Afrox partners with biogas producer to bolster CO2 supply to W Cape

23rd October 2015

By: Schalk Burger

Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

  

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South African industrial gas major Afrox is partnering with a start-up biogas company to produce high-grade carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane for distribution to industries in the Western Cape, which have experienced long-standing shortages of CO2.

“Initially, we expect to offtake between 18 t and 30 t a day of CO2, which will benefit wastewater treatment applications, as well as the food and beverage industries,” says Afrox sales and marketing GM Nazmi Adams.

“The nearest CO2 source is in Mossel Bay, which is more than 380 km away, so this new biogas plant, which will come on stream early 2017, will dramatically improve supply.”

Afrox has also committed to buy the methane from the new plant. This will be marketed as compressed natural gas (CNG), containing more than 94% methane.

“South Africa has for years faced serious shortages of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and we are exploring opportunities where liquefied natural gas (LNG) or CNG will replace our dependence on the local oil refineries for LPG,” confirms Adams.

The vulnerability of LPG supply was again highlighted this year when a number of South African refineries shut down, leading to a country- wide winter shortage and driving the need to import product to meet consumer demand.

This has led Afrox, and its German parent company Linde, to explore alternative energy and gas options, which will enable the production of natural gas that can be compressed into CNG or, if the source is significant, liquefied to LNG, which Afrox will then distribute through its extensive Southern African LPG network.

Linde has already developed several technological processes to upgrade biogas and other natural gas streams, which will support the emerging biogas industry with plants in areas with sufficient and consistent sources of biowaste. The gas products will then be sold to local users in these areas.

Adams says these areas can typically include urban centres, where there will be small-scale gas collection and production.

“In such applications, we would typically set up a compression facility to compress the gas and then distribute it to users. Existing gas reticulation networks could be used to distribute NG, but they only exist in limited parts of South Africa, and it is typically not viable to deploy new piped-gas reticulation networks.”

Where it is viable, larger biogas facilities to produce LNG can be cost effective to build. Adams notes that LNG can serve as an effective substitute for LPG. Also, the changes required for LPG equipment to use LNG are relatively minor.

However, the main use case for CNG would be as an alternative and carbon-reducing fuel source for public transport. A pilot project in Johannesburg has resulted in some minibus taxis operating on CNG, and Afrox will aim to provide gases to power urban transport, whether buses or taxis, he highlights.

Adams notes that these changes are also in line with Afrox’s in-house focus on reducing its carbon footprint, and notes that the Linde Group is the driver of environment-friendly initiatives among all member companies.

“There is potential for us to reduce our own carbon footprint, and that of our clients and South Africa’s citizens through the application of our technologies, such as the biogas processes and using alternative fuels for public transport,” he concludes.

Edited by Martin Zhuwakinyu
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

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