The Pentakomo Integrated Waste Management Facility (locally known by its acronym OEDA) has been taken over by the Water Development Department (WDD), at the start of a transition period which may last up to 18 months. As WDD Director Iliana Tofa told ‘’Entrepreneurial Limassol’’, the Department focuses on normalizing the situation as much as possible, with emphasis on more environmentally friendly waste management.
The WDD Director clarifies that this effort will not be particularly costly, neither will it relieve the future private operator of OEDA from the investments that have to be made for it to meet EU standards and become a viable unit. At this point, the Water Department is focusing on normalizing the operation of the unit, which it received in extremely bad condition, since equipment failures occur daily, and strenuous efforts are required to ensure that the unit can receive the waste disposed by the local authorities of Limassol District.
That is why the procedures for launching a new tender for the assignment of the management of the OEDA will take some time, so that they are prepared with all the due diligence required. The tender may be delayed a bit, but there is no question of it not being announced it, since the Water Department stresses that they do not want, and it is not their job, to permanently manage OEDA.
The Department has secured the cooperation of the Limassol Waste Exploitation and Disposal Council (SEDAL), which adjusts the waste collection program when required, to ensure the best possible management of incoming flows to the Unit. In a letter addressed by the WDD to SEDAL within the first fortnight of taking over OEDA, it was stated that it was received with one of the two production lines completely out of service. As well as that all equipment was in poor condition, without required maintenance and all garbage reception ports were overflowing.
The WDD indicated to SEDAL that although the situation was, and is, extremely bad, and equipment failures occur daily, it has shown the necessary determination and speed of reaction to continue the collection of waste especially during the difficult holiday season and managed in a short time to put the second production line back into operation. Also that improvements having been made, repairs and maintenance of equipment from the very beginning, achieving in a short time the reopening of the second production line and the rapid response to the constantly emerging problems that arise with the overworked equipment of the Unit.
In the meantime, landfills in the area are being expanded with the creation of the second cell, to be made available to OEDA soon. The WDD has assigned the project to a private company, due to the inability of the former contractor to produce secondary SRF/RDF fuel, suitable for energy recovery, which has ended up being buried in the cell.
