From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, this is the Real Economy Report.
Sashnee Moodley:
South Africa’s first commercially viable biogas-to-electricity plant has successfully started providing renewable energy to automotive manufacturer BMW South Africa’s Rosslyn plant.
Creamer Media senior contributing editor online Natasha Odendaal reports
Natasha Odendaal:
A year after signing a ten-year offtake agreement, Bio2Watt’s R150-million 4.4 MW Bronkhorstspruit plant has generated first power to BMW’s Pretoria plant.
Now, around 30% of BMW’s Pretoria Plant is being powered by manure and organic waste – the first step in BMW’s ambitions of bringing its Rosslyn plant to 100% self-sufficiency by 2020.
BMW SA MD Tim Abbott says that sustainability was a top priority in every boardroom meeting.
BMW SA MD Tim Abbott
Natasha Odendaal:
Bio2Watt CEO Sean Thomas explained that the plant feeds manure and organic waste into two digesters that produce the biogas feedstock.
Bio2Watt CEO Sean Thomas
Natasha Odendaal:
While there were no cemented plans in place to expand the Bronkhorstpruit plant at the moment, Bio2Watt was set to start construction on a second waste-to-energy plant on a dairy farm in the Western Cape, in 2016, with additional farms being sought for partnerships.
Bio2Watt CEO Sean Thomas
Sashnee Moodley:
Other news making headlines this week:
Upgraded City Deep seen as key to improving Joburg-Durban logistics performance
Johannesburg municipality to continue public transport initiatives
And, Industrial equipment company opens new Wadeville sales office
Transnet has opened its upgraded City Deep inland port, and reported that its yearly container handling capacity had been doubled to 400 000 twenty-foot equivalent units following an R800-million investment programme.
Transnet acting CEO Siyabonga Gama
The City of Johannesburg plans to continue its focus on the implementation of an integrated transport system through its transport legacy projects, following the EcoMobility World Festival 2015, which took place in the Sandton CBD in October.
Johannesburg executive mayor Parks Tau
Industrial equipment sales and rental company Renttech South Africa launched its new sales outlet adjacent to its premises in Wadeville, Ekurhuleni, last month.
Renttech MD Gerrit van Zyl
Sashnee Moodley:
That’s Creamer Media’s Real Economy Report. Join us again next week for more news and insight into South Africa’s real economy.