Towards a sustainable energy strategy for South Africa: Landfill gas as a renewable energy option

Insufficient attention has been paid to the energy problems faced by oil‐importing developing countries (OIDCs). For these countries, the solution lies not so much in following the energy development paths of their more developed neighbours, but rather in seeking to make more efficient use of non‐conventional energy sources. This article explores one such non‐conventional energy option ‐ landfill gas ‐for South Africa, where the energy problem is complicated by a heavy reliance on coal‐fired electricity, which is unsustainable and unfriendly to the environment and yet remains the focal point of the government's energy strategy as expressed in the Reconstruction and Development Programme.

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Department of Economics, University of Natal, Durban.