The Water Authority of Fiji (WAF) is eligible to receive its first set of carbon credits as a result of the Kinoya-based Gas Flare Project reducing the methane gas emissions produced at the Kinoya Treatment Plant.
The carbon credits are the direct result of WAF’s ability to trap inside a dome and burn off methane gases generated by the anaerobic decomposition of organic matter in sludge at the Kinoya Sewerage Treatment Plant.
“This is a milestone achievement for WAF, as we are the first South Pacific wastewater utility to use its wastewater system to reduce methane greenhouse emissions,” said WAF General Manager Special Projects, Mr Taitusi Vakadravuyaca.
Since the Authority began burning gas on a daily basis in 2015, WAF’s methane emissions have been reduced by 22,000tonnes per year.
The project was successfully registered under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), mid-2017, with WAF submitting its first set of data to UNFCCC as per the required CDM guidelines. WAF is now the first wastewater entity in the South Pacific to have its emissions report published on the UNFCCC website.
After UNFCCC accepted the gas flaring data sent by WAF, the Authority has been awarded with its first issuance for reduction of carbon emissions. In accordance with the agreement signed between the Fiji Government and the Asian Development Bank in 2017, WAF is eligible to receive FJD $320,000.00 for the reduction of carbon credits.
WAF’s Green House Gas Reduction Project results in other environmental benefits, such as reduced emissions in the atmosphere, an active participation on a global level towards climate change resilience by reducing carbon emissions, and improved digested sludge quality. The activity introduces methane recovery and combustion system to the existing digester. The methane recovery and combustion system is additional to the existing digester
The system is monitored on a daily basis by trained National Water Quality Laboratory and WAF Wastewater personal.
”We are very proud of this achievement that demonstrates WAF’s commitment to contribute to the fight against the effects of climate change,” said Mr Vakadravuyaca.