The City of Cape Town will be signing an agreement with a Japanese consortium comprising Japanese firms CFP Corporation and Kanemiya, as well as the Japan International Cooperation Agency, for the establishment of a pilot plastics-to-oil plant at its Kraaifontein integrated waste management facility.

This project, that would be a first for a Western Cape municipality, would be made possible through a Japanese government grant to the value of R10-million to foster technology export from the Asian country.

The plant would be able to convert 500 kg of plastic into about 500 ℓ of heating oil daily, through the use of pyrolysis technology, a higher-end waste-to-energy technology used for waste minimisation, the city said in a statement.

A portion of the oil would be used to power a generator, while the rest would be available for sale as heating oil in industrial processes.

“This is the kind of innovation that has earned the city the accolade of World Design Capital 2014. The pilot project, if successful, will attract investment that generates economic growth and job creation, ensuring infrastructure-led economic development," said Cape Town mayoral committee member for utility services Councillor Ernest Sonnenberg.

The pilot project would run for six months, after which it would be assessed and decisions would be made on the sustainability and affordability of the pyrolysis technology.

“The city will be under no obligation to award any possible future contracts emanating from this agreement,” it concluded.