Forestation Project, using water from «San Bartolo»
Wastewater Treatment Plant

The project will forest approx 8,000 hectares in the desert area surrounding the «San Bartolo» Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) of Lima, Peru. Actually the «San Bartolo» Plant, which has been recently built, is on the fill and test phase in order to reach its full capacity of 1.7 m3/s in 2005.

The project area covers an extension of 8,000 hectares, of which 7,000 are eligible for forest plantations according to the terrain characteristics. The harvesting age of the Eucalyptus is 13 years; in consequence the time limit for the establishment of the whole plantation has been set to 13 years, and the design of the forestry activities has been oriented to the reforestation of 7,000 hectares, in a 13-year period, with a pace of 538 hectares per year, thus requiring 750,000 plants per year. The mitigation of Climate Change effect through carbon sequestration will be approx. 1,800,000 tCO2e.

Baseline Scenario

Which emissions are the proposed Clean Development Mechanism CDM project displacing?
The project is a LULUCF / CDM project focused on the sequestration of carbon dioxide. As a reference, in order to calculate the sequestration effects of the proposed plantations, it has been considered that the species will be mainly Eucalyptus camaldulensis (eucalipto), with minor areas of protection with native species like Schinus molle (molle), Prosopis pallida (algarrobo), Caesalpinia spinosa (Tara), and others.
What would the future look like without the proposed CDM project?
The project land is a desert, with no use. There is no vegetation in the area.
Actually the water treated by the Plant is discharged into the Lurín river and finally to the sea. A high percentage of the population living near the project area is unemployed or sub-employed.
What would the estimated total greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction be with the project?
It is expected to obtain, through the forestation of the area, CO2 sequestration of about 90,000 tCO2 e /year (mean value over 20 years).

In absence of the Project activities no CO2 sequestration will take place.

Current Status

Earliest project start date
May 2005
Estimate of time required before becoming operational
8 months
What is the project lifetime?
The project is sustainable during the years, the first plantation activities will be developed over 13 years. The financial analysis will be done in the feasibility study over a 65 years period.
Current status or phase of the project
• The project is in the identification and pre-selection phase
• The Pre-feasibility study is to be financed.
• The feasibility study in coordination with Lima Municipality will define a master plan for the area including the irrigation system, and will address legal aspects of land property and develop the PDD of the project.

Estimated Emission Sequestrated

• Up to and including 2012: 180,000 tCO2e
• Up to a period of 20 years: 1,800,000 tCO2e
• Up to a period of 30 years: 1,800,000 tCO2e
• Up to a period of 40 years: 1,800,000 tCO2e

Project Benefits

• This Project will benefit three millions of inhabitants of Surco, San Juan de Miraflores, Villa María del Triunfo, Villa El Salvador, Pachacámac y Lurín, and other «Cono Sur» districts, and in extent the total of the Lima Metropolitana population.
• Job generation linked to the forestry activities with an intensive use of non-qualified or medium-qualified workers.
• Soil protection, taking into account that forest restoration implies the management of soil resources. It’s known that forest contributes to improve soil quality.
• Conservation of water sources for human consumption. Forest plantations can be a good practice to assure the recharge of underground water, contributing also to prevent landslides and floods.
• Shelters for fauna protection and improved habitats for native wild fauna.
• Landscape improvement with a positive visual impact, opening possibilities for tourism activities.
• A project component will be directed to execute important training programs in agriculture and forestry activities.
• The project will implement of modern productive technologies in which the tree is integrated to the traditional productive systems.

Project Participant and Financing

Total project cost estimate:
• Development costs (feasibility study and PDD development): US$ 300,000
• Installation costs: US$ 3,000,000
• Other costs: US$ 300,000
• Total project costs: US$ 3,600,000
Sources of finance to be sought or already identified:
• Equity: Not defined
• Debt: Not defined
• Carbon finance contribution sought: US$ 3,500,000 (to be determined by the feasibility study) (tCER with accreditation period of 20 years).

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