{"id":10497,"date":"2024-09-19T07:34:16","date_gmt":"2024-09-19T07:34:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sardc.net\/en\/?p=10497"},"modified":"2024-09-19T07:34:16","modified_gmt":"2024-09-19T07:34:16","slug":"turning-waste-into-power-addressing-sadcs-energy-challenges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sardc.net\/en\/southern-african-news-features\/turning-waste-into-power-addressing-sadcs-energy-challenges\/","title":{"rendered":"Turning waste into power: Addressing SADC\u2019s energy challenges"},"content":{"rendered":"

SANF 24 no 37 <\/strong>by Clarkson Mambo, SARDC<\/p>\n

Southern Africa stands on the brink of a transformative solution to its persistent energy challenges by harnessing the potential of waste-to-energy technologies.<\/p>\n

With a population exceeding 390 million, the Southern African Development Community (SADC)\u2019s socio-economic wellbeing depends on reliable power generation, a necessity for achieving the ambitious targets outlined in the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan 2020-2030 and SADC Vision 2050.<\/p>\n

However, since 2007, SADC has grappled with a power deficit, leading to calls for diversification of energy sources.<\/p>\n

In 2023, the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) reported a staggering shortfall of 8,056 megawatts (MW), highlighting an urgent need for innovative solutions.<\/p>\n

Currently, the region\u2019s energy mix relies heavily on coal and hydropower, which account for 59 and 24 percent of generation, respectively.<\/p>\n

Although the uptake of renewable energy has increased from 25 to 38 percent over the past five years, more drastic measures are required to bridge the power gap.<\/p>\n

This is where waste-to-energy (WTE) technologies emerge as a dual solution to both energy shortages and the mounting waste management crisis exacerbated by rapid urbanisation and population growth.<\/p>\n

The SADC Secretariat has identified waste management as a critical developmental challenge, with uncollected waste and illegal dumps proliferating in urban areas.<\/p>\n

With recycling rates hovering around 10 percent in countries such as South Africa, the need for effective waste management strategies is pressing.<\/p>\n

WTE technologies, which convert non-recyclable waste into usable energy forms, offer a promising avenue for addressing these challenges.<\/p>\n

Zimbabwe is leading the way in this initiative, exemplified by Geo Pomona Waste Management Private Limited\u2019s ongoing project.<\/p>\n

On the sidelines of the recent 44th SADC Summit held in Harare, regional leaders toured the facility, which aims to become southern Africa\u2019s premier waste management and power generation project.<\/p>\n

The plant is set to incinerate approximately 1,000 tonnes of waste daily, generating between 16 and 22MW of electricity to be fed into the national grid.<\/p>\n

Zimbabwean President and SADC Chairperson, Emmerson Mnangagwa, emphasised the project’s significance.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis plant is a demonstration of the vast potential of strategic innovations in resolving our day-to-day community and national economic questions, such as power supplies.\u201d<\/p>\n

The implications of such initiatives extend far beyond energy generation.<\/p>\n

They also promise to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions as highlighted by Mnangagwa’s acknowledgment of Harare’s waste management crisis, which he declared a state of disaster.<\/p>\n

With over 27,000 tonnes of waste produced monthly in the city, the potential for WTE projects to reclaim urban spaces lost to illegal dumpsites while generating energy is profound.<\/p>\n

The need for widespread adoption of WTE technologies is echoed by the staggering waste statistics across the region.<\/p>\n

Cities like Johannesburg in South Africa, Lilongwe in Malawi and Lusaka in Zambia respectively produce around 4,000 tonnes, 553 tonnes and 1,200 tonnes of waste every day.<\/p>\n

The widespread implementation of WTE could help alleviate pressure on nearly 1,000 landfills in South Africa that are nearing capacity, while addressing air and groundwater pollution linked to illegal dumping.<\/p>\n

As the SADC region looks to the future, the Zimbabwean example underscores the importance of public-private partnerships in tackling energy and waste management issues.<\/p>\n

Such collaborations are essential for improving access to electricity in southern Africa, which currently stands at an average of 56 percent against a target of 85 percent by 2030.<\/p>\n

However, experts caution that while the potential for WTE is immense, attention must be paid to minimising pollution during incineration and sustainably managing by-products like ash.<\/p>\n

In addition, there is a pressing need for updated policies and regulations to support the adoption of these innovative technologies.<\/p>\n

In parallel, the SADC Centre for Renewable Energy and Efficiency (SACREEE), launched in 2018, is promoting the adoption of various renewable energy sources, aligning efforts toward greater energy security.<\/p>\n

Guided by the SADC Protocol on Energy, SACREEE aims to increase access to modern energy services and support the region\u2019s economic development in an environmentally sustainable manner.<\/p>\n

As southern Africa contemplates its energy future, the integration of WTE technologies represents a critical step toward achieving energy independence, environmental sustainability and economic resilience.<\/p>\n

By learning from Zimbabwe\u2019s initiatives and investing in strategic innovations, the region can effectively turn its waste challenges into opportunities for growth and empowerment. sardc.net<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Southern African News Features offers a reliable source of regional information and analysis on the Southern African Development Community, and is provided as a service to the SADC region. <\/strong><\/p>\r\n

This article may be reproduced with credit to the author and publisher.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/span>\r\n\r\n

SANF is produced by the Southern African Research and Documentation Centre (SARDC), which has monitored regional developments since 1985.      Email: <\/em>sanf@sardc.net<\/em><\/strong>      <\/em><\/p>\r\n

Website and Virtual Library for Southern Africa<\/em>     <\/em>www.sardc.net<\/em><\/strong><\/a>  <\/em>Knowledge for Development<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SANF 24 no 37 by Clarkson Mambo, SARDC Southern Africa stands on the brink of a transformative solution to its persistent energy challenges by harnessing the potential of waste-to-energy technologies. With a population exceeding 390 million, the Southern African Development Community (SADC)\u2019s socio-economic wellbeing depends on reliable power generation, a necessity for achieving the ambitious […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":4649,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-10497","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-southern-african-news-features"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sardc.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sanf-.jpg?fit=210%2C210&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4h5b0-2Jj","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sardc.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10497","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sardc.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sardc.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sardc.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sardc.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10497"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.sardc.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10497\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10498,"href":"https:\/\/www.sardc.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10497\/revisions\/10498"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sardc.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4649"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sardc.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10497"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sardc.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10497"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sardc.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10497"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}