A new R400m plant in Cape Town will convert organic waste to energy. The New Horizons Energy bio-digester‚ to be opened in Athlone on Wednesday by Western Cape Premier Helen Zille and Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille, is expected to create 80 full-time jobs and several hundred more indirectly‚ and will consume 500 tonnes of waste a day — about 10% of Cape Town’s total. It will produce bio-methane and carbon dioxide by the middle of the year. All the compressed gas produced by the bio-technology start-up will be sold to Afrox. The bio-methane will be marketed as an alternative to liquefied petroleum gas and diesel‚ and the carbon dioxide will be used in industry‚ agriculture and waste-water treatment. "We have been working on this for years. It’s been a dream come true‚ and we plan to have everything fully commissioned by May‚" New Horizons CEO Egmont Ottermann told Engineering News. "There’s great potential in the future to make products such as plastic bricks and roof tiles. We ex...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.