Optimisation and Financial Viability of Landfill Gas to Electricity Projects in South Africa

South Africa has abundant natural resources such as wind, solar and hydro potential. However one local resource identified that is available throughout South Africa that can be used to generate electricity is landfill gas. The landfill gas to electricity technology is not new and has been piloted and proven to work at several utilities around the world. This technology serves dual purpose: destroying Methane, a known greenhouse gas, whilst generating electricity. These projects have been driven internationally by environmental concerns, carbon taxes, carbon credits and feed-in tariffs. These policies are not present yet in the South African context. However there are a large number of landfill sites within South Africa and Africa which can be utilized to generate much needed electricity in a continent which currently facing severe electricity shortages. A case study was carried out on the eThekwini Municipalities Bisasar Road landfill gas to electricity project which was a pilot project carried out in 2008 to understand the technology better. This paper provides a better understanding of the process of generating electricity from a landfill site and presents the financial feasibility assessment based on the Durban's Bisasar Road landfill gas to electricity project to date. The balance of the paper discusses some methods and options available to optimize these projects to improve the viability of other potential projects.