Bio Energy

Landfill gas

The modern sanitary landfill operations in South Africa provide an ideal source of landfill gas. This gas is a mixture of methane, carbon dioxide and other mixtures of volatile organic compounds. The gas harvested from these landfill sites may be used directly as thermal energy or converted into electricity.

EDC has a keen interest in the development of landfill gas and has entered into agreements with technology partners and potential purchasers of carbon dioxide (CO2).

Landfill-gas harvesting has an economic advantage through the creation of revenue from waste material, a substantial reduction of carbon emissions in the process of burning methane, which has a 21 times higher carbon content than the resultant CO2.

Biomass

Bellville Landfill The main source of biomass energy are:

  • sugar bagasse;
  • pulp and paper waste used to generate electricity; and
  • biofuels from energy crops, such as sunflowers, soya beans and canola seeds used to manufacture biodiesel.

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    The EDC has identified several opportunities to catalyse this sector with co-investment in commercial products that could also support job creation in rural areas.

    Gel fuel

    Gel fuel has the potential to replace paraffin, which destroys about 3 000 informal homes a year and causes many deaths. The efficiencies and economics of gel fuel are being investigated.

    Biomass co-generation

    There are commercial opportunities to generate power using sugar baggasse, waste wood, as feedstock. Discussions are at an advanced stage with a major sugar producer in this regard.

    Ethanol as an octane enhancer

    As South Africa moves towards cleaner fuels, oil companies have various options with regards to additives to replace lead in petrol. The commercial ethanol octane enhancement project looks at investigating the possibility of using ethanol as an octane enhancer in unleaded petrol.

    There are many environmental and health questions on the use of some of these additives. Ethanol is therefore a good contender (subject to economic feasibility) to be used as an octane supplement. Sub-Saharan Africa is a net exporter of sugar and there are therefore good opportunities for ethanol to be produced in South Africa.

    Find out more about ethanol and how its use benefits the environment...