doi: 10.18178/ijesd.2026.17.5.1602
Energy Generation Potential from Landfill Gas Generated by the New Cells at the Robinson Deep Landfill Site in Johannesburg
Malillane Lillane*
,
Khomotso Semenya
- Department of Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa
- Manuscript receivedJanuary 12, 2026
- revisedFebruary 23, 2026
- acceptedMarch 19, 2026
- publishedSeptember 24, 2026
Abstract
South Africa’s continued reliance on coal-fired electricity generation, together with rising municipal solid waste volumes, highlights the need for integrated energy and waste management solutions. This study evaluates the future methane generation and electricity production potential of the Robinson Deep Phase 1 landfill extension in Johannesburg. Landfill design parameters, projected waste acceptance rates, and operational lifespans were obtained from the Draft Scoping Report and applied within the Landfill Gas Emissions Model to estimate methane generation. Electricity output was calculated assuming a landfill gas collection efficiency of 75% and an electrical conversion efficiency of 33%. The 2 new landfill cells could recover approximately 35 to 40 million cubic meters of methane, generating about 70 to 75 gigawatt-hours of electricity. This output is energy-equivalent to approximately 40,000 tons of South African bituminous coal, assuming a representative coal-fired power plant efficiency of 33%, equivalent to approximately 1.7 to 1.9 megawatt-hours per ton of coal.
Keywords
- landfill gas-to-energy
- methane
- renewable energy
- coal displacement
- Robinson deep landfill
- Johannesburg
How to Cite
Malillane Lillane and Khomotso Semenya, "Energy Generation Potential from Landfill Gas Generated by the New Cells at the Robinson Deep Landfill Site in Johannesburg," International Journal of Environmental Science and Development, vol. 17, no. 5, pp. 427-437, 2026. https://doi.org/10.18178/ijesd.2026.17.5.1602
Copyright & License
Copyright © 2026 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).