Johannesburg secures R550 million international grant for waste-to-energy project

THE Infrastructure Fund, a partnership between the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), National Treasury and Infrastructure South Africa, has secured a R550 million grant from Dutch-based Invest International to support the rollout of the City of Johannesburg's landmark Alternative Waste Treatment Technology (AWTT) Project.

- SIPHELELE DLUDLA

Valued at approximately R5.7 billion, the AWTT Project represents a major step in South Africa's shift towards sustainable waste management and renewable energy generation.

Implemented as a public-private partnership (PPP) between the Infrastructure Fund, the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) and private-sector partners, the initiative aims to divert about 500 000 tons of municipal solid waste per year — around 31% of the city’s annual waste — away from landfill sites.

At the heart of the project will be a dirty Materials Recovery Facility (dMRF) and a Waste-to-Energy (WtE) plant that will be designed, built, financed, operated and maintained by the private sector over a 25-year concession period. Ownership of the facilities will revert to the City at the end of the agreement.

By converting residual waste into energy, the project is expected to generate around 28 megawatts (MW) of electricity — enough to power 60 000 households — while recovering and recycling up to 175 000 tons of waste annually.