Water, Sewage & Effluent January February 2019 | Page 39

The straight and narrow
Political will and proper management
are necessary for waste to be turned
into real wealth for the benefit of
the country, otherwise we won’t get
anywhere. “We have the technology
and the solution to this,” he believes.
“Green decentralised and on-site
waste-to-energy solutions will offer an
unforeseen spike and contribution to
the circular economy with its disruptive
versatile technologies that is part of
the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” he
concludes. 
“Waste is the most
renewable energy
source, yet it is the most
beneficial as it gets rid of
underestimated
waste while producing
energy if done right.”
Anton Pieterse, Recor CEO
innovations
prohibitions. They preach one thing
but on paper it is another thing,” he
shares. According to Pieterse, there’s
enough waste and renewables in the
country to eliminate a power utility. He
believes they know this, and it is one of
the underlying reasons why they have
not gotten on board. “From the waste in
Mogale City [municipality in the West
Rand] you can generate about 150
megawatts of energy; with the waste
in Johannesburg it can be about 1 500
megawatts, and in the east, you can
generate about 500–1 500 megawatts.
Basically, we can supply energy just
with the waste we produce, and this
doesn’t cover sewage,” he shares.
Financial challenges around setting
up a plant and keeping it running are
some of the barriers to entry for people
who seek to enter the market. “For
the first five years, you have to
cover all costs associated with
setting up and producing. It’s
why we don’t see a lot of waste
management producers and
operations,” he says. But
he adds that the country
is unique because the
technology Recor offers is
not offered in first-world
countries. “We sit with one
foot in the first world and
the other in the third world,
so we can offer first-world
solutions at third-world
prices.”
Anton Pieterse, CEO of Recor
Waste Management.
www.waterafrica.co.za
Water Sewage & Effluent January/February 2019
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