Waste-to-energy in a developing country: The state of landfill gas to energy in the Republic of South Africa

Abstract

Landfill gas to energy (LFGE) projects were implemented in the Republic of South Africa (RSA) to diversify the energy mix and transition to a green economy. This study provides an overview of the status of LFGE in RSA and identifies major factors that inhibit the adoption and utilization of this technology, using existing data from 2010–2020 from electronic databases, namely, ScienceDirect, Taylor & Francis, Google Scholar, Sage Open, Springer Link, Sabinet, and IEEE Xplore, and using a combination of keywords and Boolean functions. This study revealed that, although RSA has made significant progress in the adoption and utilization of landfill gas (LFG) through the seventeen (17) planned LFGE projects, only six (6) are operational and generate 15 MW of electricity supplied to the local grid in the KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape, and Gauteng Province. The waste-to-energy (WtE) sources such as LFGE are not given priority, and the country continues to invest in coal-fired power stations, owing to the abundance, availability, and low cost of coal reserves, which will supply coal for the next 200 years. The study identified factors inhibiting LGFE projects in RSA, which included the lack of sanitary landfill sites, LFG monitoring, funding, skills, research, and development. Potential LFGE in RSA is evident, however, except for limited processing facilities, economic investment, and public awareness. Suggestions for further research on the techno-economic and policy assessments are provided in the study. This study contributes to synthesizing evidence of the status of LFGE, insights on state-of-the-art technologies of WtE and the associated challenges in the waste management sector, identifying the potential for LFGE, and LFGE in the circular economy, and building a foundation for future research on WtE such as LFGE. Moreover, it also offers a reference for policymakers, decision-makers, researchers in the waste management sector on the technologies of WtE, LFGE, and potential to reduce waste generated.