Cape Town residents are set to benefit from a groundbreaking new project that generates electricity from decomposing waste.
The City switched on its first gas-to-energy plant at Coastal Park Landfill, near Muizenberg, yesterday (Wednesday 12 November), with Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis doing the honours and waste-management and energy officials looking on.
The facility converts methane gas from the decomposing waste into enough to power for more than 4 300 households.
R93 million investment
The City has pumped R93 million into the project so far, another R82 million earmarked to roll similar plants out at other landfill sites over the next three years.
But officials say the investment will pay for itself through reduced electricity purchases from Eskom and income from carbon credits.
READ MORE: CPUT leads zero-waster-to-landfill moves in higher-education sector
The City has already generated R36 million from carbon credits by cutting gas emissions at its landfill sites.
“We are just getting started with these win-win projects, which produce electricity, reduce emissions and generate carbon credit revenue,” said Hill-Lewis.
How it works
The system uses perforated pipes dug into the landfill to extract methane gas, which is then used as fuel to generate electricity.
The Coastal Park plant will produce 1,3 million kWh per month. Most of this – 1.2 million kWh – will go into the Cape Town electricity grid, while the rest powers the landfill’s own operations.
Mayco member for Urban Waste Management Grant Twigg said the project delivered “further savings and efficiency for ratepayers.”
More plants coming
The City plans to expand the technology to other landfill sites, turning waste management into a source of clean energy for Cape Town.
For residents struggling with load shedding and rising electricity costs the project offers a glimpse of a more sustainable energy future powered by the City’s own waste.
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