State-owned Central Energy Fund (CEF) wants to build several landfill gas sites in Gauteng and the Western Cape in an effort to combat carbon emissions from coal-fired power stations.
Environment assessment consultancy WSP Environment and Energy has given notice of its intention to carry out the scoping and environmental impact assessment for the extraction and utilization of landfill gas and the use of the recovered gas to produce electricity. The target of the study will be landfill sites in Cape Town, Vanderbijlpark, and Vereeniging, that could collectively generate up to 2.8 MW. WSP is conducting the assessment on behalf of the CEF. The government’s mandate to the CEF is to search for energy solutions to meet SA’s future energy needs.
“The proposed activities are in line with the South African government’s 2002 accession of the Kyoto Protocol on world climate change and its provision for the implementation of clean development mechanism projects. The project objectives are to promote renewable energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere,” the consultants said.