Infra Impact Investment Managers, a firm focused on infrastructure projects in Southern Africa, has announced a new investment in Green Create, a company specializing in converting waste into valuable resources. Green Create’s operations, which span both South Africa and Mauritius, address critical environmental and energy challenges in the region.
Green Create’s facilities process millions of liters of industrial wastewater and thousands of tons of agricultural waste annually. By doing so, they offer several key benefits:
- Easing Strain on Municipal Infrastructure: Their operations reduce the volume of wastewater that needs to be processed by public water treatment systems, helping to alleviate pressure on strained municipal resources.
- Reducing Landfill Waste: The company’s processes divert significant amounts of agricultural and other organic waste from landfills, which helps reduce environmental pollution and the need for new landfill sites.
- Creating Renewable Energy: A primary output of their process is biogas, a renewable energy source that can be used as a substitute for fossil fuels in industrial operations. This helps diversify the energy supply and move toward a more sustainable energy mix.
According to Mark Van Wyk, co-founder and CEO of Infra Impact Fund Managers, this investment directly addresses three significant challenges facing South Africa and Mauritius: an unreliable electricity supply, strict emissions reduction targets, and ongoing issues with wastewater management. He views the partnership with Green Create as a clear demonstration of Infra Impact’s commitment to leading in water treatment and sustainable energy.
Van Wyk also highlighted that the Green Create plants align perfectly with Infra Impact’s strategic mission to drive a “Just Energy Transition” and tackle South Africa’s urgent wastewater problems. He believes that the partnership will significantly increase biomethane production, helping both countries meet their ambitious energy goals and delivering a substantial environmental impact through sustainable growth in the biogas and wastewater treatment sectors.
Green Create currently operates three anaerobic digestion plants: two in South Africa (Worcester and Rustenburg) and one in Mauritius. Anaerobic digestion is a natural process where microorganisms break down organic materials in an oxygen-free environment.
- The Worcester plant in South Africa processes wastewater from poultry processing plants.
- The Mauritius plant handles effluent from tuna processing operations.
- The Rustenburg plant treats poultry manure and sludge waste.
Combined, these facilities produce valuable outputs including biogas, electricity, thermal energy, and clean water. They also recover nutrients from the waste, which are then used to create fertilizer. The plants are strategically located near their industrial clients and operate under long-term agreements to supply their energy and water outputs.
