The waste sector contributes significantly to the South African economy. It already provides tens of thousands of jobs and livelihoods, both formal and informal, and the potential for growth in the subsector of converting waste into energy is enormous. This, while helping alleviate one of the largest problems of our time – landfill creep and all its inherent perils for the planet.
So, can a comprehensive waste-to-energy plan be rolled out at scale in the country? The answer to this question – and others – will soon become apparent from the Waste to Energy Roadmap for South Africa, to be published in early 2022. The Waste to Energy Roadmap identifies the potential to convert waste into energy. It showcases relevant technologies for the effective valorisation and recovery of waste into biogas and energy, while mapping barriers and drivers for potential uptake at local level. The Roadmap is the product of a partnership between the SARCHI Chair in Waste and Climate Change at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) and the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI). The partnership sprung from a 2019 memorandum of agreement (MoA) between SARCHI and SANEDI to undertake research on waste and resources management, and clean energy.
The latest developments in the waste-to-energy space need to be made widely known to support the country’s transition towards a decarbonised economy and the work done by the various government departments involved. Information about progress will be posted regularly across various online platforms. Keep an eye out for updates.
