It has been revealed how Nigeria emerged as the preferred destination for a 1000 tonnes per year plastic waste recycling plant which was commissioned on Wednesday, February 2, 2022, in a part of Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The plant was built by TotalEnergies EP Nigeria Limited at Elelenwo area of Port Harcourt but the country to host it was a major debate during conception.
The country chair/managing director of Total Energies, Mike Sangster, who disclosed how Nigeria emerged the chosen country for the pilot plant, said: “In 2016, our Nigerian colleague from the Polymers Business Europe branch of TotalEnergies, Leo Nwofa, began to explore the idea of finding a sustainable plastic waste management solution for African countries. He was also interested in promoting circular economic models.”
Nwofa pitched the idea of supporting the establishment of a plastic recycling facility to the Company and Nigeria was selected for the pilot plant.
The CEO gave the reasons said the first was Nigeria’s large population (over 218 million by 2021 estimated). The next was the volume of plastic waste generated in the country. The decision was made and the following year, designs began and by 2018, construction was completed by end of 2020 for equipping to start.
One critical factor was how to manage the plant when built and the expertise in managing such a plant. Sangster said they decided on a path. “We decided that the best way to proceed was to partner with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) as part of our sustainability strategy.
“So, while TotalEnergies is the sponsor of the project, the plant itself will be handed over to an entrepreneur who will run it and eventually take full ownership after repaying a part of the investment. The recovered part of the investment will be placed in a recycling fund that will be re-invested into similar facilities within our local communities. Our objective is to develop a sustainable model where local entrepreneurs will be empowered, trained and supported to run the business, thereby supporting local enterprise,” Nwofa said.
The MD mentioned the menace of plastic waste all over the world and how each country was striving to find a solution.
He said: “We all know how common plastics have become, if not properly managed, plastic has a great tendency to end up in our rivers or oceans and constitute a threat to the environment, especially in developing countries. Prevention at source is vital and recycling best supports the circular economy model.”
He said the other objective is to facilitate waste management in Nigeria through economic empowerment. The pilot plant is fully equipped with sophisticated modern recycling machines and will recycle over 1000 tonnes of waste Polyethylene (PE) & Polypropylene (PP) per annum. Feedstock will be supplied by a network of collectors, waste generated by corporate organisations like TotalEnergies, and from dealers.
The final resin pellets produced from various non-toxic waste sources will be sold to plastic converters in Nigeria. The plant will also serve as a training and information centre.
Components of plastic waste recycling plant
BusinessDay Sunday as part of an inspection of the plant hall found that the plant is equipped with sophisticated modern recycling machines consisting of automated grinding, two-stage washing with high-speed watering and double loop ventilator dryers, automated silos, agglomerator to allow for recycling films, two-stage extrusion regeneration with a volatile extraction vacuum chamber, two-stage double position fillers to remove contaminants and impurities while ensuring continuous operation, underwater pelletizer, water recycling unit and vibrating sieves with storage silo.
Important voices
Mike Sangster, TotalEnergies MD
This pilot plastic recycling project is said to be the result of a collaborative partnership between TotalEnergies EP Nigeria Limited and Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). The plant located in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, was built as a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) project designed to engender economic empowerment by protecting the environment, thereby advancing some of the objectives of the UN Development Goals.
Read also: Nigeria committed to new global energy reforms- Osinbajo
For TotalEnergies, CSR is our expression of our commitments and long-term partnerships with Nigeria. It is not a footnote to our activities in the country but a major business objective. We see CSR as an opportunity to merit our Nigerian citizenship and membership in the communities where we operate. This is why our approach to CSR is organic and born out of a genuine response to the call for sustainable societal development.
Leo Nwofa: Project manager
This as an environmental protection strategy would reduce the single-use plastic pollution menace in society. Over 750 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emission will be saved per year which is equivalent to greenhouse gasses that can be saved by planting over 4,500 trees per year.
Project Benefits: As a circular economic venture, the plastic recycling plant fits into TotalEnergies commitment to responsible environmental waste management in which energy consumption, emission in the natural environment (water, air, soils) production of final waste, use of natural resources, and impact on biodiversity are handled in such a way to responsibly ensure sustainability and reduce environmental footprint.
One of the objectives of this project is to give plastics a second up to 5th life. Plastic waste is here with us and we must find how to manage it. Almost everything we use today has plastics in it.
We have huge experience in polymer and Total is the 5th polymer producer in Europe. We have achieved expertise in it.
To contain and control the plastics menace, the world needs to come together through partnerships across the world by the UN SDG-17.
This will create jobs, wealth, save CO2, empower the youths, and provide training centres. Dispose of plastics responsibly for others to access them. Let others come into this concept. A UN fund has been created to give loans and recover and recycle them. Help our people to access it.
Larry Boms: UNITAR consultant
The deadline for Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) is just eight years ahead and it is good to see projects aiming to achieve it so we can assess how far we have gone before the year 2030. This project touches on SDG on health and the environment. This is because plastic wastes now end in the waters and fishes eat them.
Soon, there may be a ban on certain types of fish because of the plastics they ate. Already, the waters are filled with plastics.
Over 25 UN agencies are in existence in Nigeria, but UNITAR has many partnerships with the private sector. Many others do not understand the private sector. That is why they often invite UNITAR into their projects.
Discussion is going on with the Federal Ministry of Environment on training on the environment and this may lead to opening a UNITAR office in Abuja soon. We must commend TotalEnergies for trusting UNITAR.
Olubunmi Olusanya; Ministry of Environment
Olusanya is the Director in charge of Pollution Control. She represented the Minister of Environment, Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar
This is the right time to build this kind of project, at a time when the menace of plastic waste is growing very high. The raw material source is very high.
Plastic pollution is destroying many things and rivers. About 1.5 million tonnes are being discharged mostly in waters every year. There is a lack of sustained awareness of plastic waste.
There is an urgent need to bring into bear a circular economy (recycling where nothing is a waste) into action. It creates jobs and creates wealth. The government and the private sector must work together on this.
The Federal Ministry of Environment has created enabling environment for a circular economy especially by playing harmonious roles and creating incentives to players in the sub-subsector. The Ministry has also established a national policy on plastic waste, extended the producer framework for the zero waste era and waste-to-wealth, and established community-based waste management programmes. We have also developed programmes for waste management.
Yet, we are far from the target. The private sector must be involved if we must meet the target.
We are grateful to UNITAR for the various issues they are involved in. We are also grateful to TotalEnergies and their partners in the JV.
Request: Replicate this project in all coastal states. We will take a tour of this project and learn how it works and what can be done. Data from the project would also help us package our position on global environmental issues and programmes that we have endorsed.
Adetutu Olukanmi, NAPPIMS/NNPC
Olukanmi is Efficiency Manager, National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS) for Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)
Before presenting her boss’ speech, she made a personal remark thus: I am happy to see the completion of this project in an era when many projects do not get to the commissioning stage. We can see the teamwork on display. I am excited that this facility will help students to do their industrial training and see plastics recycling in action and the technology involved.
For GGM of NAPPIMS: Only 18 per cent of global plastics waste is reused, and the waste is now a menace. We have a poor culture of waste management in Nigeria and these end up in the waters. This is the reason for heavy pollution.
This is an NNPC/TotalEnergies support to the fight against the environment. We look forward to the replication of this model. This is NNPC’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) project. We say we touch lives positively in many ways. This is an example. There are other areas such as education, schools, quiz, infrastructure, laboratories, etc.
Challenge: Let it give rise to others like this. This is a challenge to TotalEnergies.
The Eze Elelenwo, Sunny Weli Chuku PhD
We love development here and it is peace around here that attracted this project. We are grateful to the sponsors. Elelenwo is peaceful. This company will continue to prosper.
My appeal is to the youths. Let the youths of Elelenwo be brought into the picture, not to be left at the level of those that will collect wastes and scraps to this place. Please reach me so I can find out how my youths are accommodated in this project. As for raw materials, they will be available.
There will be no disruption here. If any wants to occur, alert me, but let us focus on youth empowerment and scholarships
Waste discharge: We want to see your waste discharge plan. Kings are no more illiterate. Education is defined by your interaction and self-awareness and level of interaction with your environment and the way you handle issues
I came so I can understand what is happening here because I got the invitation just yesterday. I do not go to companies to beg. I am not that kind of king. Instead, I demand that companies do what is right.
Disposal of waste is important to us and it must be standard procedure. If you want to do me a favour, do good to my people. I run a scholarship scheme for my youths, you can help take off some from me or give others in my community in addition. Meet me to see how to draw a programme to help the youths.
I rather can help you. I have land that I can make available for expansion and your stacking area so you do not dispose of wastes or block the road.
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