USTDA Supports South African Waste-to-Energy Project
June 10, 2016
(USTDA)
Johannesburg, South Africa – Today, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency
awarded a grant to MBHE African Power (Pty) Ltd, a South African renewable
energy project developer, to support a waste-to-energy project in the
Drakenstein Municipality. The objective is to alleviate the burden of the
depleting landfill airspace while also easing constraints on South Africa’s
electricity supply. The project has the potential to divert up to 500 tons of
solid waste per day from the landfill to the plant, which is expected to produce
around 12.6 megawatts of electricity.
The public-private partnership, including Drakenstein Municipality and
Interwaste (Pty) Ltd, a local waste management company -- with MBHE as joint
developer -- will implement the project.
The grant was signed by USTDA’s Regional Director for Sub-Saharan Africa, Lida
Fitts and MBHE’s Director, Karl Siegel during the 2016 Infrastructure Africa
Conference in Johannesburg.
“USTDA is pleased to support U.S. private sector participation in what is
anticipated to be South Africa’s first waste-to-energy plant,” Ms. Fitts said.
“In addition to increasing local access to affordable, reliable electricity and
reducing landfilled waste, the project will help create clean energy jobs in
both the United States and South Africa.”
“MBHE wishes to thank USTDA for their contribution to the development of the
project,” stated Mr. Siegel. “The development process will serve as a blueprint
for future waste-to-energy projects in Southern Africa and aims to solve a
national waste management problem in alleviating the burden on ever depleting
landfill airspace.”
Black & Veatch Corporation (Overland Park, KS) was selected to provide the
technical assistance, which will include fuel characterization, front end
engineering and design, and tender support for the engineering, procurement,
construction and operations and maintenance contracts. MBHE is also conducting
additional specialist studies and a full Environmental and Social Impact
Assessment in parallel with the technical assistance.
This partnership supports the goals of Power Africa, a U.S. Government-led
initiative to increase electricity access in sub-Saharan Africa by adding more
than 30,000 megawatts of cleaner, more efficient electricity generation capacity
and 60 million new home and business connections.
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