Sofia city gets new landfill for non-hazardous waste

The depot, completed at the end of last month, is part of the first phase of a project to develop an integrated waste management system for the city's needs which would also involve the construction of a treatment plant for green waste, an installation for bio-waste and engineering infrastructure, the municipal authorities said in a statement earlier this week.

The project costs are estimated at 135.8 million levs ($88.4 million/69.4 million euro). Funding is secured under the EU-funded operational programme Environment.

In June, the city started the construction of the bio-waste treatment plant, which will include an installation for composting of biodegradable waste with annual capacity of 20,000 tonnes and an installation for composting green waste with a capacity of 24,000 tonnes per year.

The next stage of the project is estimated at 210 million levs and would involve the construction of a mechanical-biological treatment plant with refuse derived fuel production. Financing for this stage of the project is pending an official nod from the European Commission.

(1 euro=1.95583 Bulgarian levs)