The connection of the Bisasar Road site in Durban to the South African national grid system will help to support electricity generation of up to 8MW in the future.

Its recent registration with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will also now allow the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality to generate income from the sale of carbon credits or Certified Emissions Reductions (CERs).

The team, from SLR’s Shrewsbury office provided specialist landfill gas and Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) consultancy support to the project over the last three years.

In addition to supplying the outline design of the site’s gas extraction system, SLR was retained by the Municipality to provide technical support in securing CDM registration.

Landfill gas from the site, which takes up to 3,500 tonnes of municipal solid waste every day, is now collected and combusted in a series of engines, significantly reducing the emission of greenhouse gases such as methane. Four 1MW engines were commissioned in 2008 and a further 2.5MW capacity is currently being installed.

SLR associate Grant Pearson said: “The CDM registration process is a lengthy and detailed one which involved working closely with the client, Durban Solid Waste, local lawyers, engineers and contractors, the Italian-based auditors and various representatives of the UNFCCC.

“As well as providing technical expertise, a key part of our role was to provide procedural support to keep the project moving forward and to ensure that the environmental, social and financial benefits of the scheme could be realised.”

The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) was introduced under the Kyoto Protocol and offers financial incentives to projects which reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the developing world. These are known as Certified Emissions Reductions (CERs).

Durban Solid Waste is part of eThekwini Municipality. Other local partners included, local lawyers (IMBEWU), engineers (Wilson Pass) and contractors (Fountain Civil Engineering Pty) and the Italian-based auditors TUV SUD Italia.

SLR Consulting is one of the fastest growing and most profitable environmental consultants in the UK with over 650 employees working from 22 offices in the UK and Ireland and 24 offices in USA and Canada. It has a broad base of blue chip customers in energy, waste management, planning and development, manufacturing, mining and financial sectors.

For further information on SLR go to: www.slrconsulting.com

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