The foundations for the Gaziantep Mechanical Biological Treatment and Biogas Facility (MBT) which is already one of the pioneering waste management projects of Turkey with its economic efficiency and environmental sensitivity have been laid. 

Gaziantep hosts the second largest number of Syrians with about 450,000 Syrians living in the city. In this context, MBT aims to both support Gaziantep’s local economy and municipal budget and generate environmental and sustainable solutions for the city’s worsening waste problem.

The facility, which is one of the largest projects of UNDP with its US$10 million investment cost, is expected to produce 17,000 t/y recyclables, approximately 23,000 t/y refused derived fuel (RDF) and generate 4,100 MWh/y energy out of 22,000 t/y biodegradable portion of the waste, processing 100.000 t/y mixed municipal waste annually. It is also aimed to extend the lifetime of the landfill up to 10% via landfill diversion and reduce 9,309 t CO2 eq / year greenhouse gas emission.

MBT facility has been constructed under UNDP’s “Turkey Resilience Project in Response to Syria Crisis (TRP) – Municipal Service Delivery Component” financed by the European Union and implemented co-jointly with İLBANK and Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality.

Through a resilience-based, local and sustainable development perspective, the project proposes long-term, comprehensive structural solutions to the problems arising due to the Syrian crisis. Centered on economic integration, social cohesion, local capacity enhancement and regional development, Turkey Resilience Project in Response to the Syria Crisis (TRP) combines UNDP’s 50 years of expertise in sustainable development and EU’s financial support.