Sustainable utilization of energy from waste: A review of potentials and challenges of Waste-to-energy in South Africa

Waste-to-energy (WtE) could prevent the production of up to 50 million tons of CO2 emissions that would otherwise be generated by burning fossil fuels. Yet, support for a large deployment of WtE plants is not universal because there is a widespread concern that energy from waste discourages recycling practices. Moreover, incineration plants generate air pollution and chemical waste residuals and are expensive to build compared to modern landfills that have appropriate procedures for the prevention of leakage of harmful gasses. In the context of the EU, this paper aims to provide a picture of the actual role of WtE as a disposal option for municipal solid waste (MSW), enabling it to be utilized as a source of clean energy, and to address two important aspects of the debate surrounding the use of WtE; namely, (i) the relationship between WtE and recycling, and (ii) the effects of decentralization, waste mobility, and plant ownership. Finally, it reviews the role of the EU as a supranational regulator, which may allow the lower government levels (where consumer preferences are better represented) to take decisions, while taking spillovers into account.

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Journey towards Renewable Energy for Sustainable Development at the Local Government Level: The Case of Hessequa Municipality in South Africa

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11030755 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 755 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Elaine Fouché ◽

Alan Brent

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Renewable Energy ◽

Local Government ◽

Local Economic Development ◽

Waste To Energy ◽

Small Scale ◽

Western Cape ◽

Causal Relationships ◽

Low Carbon ◽

Participatory Processes

The purpose of the research on which this article reports was to investigate how renewable energy forms part of the strategy of a local government, and to evaluate how participatory processes are utilised in the development and communication of this municipal strategy. The research was conducted with Hessequa Municipality, a local authority situated in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. A new aspect of the research was an attempt to consider renewable energy options as part of the municipal strategy, and not as a standalone project. Action research was undertaken and the resulting qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis. Cognitive mapping was used to display the data and to analyse the causal relationships between different strategic themes. The causal relationships explicitly show that many opportunities for renewable energy solutions are evident in the form of: biomass-to-energy, low-carbon local economic development, small-scale embedded generation, waste-to-energy, and feed-in tariffs. The barriers for implementation are aging infrastructure and financial and legislative constraints. Participatory processes formed an integral part of the strategy formulation, and a unique visualised strategy was developed for communication with local citizens—a first for a local municipality in South Africa.

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Turning waste into resources and resources into waste: Centralised waste-to-energy nexuses and alternative modes of nexusing in Hanoi

Urban Studies ◽

10.1177/0042098018797844 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 56 (11) ◽

pp. 2315-2332 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sophie Schramm ◽

Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai

Keyword(s):

Urban Planning ◽

Waste Management ◽

Resource Efficiency ◽

Policy Implications ◽

Waste To Energy ◽

Colonial Era ◽

Infrastructure Systems ◽

Urban Rural ◽

The City ◽

Energy From Waste

Modern infrastructure systems serve to separate urban flows of water, sewage, waste and energy. However, ideas concerning the combination of these flows to achieve resource efficiency have shaped Hanoi’s urban planning since the colonial era. Today, dominant visions of the generation of energy from waste have led to a redefinition of what is ‘waste’ that largely ignores ‘alternative modes of nexusing’, established industries of recycling operating across the city. These industries are intertwined with and overlap provincial waste management and perpetually exist beyond state-led planning and urban–rural boundaries. The case of Hanoi reveals the exclusionary and disruptive potential of predominant visions of the urban nexus, as socio-managerial conceptions obscure and potentially displace alternative modes of nexusing. We argue that opening the view to alternative modes of nexusing as part of heterogeneous infrastructures not only challenges conventional analyses of the urban nexus that exclude marginalised practices and people, but also has important policy implications for waste management and recycling in Hanoi.

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Energy from Waste

Sustainable Practices ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-4852-4.ch085 ◽

2013 ◽

pp. 1519-1543

Author(s):

Kalpana Arora ◽

Ashwani Kumar ◽

Satyawati Sharma

Keyword(s):

Sustainable Development ◽

Fossil Fuels ◽

Waste To Energy ◽

Thermochemical Conversion ◽

Ghg Emission ◽

Promising Alternative ◽

Green House Gas ◽

The World ◽

Day By Day ◽

Energy From Waste

Considering the confrontation of waste disposal and minimizing Green House Gas (GHG) emission, technologies of Waste To Energy (WTE) production seem appealing. It provides one key solution for two major concerns regarding energy crisis and waste management. Energy from biomass can be seen as a promising alternative for fossil fuels, which are getting scarce and more costly day by day. Since a significant amount of organic waste from agriculture, industries, and community sources is collected annually, it can be convertible to useful energy forms like biohydrogen, biogas, bioalcohols, etc., through various Waste-To-Energy Routes (WTERs) for sustainable development. The adoption of this WTE technology will help the world not only in saving the traditional energy resources, but also in reducing GHG emission, and lowering environmental impact. With all these advantages, WTE industry is expected to experience a noticeable growth in the coming years and make greater contribution in supplying renewable energy. The review presents the technical, economical, and environmental aspects of various WTE techniques and focus on the benefit that this thermochemical conversion is a step forward towards sustainable development.

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Energy from Waste

Advances in Electronic Government, Digital Divide, and Regional Development - Global Sustainable Development and Renewable Energy Systems ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-1625-7.ch014 ◽

2012 ◽

pp. 271-296 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Kalpana Arora ◽

Ashwani Kumar ◽

Satyawati Sharma

Keyword(s):

Sustainable Development ◽

Fossil Fuels ◽

Waste To Energy ◽

Thermochemical Conversion ◽

Ghg Emission ◽

Promising Alternative ◽

Green House Gas ◽

The World ◽

Day By Day ◽

Energy From Waste

Considering the confrontation of waste disposal and minimizing Green House Gas (GHG) emission, technologies of Waste To Energy (WTE) production seem appealing. It provides one key solution for two major concerns regarding energy crisis and waste management. Energy from biomass can be seen as a promising alternative for fossil fuels, which are getting scarce and more costly day by day. Since a significant amount of organic waste from agriculture, industries, and community sources is collected annually, it can be convertible to useful energy forms like biohydrogen, biogas, bioalcohols, etc., through various Waste-To-Energy Routes (WTERs) for sustainable development. The adoption of this WTE technology will help the world not only in saving the traditional energy resources, but also in reducing GHG emission, and lowering environmental impact. With all these advantages, WTE industry is expected to experience a noticeable growth in the coming years and make greater contribution in supplying renewable energy. The review presents the technical, economical, and environmental aspects of various WTE techniques and focus on the benefit that this thermochemical conversion is a step forward towards sustainable development.

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Waste Management in South Africa

Advances in Environmental Engineering and Green Technologies - Sustainable Waste Management Challenges in Developing Countries ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-0198-6.ch014 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 327-351 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Joan Mwihaki Nyika ◽

Ednah Kwamboka Onyari ◽

Shivani Mishra ◽

Megersa Olumana Dinka

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Waste Management ◽

Solid Waste ◽

Alternative Energy ◽

Solid Waste Management ◽

Environmental Conservation ◽

Waste To Energy ◽

The Republic ◽

The Government

Solid waste management (SWM) is a challenge in developing countries such as the Republic of South Africa (RSA). This book chapter highlights the drivers and state of SWM in RSA and suggests alternatives to make solid waste a resource. The SWM strategy of the country has a role in pushing waste up its hierarchy towards minimal generation, reuse, and recycling through extended producer responsibility and economic instruments. However, the lack of an all-inclusive planning and management has challenged the success of these initiatives. In recognition of these flaws, the private sector is teaming up with the government and individuals to bridge service and value chains in sustainable SWM by formalising waste pickers, initiating waste-to-energy initiatives, promoting recycling at all stages of the waste cycle, and adopting practices that divert wastes from landfills. These initiatives if taken up will promote better economic turnover through the production of alternative energy, environmental conservation, and creation of employment opportunities in RSA.

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