Assessment of skills needs and estimation of the job potential for the biogas industry in South Africa

This project entailed an investigation into the skills needs and an estimation of the job potential in the biogas industry in South Africa. The study found that as of April 2016 there were 1700 people directly employed in the biogas industry with around 38 projects in commercial operation with a number in the pipeline.

A series of interviews were held with owners, developers, EPC’s, O&M’s, OEM’s, technical specialists and industry associations and a detailed breakdown of the project value chain was undertaken, with skills needs, organograms and potential job creation being investigated at each stage, factoring project sizes and the duration of PPA’s.

Factors inhibiting the rollout of biogas were also dissected and a job creation model which projected jobs numbers that factored in the variables based on a conservative and optimistic project implementation was derived. The project was reduced to a PPT presentation and shared with the biogas platform and outcomes played a significant role in investment decisions taken by industry stakeholders.