What is it about?
South Africa faces a dual challenge: growing waste volumes and heavy reliance on fossil fuels, especially coal. This study explores how waste-to-energy (WtE) technologies could help tackle both problems by converting commercial waste into renewable energy. Through a review of recent research and interviews with businesses and WtE experts, we identified two technologies, anaerobic digestion and pyrolysis, as the most suitable for South Africa’s context. We examined the key barriers to adoption, including low landfill fees, high upfront costs, limited government incentives, and weak policy support. The study proposes a practical implementation framework, with recommendations such as taxing fossil fuels and landfills, providing renewable energy subsidies, and offering energy credits to businesses adopting WtE solutions.
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Why is it important?
Landfills in South Africa are reaching capacity, while cheap coal continues to dominate the energy mix, contributing to environmental degradation and climate change. WtE technologies can reduce waste sent to landfills, generate renewable energy, and create new jobs, but without targeted policy support and investment, these opportunities will be missed. Our findings highlight that overcoming financial and regulatory barriers is essential to make WtE a viable part of South Africa’s energy strategy. This research provides policymakers and industry leaders with a roadmap to align waste management with renewable energy goals, supporting a cleaner, more resilient economy.
Perspectives
As someone deeply engaged in sustainability research, I see WtE as a powerful but underused tool in the transition to cleaner energy systems, especially in emerging economies. South Africa’s situation illustrates both the urgency and the complexity of making such transitions work in practice. Working on this project reinforced my belief that technological solutions alone are not enough, they must be supported by enabling policies, financial incentives, and public awareness. My hope is that this framework will help bridge the gap between ambition and action, ensuring that waste is seen not as a problem to bury, but as a valuable resource for sustainable growth.
Dr Krish Saha
Birmingham City University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Waste-to-energy: exploring the roadmap for energy generation from commercial waste in South Africa, International Journal of Energy Sector Management, November 2024, Emerald,
DOI: 10.1108/ijesm-09-2024-0010.
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