development of a feasibility Study for “Modernization of the solid waste management system in Almaty” project.

The consultants identified the main objectives of the program to increase the percentage of population provided with waste collection services and reconstruction of containers and waste collection trucks.

It was also decided to introduce separate collection of biodegradable waste, collection of packing waste; to implement the system for collection and disposal of hazardous household waste; to increase the share of sanitary landfills to 100% by 2050, and to increase the level of production of green energy from waste.

In December 2014, the Consultant prepared the Final Report and the Financial Model for the project “Modernization of the solid waste management system in Almaty”. The financial model and various options for the implementation of the project were discussed and agreed by the consultants with the representatives of the EBRD, Akimat of Almaty and "Development center of Almaty" JSC. The financial model has been prepared in a format that allows different results to be obtained with variable parameters (investments, funding sources).