Cape Town took the first steps on Friday towards using a stinky eyesore to create clean energy.

Xanthea Limberg‚ the mayoral committee member for water‚ waste and energy‚ launched a gas extraction and flaring facility at Coastal Park landfill in Muizenberg which will destroy methane produced by the landfill by burning it at 1‚000ºC.

In as little as 18 months the plant is expected to add a methane-powered generator which will produce 1MW of power — enough to run the waste water treatment facility in nearby Pelican Park.