The destruction wrought by Covid-19 has also opened up the opportunity to deliver economic recovery through energy that is green, clean, resilient and inclusive. With this in mind, South Africa’s energy and policy researchers are pondering how the country can transition to a sustainable smart energy system with waste-to-energy (WtE) as a resource, writes the CEO of the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI), Dr Zwanani Titus Mathe.
According to the World Bank, just over 2 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste were disposed in world cities in 2016, a figure that is expected to increase to 3.4 billion tonnes by 2050. Moreover, it is estimated that waste generation rates will more than double over the next 20 years in lower-income countries, especially in Africa.
Over 70% of South Africa’s waste currently goes to landfill, resulting in a loss of resources to the economy and serious human health and environmental impacts. A 2017 study concluded that the waste sector contributes to more than 4% of the national GHG emissions. At the same time, South Africa is seeing a large-scale shift towards low-carbon energy sources and solutions, while continuing the drive for universal energy access to help accelerate poverty alleviation in the country.
Despite all these drivers, none of the country’s existing national or local level policies explore the opportunities that lie at the intersection of waste, climate change and renewable energy provision.
Responding to this gap, SANEDI, in partnership with the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), National Research Foundation (NRF) and Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) South African Research Chair in Waste and Climate Change at the CSIR and University of KwaZulu-Natal, has been developing a Waste-to-Energy (WtE) Roadmap for South Africa with the aim to chart the potential for inserting waste-to-energy technology options into municipal planning.
The WtE opportunities at municipal level are numerous and compelling. Depending on the technology employed, municipal solid waste (MSW) and other waste types can be processed to produce biogas, biofuels, synthetic gas or bio-oil, all of which have applications in electricity generation, heating or as fuel for vehicles. In all instances, fossil fuels are replaced and greenhouse gas emissions avoided. Of at least equal importance is the economic and job creation potential of the waste-to-energy sector. Developing and operating processing facilities require skilled labour, engineering expertise and maintenance services.