The South African government’s impending Carbon Tax, to be implemented in January 2015, will affect all industries and medium to large businesses. The country’seconomy will be hit by one of the single biggest new taxes in its history. Carbon Tax will greatly increase the cost of doing business, and erode company profitability. Smaller carbon emitters in the manufacturing, mining, transport and retail sectors will be no less affected, paying out millions of rands in annual Carbon Tax. In addition, energy costs for business are set to increase by an average of 15%.

To assist companies looking to improve efficiencies and decrease energy costs, Energex Africa, a component exhibition of the SA Industrial and Technology Fair 2013 (INDUTEC), will host a comprehensive two-day hands-on Workshop on ‘Achieving Industrial Energy Efficiency’. It takes place on 14 and 15 May at Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand, Johannesburg. “With the CarbonTax starting at R120 per ton of CO2, Eskom will pay about R11-billion a year for its 230 million tons of annual CO2 emissions, and Sasol will pay R2,2-billion for its 61 million tons, based on emissions calculations submitted to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange’s voluntary disclosure project,” says INDUTEC organiser, John Thomson of Exhibition Management Services. “These costs will be passed on to all customers down supply chains, leading them to seek out alternative suppliers with a lower carbon footprint,”continues Thomson. “So finding ways of reducing your carbon footprint, and thus reducing your Carbon Tax costs, will help retain customers, cut costs and improve efficiencies.”

The ‘Achieving Industrial Energy Efficiency’ Workshop at Energex Africa 2013 is an important tool for finding the most appropriate, affordable carbon mitigation products, equipment, techniques and strategies to effectively monitor, manage and reduce a business’s carbon footprint, and reduce its Carbon Tax liability. Companies with heavily emitting industrial applications need to find new ideas, technologies and strategies to reduce their Carbon Tax costs by 2015. Energy efficiency financing and energy efficient products will be covered in detail at theWorkshop. Eskom will also presentits incentivesfor energy savings. Other Workshop topics include energy efficient lighting systems, pumps and motors, and energy optimisation.

What Can Be Done to Reduce Costs and Improve Efficiencies? 

The Workshop is aimed at all operational and management personnel including business owners, consultants, energy managers, engineers, facility and production managers, government department managers, industrial entrepreneurs, property developers, service providers and retailers. One of the workshop speakers is CarelSnyman, Managing Director for GridCars, a company developing and producing advanced mobility solutions such as electric vehicles and their components. Snyman is passionate about modern mobility needs in a world ready for radical change, and will present afascinating case study on re-inventing mobility. “Business and industry needs to consider the bigger picture – the purpose and impact of the Carbon Tax,” says Snyman. “It is causing the rapid development of cleaner, leaner, more efficient production processes and facilities, but the challenge is in planning and implementing the strategies needed to introduce change.”

Energy Efficiency Options Available for Organisations

Irvan Damon, CEO of CarbonTRACK South Africa, will discuss remote energy reporting systems. CarbonTRACK made the first remote energy reporting device available to South African consumers. This intelligent data system can accurately measure and report energy usage, patterns and energy efficiency, and has the ability to monetise energy savings, communicating data directly to a smart network.

Wide Industry Support for INDUTEC

Energex Africa 2013 runs alongside nine other trade exhibitions as part of the South African Industry and Technology Fair (INDUTEC)at Gallagher Convention Centre from 14 to 16 May. INDUTEC is endorsed by 32 professional organisations, including City Power, the South African Alternative Energy Association, the Association of Steel Tube and Pipe Manufacturers of South Africa, the China Electricity Council, the Chamber of Engineering Technology, the Engineering Council of South Africa, the Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa, Plastics South Africa, the South African Institution of Chemical Engineers, the South African National Energy Development Institute, the South African Petroleum Industry Association, the South African Pumps Manufacturers’ Association, the South African Plastic Pipe Manufacturers Association, the South African Valves and Actuators Manufacturers Association and the Valve and Actuator Manufacturers Cluster of South Africa.