Mark Swilling- Sustainabilit Institute

1

• Mark Swilling- Sustainabilit Institute
• What are the obstacles to large scale commercial
  applications here in SA?
• Technology or policy constraints ?
• Answer Sweden no power and heating- better
  payback
• Combine heating with chillers
• Strong political will visible

2

• Answer Price
• Focus not be how to get things out of LF but to
  avoid to get that organic materials in LF. Focus
  on waste recovery must be
• Use of landfill only as last resource but not see
  as ch4 generators
• Alternative mindset needed
• Saliem no seperation of waste- but this is key
  component. Energy sources very cheap- little
  incentives. Mindset of people and politicians
• Part of developed countries. According to Kyoto-
  RSA can play role with carbon credits

3

• Flora City of JHB
• No disincentives to produce waste , transport
  biggest costs in WM
• SWM was managed by DWAF-did not a good job
  therefore passed back to DEAT, to close loopholes
• Viability of project- how much gas need to be
  there ? Full potential of LF how can it be
  established ? Experiences from overseas.
• Capital cost- average, infrastructure, support
  mechanism required?

4

• John
• Difficult to generalise, sites must be
  individually tested to assess viability. In terms
  of electricity- premium is currently paid for
  green energy. This has to change !
• Recommendation to assess LFs close to industrial
  areas
• Difficult to give a generic figure
• 1.8 million for 4 wells
• Bellville feasibilty R 450 000, 125 000 tons
• John kinkhead- Ekhurweni Reclaim brown sites for
  LF
• Does not think it will be feasable for the next
  decades

5

• More education to recycling required to mitigate
  problem and improve
• Ward based refuse collection- the more reused and
  recycle the more incentives
• Peter Holm Sustainable Africa
• Waste treatment site in europe in the middle of
  town- total systems approach should be rethought.
  Separate waste at source, shortest route to
  centralised site, use methane directly for
  heating and cooling
• Price agrees with statements made
• ICLEI thinks this is the best case scenario- has
  been practiced in many countries and
  municipalities, Local handling of waste

6

• Sweden guy- Considerations in Stockholm
• Diesel fuels for running cars much more expensive
  in the long run- running biogas is good business
  for the transport companies in Stockholm
• Ron van der Berg (CDM Africa)
• How was project received in Sweden ?
• Role of wood waste
• Look at viability and CDM at the same time
• Low viability means high CDM potential
• 50 000 tons Co2 per year should be retrieved

7

• Reduced rates for green cleans given by Joburg
• Still large amounts of greens going to waste
  truck
• Sweden public- well received, high marketing of
  inititiatives, branding, corporation . Award as
  Green City
• Billy Twala Marin da Gama Issues faced in
  Bellville gas migration threat to community. Do
  you engage in mechanism that control effects to
  underground water and other environmental
  threats?
• Serious look to source separation requested !

8

• John Monitoring is very important. City employs
  external groups to monitor regularly.
• Mitigation planning has been put in place in case
  gas concentrations reach critical levels.
• Water quality- series of ponds constructed to
  dilute the leachate concentration
• Liners must be put in
• Regular monitoring with probes
• In jhb LF about 20 times more Ch4 than in
  bellville

9

• Thailand drives mainly on education sufficient
  for medium and high income areas.
• What size of plant is required ? Operation time ?
  
• Overseas electricity much more expensive than in
  RSA
• Generators can be clustered up
• Size of JHB site- 30 MW if you fully utilise the
  site.problem is dry winters- low gas production.
  Can not run throughout the year. Huge potential.

10

• In DWAFS Wmin guidelines do not incorporate
  considerations of LFG removal and CDM project.
• What is the right time, right price to jump, way
  to reduce risks ?
• Russia not signed Kyoto. European countries will
  proceed. Not to much concerned . SA structure has
  been set up. Price varies wildly, WWF Gold
  standard- for higher prices. Decisions must be
  made individually . But do not wait too long.

11
Summary of Eco Cycle utility project

• Very strong political involvement, support and
  public acceptance.
• Below 5 fossil fuel utilisation in Stockholm
• 50 of energy from incineration
• 420 municipal eco cars
• Target 60 of fleet by 2005
• All buses on ethanol or hybrid
• No organics allowed at LFs in Sweden
• Ethanol as new business opportunity
• NO tax for fuel- economy is same as for petrol.
  Incentives for the future ?

12
Main outcomes and recommendations

• Government
• Merging of utilities into eco-cycles
• Symbioses of metabolic streams
• Compents WWTP, Waste Treatment, Transport,
  Energy, Water
• Example Off Heat / cooling is used from one
  utility to the other
• Closing resource cycles throughout the city
• Politicians must realize longterm gains from that
  type of mindset

13
Lessons learnt on Thailand biogas project

• Key to biogas utilisation is waste separation at
  source !!!
• Education well in advance to technical
  implementation
• Treats 70 tons per day produces fertiliser and
  electricity
• 95 Co2 savings (43 500 tons/annum)

14
Tony Peterse -Ekhurlweni

• 1998 pilot project Cost R 558 000 in Weltevreden
• 25 Diesel 75 Gas
• 3 vehicles- 450 kg methane gas/day
• Savings R 25000-35000
• Only 10 of LF site used
• Filters to clean LF gas R 80 000 each
• Conversion were expensive
• Workshop not geared to maintain those vehicles
• 20 loss in power
• Frequent refill required

15
Ekhurlweni Lessons learnt

• Fuel might not be the best way to utilise LFG gas
• High potential for use
• Weltevrede LFG recovery potential about 20 times
  higher than in Bellville

16
John Coetzee

• Potential of recovering 125 000 tons of C02 per
  annum
• Prefeasibility study done by SSN
• Feasibility study underway (R 450 000) MIIU
• Capping posing risk of pressure cooker effect(gas
  migrating)
• Close proximity to industries
• Current site unlined with low permeability Cape
  Flats sand
• Pollution plume has been identified
• Link up of portable gas extration unit with odour
  control unit- good results

17
Summary of Q A session

• To not consider LFs as Methane producing
  factories but try to cut amount of organics and
  recyclables to LF- via source separation
• Viability of LFG project must be established ad
  hoc. Viability /CDM ?
• Recommendation to assess LFs close to industrial
  areas
• Waste treatment site in europe in the middle of
  town- total systems approach should be rethought.
  Separate waste at source, shortest route to
  centralised site, use methane directly for
  heating and cooling. Generators can be clustered
  up