The V&A Waterfront is one of Africa’ s leading destinations, attracting more than 24 million visits each year. The neighbourhood spans 123 hectares and blends residential, commercial, retail and leisure spaces. More than 800 tenants contribute to its Ecosystem.
The V&A sees its role on the continent to be a platform that facilitates and champions art and design, to support entrepreneurship and innovation, lead the charge on sustainability, and drive positive social and economic change. By prioritising people and the planet, it is an example of how working with communities, respecting the environment and operating with passion and integrity is a better, more productive, and kinder way of doing business.
The tour to the V&A Waterfront will include the following:
Welcome & presentation
Since setting out on its sustainability journey in 2009, the V&A has become one of the greenest precincts in Africa, prioritising people and the planet. As a bustling mini city, the V&A also embraces its role as a testing ground for innovative approaches and technologies aimed at tackling sustainability challenges head-on. Join this presentation to learn more about how they do this.
Facilitated precinct tour, showcasing the following sustainability initiatives:
The Wastewater Treatment Plant
An Organica Blue House outside the Victoria Wharf shopping centre provides a fully enclosed and odour-free environment combining conventional wastewater treatment technology with a botanic ecosystem. Organica uses plant roots that grow into the effluent, encouraging bacteria and living organisms to develop. The treated effluent from this system is used for re-flushing in the Victoria Wharf shopping centre.
The Waste Recovery & Recycling Centre
The V&A’s Waste Recovery and Recycling Centre aims to curb the neighbourhood’s impact on overflowing landfills. With a daily crew of almost 130 and close to 400 waste collection points, this facility processes more than 7,000 tons of waste every year, of which 65% is diverted from landfill.
The Seawater Desalination Plant
The desalination plant at East Pier uses advanced reverse osmosis technology to make seawater safe for consumption. It will provide between 3,3 million and 5 million litres of water daily, alleviating the Waterfront’s demand on the grid.
The Silo District Seawater Cooling Plant
In aid of water and energy-saving, the V&A Waterfront invested over R 45 million in building the Silo District’s Seawater Cooling Plant. In this cooling system, the cold seawater from the harbour is circulated through heat exchangers, therefore not requiring cooling towers to reject heat into the atmosphere.
Vertical Wind Turbines
In a recent partnership with German wind turbine manufacturer LuvSide, the V&A has installed four LS Double Helix 1 kW wind turbines in the Silo District and a 3 kW unit at Breakwater, Granger Bay District. During a year-long experiment, an assessment on the turbines’ viability is done with the possibility to scale to supplement the renewable energy supply.