100GREEN Talks Georgii Geletukha: Can Waste Become a Source of Energy for Cities?

Global 100 RE Ukraine has published an article outlining Odesa’s plans to build a combined heat and power (CHP) plant fueled by RDF and SRF — specially processed fuels derived from sorted municipal solid waste. The project’s preliminary cost is estimated at UAH 4.5 billion, with a waste sorting facility also planned adjacent to the plant.

In the latest episode of 100GREEN Talks, Georgii Geletukha, Chairman of the Board of the Bioenergy Association of Ukraine, discusses the prospects for waste-to-energy technologies and the potential relevance of such projects for Ukrainian cities.

Importantly, this approach goes beyond simply incinerating waste. It involves an integrated waste management system in which waste is first sorted and processed. The fraction that cannot be recovered as recyclable material can then be converted into fuel and used for energy generation.

For cities, this model offers the potential to address two challenges simultaneously: reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills while generating heat and electricity from locally available resources.

At the same time, the viability of such projects depends on a reliable waste feedstock supply, an efficient sorting system, compliance with environmental standards, and a sound economic model.

For Ukraine, which faces the dual challenge of strengthening energy resilience and modernizing waste management, these solutions could become an important avenue for developing local energy generation.

Does Ukraine have the potential to develop its waste-to-energy sector, and under what conditions can such CHP plants operate efficiently? Watch the latest episode of 100GREEN Talks to find out.