Durban to profit from waste-generated electricity

Electricity generated from waste was expected to generate huge profits for the eThekwini Municipality, an official said on Thursday.

"We borrowed R58 million to start this project. We will be able to pay off the debt in four years and after that it will be a massive profit for the city," said John Parkin.

He was speaking at the launch of a plant which captures harmful methane gas from the Bisasar Road landfill site and produces eight megawatts of electricity.

It is said to be the first landfill gas project on the African continent.

The R100 million project was funded by the city, the departments of trade and industry and energy, and the French Development Bank which lent R58 million.

The electricity generated would help to relieve the national power shortage and reduce the amount of carbon dioxide produced by conventional coal-fired power stations.

The national government, impressed by the project, had asked Durban to help other cities to start generating electricity from waste.

Energy Minister Dipuo Peters described the eThekwini Municipality as a trendsetter that should be emulated.

Her department contributed R6 million and the department of trade and industry more than R17 million towards the project.

"I appeal to the eThekwini Municipality to help other municipalities to do this because you have succeeded. I will tell other departments to come to you," she said at the launch.

Some 57 municipalities owned landfill sites with the potential to generate more than 1200 megawatts of electricity per year.

The gas-to-electricity project would reduce waste accumulation and help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Methane gas, which harms the environment, is destroyed in the process of generating power.

Peters said about 12,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions would be reduced through the project.

"This is highly significant for South Africa which is said to be among the biggest carbon dioxide emitters in the world even though we are a developing country," she said.

This was mainly as a result of the electricity and hydrocarbons industries that were predominately coal-based.

The Bisasar landfill site was officially opened in 1980 and it was now expected to serve the municipality for another eight years. The city hoped to extract electricity from the site for about 15 years after the dumping of waste stopped.

The launch was attended by Trade and Industry Deputy Minister Maria Ntuli and eThekwini Municipality deputy mayor Logie Naidoo.

Ntuli said the project fitted well with those targeted by her department.

"This project destroys harmful gas while providing additional energy to the grid and enabling the municipality to generate additional revenue through the sale of energy," she said.

She was pleased the project had created 109 jobs during installation.

"Permanent jobs created by this project are 44 of which 11 are skilled and six are on training for skilled positions"

She urged eThekwini to help other municipalities to generate power from waste.

"I would believe this is the start of many projects of this kind. I urge all those involved to look at replicating this project in other provinces. It makes economic and environmental sense"

Sapa

Posted at 09:16AM Jan 29, 2010 by Editor in Industry  |  Comments[2]