The Minister of Environment, Yasmin Fouad, said in a statement to Daily News Egypt that the tariff to sell energy from waste was finished in cooperation with the ministry of electricity, and will be announced within weeks. The minister added that the tariff per kilowatt to be announced will be fixed for all kinds of organic and non-organic agricultural waste. Furthermore, the minister has not revealed the value of the tariff, however, she stressed that the value will encourage investment in the field. The cabinet issued a trial tariff in 2015 where the kilowatt produced from the waste was for 92 piasters, which investors were against, then an amendment was made, and the law was issued after consultations took place with the ministries of electricity, environment and finance. The Egyptian Electricity Holding Company (EEHC) issued a publication for distribution companies to sign contract with the companies wishing to sell the capacities produced from waste for 103 piasters for each kilowatt until an official decision is issued by the cabinet. Fouad pointed out that the national programme for waste management will be funded by the EU for €60m, implemented in four governorates for six years. It aims to protect the environment from the negative effects of dealing with waste, as well as provide young people with jobs in the field of solid waste. She added that the ministry of environment prepared a clear roadmap and has sufficient information on the problem of collecting waste across the government. She also added that she will head to Germany tomorrow as part of a ministerial delegation that also includes the Minister of Military Production, Mohamed El Assar, and , the Minister of Local Development, Mohamed Shaarawy, in order to become more familiar with the leading German technology in the field of solid waste management. Moreover, she revealed that projects will be implemented within the framework of the programme to control industrial pollution. They will be worth $25m. The companies to implement the projects include Semadco in Suez, Emisal in Fayoum, and AMOC in Alexandria. She added that the aim of the project is to help companies overcome environmental issues and achieve environmental compatibility in a safe manner. Fouad added further that the ministry of environment managed to dispose of 800 tonnes of dangerous waste last year, and about 98% of damaged batteries, estimated at 900 tonnes.
