JOHANNESBURG SOUTH – Robinson Deep Landfill at Turffontein is to be used to produce the City of Johannesburg’s first methane gas-to-power project.
The project is scheduled to be operational in early 2015 as four 1MW generators, costing about R10 million each, will be installed at the base of the landfill mountain, initially to pump 4MW of energy to national energy supplier Eskom.
Media Club South Africa reported that Robinson Deep is Joburg’s largest landfill site. Trucks roar up the one-kilometre track to the top from 07.30 to 14:00, disgorging their loads onto the growing mountain of garbage.
Nonetheless, Joburg has five landfill sites; besides Robinson Deep, there’s Marie Louise in Dobsonville, one each in Linbro Park and Ennerdale, and Goud Koppies in Eldorado Park.
But, Robinson Deep alone takes up about 124 acres of land. The methane gas it produces is 21 times more harmful than carbon dioxide.
Hence, in May 2011, as a result of a flood of complaints about the smell from Robinson Deep, the city started flaring the gas by means of a network of 68 wells sent down into the landfill, to tap the gas.
“Methane from waste is a huge source of atmospheric methane throughout the world, and in South Africa it is a significant contributor to our greenhouse gas emissions,” writes Cornish in a document titled Ener-G Efficient Solutions for South Africa.
When operating at full capacity, the gas from Robinson Deep will produce 5MW of renewable electricity generation capacity, enough for up to 5 000 households, says Cornish.
Gas is also flared at Marie Louise, through 28 wells, and once all five landfill sites are operating to produce power, it will be the largest landfill gas-to-energy programme in the country, producing an estimated 19MW of power, sufficient to supply 12 500 middle-income households.
“The income from the sale of power to Eskom will amount to R800 million a year. A portion of this will be paid to the city as a royalty, which will largely be used to maintain the sites,” said the city’s assistant director of integrated waste management, Simphiwe Mbuli.
ANC’s Ward 142 councillor, Sidney Radebe, and the DA’s Ward 56 councillor, Dennis Jane, both welcome and support the development.
