Title of paper

3.2 Methane recovery and power generation at the Kupferberg Landfill in Windhoek

3.2.1 Project description

The Kupferberg Landfill is the only dumping ground in Windhoek. It is located 11 km southwest of Windhoek. The waste disposal collects approximately 230 tonnes of domestic, industrial, commercial and garden waste, thus generating high amounts of methane and other green house gases.

The City of Windhoek plans to develop its CDM activity in two phases. The first phase refers to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, includes the adjustment of a methane gas collection system which transforms it into carbon dioxide. After completion of this first step, it is planned to install a gas-to-energy engine generating renewable electricity (UNFCCC, 2012b: 3).

The application process started simultaneously to the Gammams Water Care Works application. The design became revisited in 2006 and started its registered operating period in January 2014.

Similar to the first project, the City of Windhoek installed gas collection systems at the dumping places’ waste cells. These are closed cells in which the collection system produces a suction extracting the methane gas. Via wells and pipes, this landfill gas gets transferred toward a high temperature flare which completely oxidizes the methane to carbon dioxide.

At the moment, the project is directed only onto the transformation of landfill gas into CO₂. In future, after proving the total extraction potential, the landfill will be supplemented with a 600 kW combustion engine, generating electricity suitable for integration into the national grid (UNFCCC, 2012b: 9).

The Kupferberg Landfill is classified as a small-scale activity and recorded as a ‘methane avoidance project’ respectively a ‘renewable energy project’ (UNFCCC, 2012b: 2). Two measures were implemented: Firstly, methane recovery in wastewater treatment and secondly, at a later point, renewable energy production with connecting potential to the national grid (UNFCCC, 2012b: 6).

3.2.2 Contribution to sustainable development

This project is also expected to have positive economic, environmental and social outcomes. Similar to the Gammams Water Care Works, foreign currency will be generated by trading CERs with industrial countries. New technologies will be transferred to Namibia and the fragile local energy infrastructure will be relieved.

By flaring methane, the project activity reduces the emissions of greenhouse gases, since methane is known for having a 21 times higher “global warming potential than carbon dioxide” (UNFCCC, 2012b: 4). Furthermore, once the landfill generates electricity from methane gas, it substitutes coal based electricity from the national grid with a renewable energy source. Lastly, it supports Namibia’s development goal of sustainable energy production.

Apart from job creation in the construction and operational sectors, the project activity improves health-related and security-related conditions of employment at the dumping site (UNFCCC, 2012b: 4).

The landfill is expected to generate 500 m³ of gases per hour. Additionally, the whole project activity is expected to save the equivalent of 9,341 tonnes of CO₂ per year. Considering a period of 20 years, this sums up to an emission reduction of 93,406 tonnes of CO₂. The project is expected to annually transform 1,568 tonnes of CH4 into CO₂ and could generate 5,256 MWh of electricity per year, once the modification is completed (UNFCCC, 2012b: 16).

3.3 Power generation from encroacher bush

3.3.1 Project description

In contrast to the first two projects, the applications of the following two projects were not successful. In 2008, Ohorongo cement supported a project called Energy for Future (EFF). EFF operates a bush-to-fuel project in the Otavi/Tsumeb region. In 2010, they applied for CDM support, successfully going through the national approval and validation. However, for reasons not public, the project surprisingly failed to be accepted by the international body of approval. The idea of this project was to use encroacher bush as an alternative source of energy to supply the closely located Ohorongo cement factory thereby reducing its consumption of coal.

Invader bush is a quickly growing bush that negatively affects farm land, biodiversity and water resources in the north of Namibia. Around 26 million hectares of farmland are infested, significantly affecting the agricultural output of Namibia (Von Oertzen, 2012: 47). Ohorongo cement analyzed the bush finding that it could be used to fuel 80% of the cement factory on a long term basis (Koep/van den Berg, 2013: 138). By doing so, not only environmentally unfriendly coal would be substituted by a renewable energy source, but harvesting invader bushes would also help farmers to restore farming potentials.

Presumably, the EFF project was classified as a ‘renewable energy project’. By producing woodchips in order to substitute coal with a renewable energy resource not only the emission of CO₂ would be reduced but also the biodiversity, water resources and farming potentials would be restored.

3.3.2 Contribution to sustainable development

Several contributions to sustainable development have been considered: Economically, the use of encroacher bush would reduce the demand for coal which is imported and responsible for high cash outflows every year. Furthermore, the trade with carbon credits would generate revenue. By selling CERs to industrial countries, foreign currency enters the Namibian economy.

Apart from that, freeing infested areas from invader bush would open up substantial areas for utilization. Areas with little economic value could be used as grazing land supporting beef production in the region (Koep/van den Berg, 2013: 140).

Environmentally, the project activity would contribute to the reduction of green house gasses since woodchips are used instead of coal. In addition, invader bush consumes a lot of water. Sustainable harvesting would contribute to the recovering of biodiversity as well as to a groundwater recharge. Lastly, the negative impacts of coal mining would be reduced (Koep/van den Berg, 2013: 140).

Socially, the process of harvesting bush as well as the improved farming conditions would create local jobs. Especially in rural areas jobs are rare. Harvesting initiatives would require machine guides, trainers, transport drivers, but also farming personnel to conduct the aftercare.

Looking at the presumed output, the Ohorongo cement plant annually produces approximately 700,000 tonnes of cement thereby consuming 70,000 to 75,000 tonnes of coal per year. Substituting 80% of the coal with woodchips, 55,300 tonnes of coal could be saved per year.

3.3.3 Environmental concerns of bush harvesting

However, bush harvesting does not only have positive effects. Especially problems with aftercare appeared to be challenging. The company’s and farmers’ interests conflicted in this point. Within the framework of this project, Energy for Future offered to harvest the bush which included the cutting and the transportation of the harvest to the cement plant. Aftercare activity remained in the responsibility of the farmers. However, it appears that aftercare is the crucial point determining whether land can be used for sustainable grassing purposes or whether the result of de-bushing leads to a worsened density of bush infestation (Koep/van den Berg, 2013: 139). Only a professional aftercare controlling the re-growth of invader bush ensures the transformation into productive farmland.

Furthermore, the harvesting process itself is challenging. Harvesting requires professional planning, controlling and management. The Environmental Impact Assessment for EFF’s bush-to-energy project states that “savannah ecosystems are complex”. An ill prepared de-bushing could damage the soil, causing erosion and loss of fertility. “Protected tree species [as well as] species of birds, mammals and reptiles […] of conservative importance” need to be considered and protected which makes the harvesting process more difficult and cost intensive (Colin, 2010: 7).

After approval on the national level, the Ohorongo cement project was rejected on the international level. The reasons for that are not public. However, one could assume that the harvesting of encroacher bush became perceived as an activity of deforestation. To ensure that CDM is not misused to launch projects that go against the principle of sustainable development, certain project types are prohibited, for example nuclear power and deforestation.