Landfills emit about 12% of global of methane emissions and the global warming impact of methane is about 25 times stronger than that of CO2. The Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality in Guateng, South Africa is has several large landfills. In 2008 it decided to attract financing for methane capture and power generation at the landfills Weltevreden, Rooikraal, Rietfontein and Simmer & Jack.
Endesa, a Spanish power utility with installations under European Emissions Trading Scheme considered purchasing offsets from this landfill. By order of Endesa, Climate Focus undertook a detailed due diligence on the Ekurhuleni landfill in South Africa. The due diligence included verifying the emission reduction estimates with the use of 3rd order decay model from the US Environmental Protection Agency. In addition it assessed the capacity of the landfill operator and municipality to successfully implement and operate the project and legal title to the emission reductions.
Shifting Paradigms was the technical consultant in the due diligence team of Climate Focus.
The Ekurhuleni landfill was registered with the CDM at 26 October 2010. The project avoided methane emissions equivalent to 238,000 tCO2/year.
More information on the project can be found at the CDM web-site.