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Biofuels News

Cabinet approves biofuels regulatory framework

By: Simone Liedtke 17th December 2019 Cabinet has approved the biofuels regulatory framework, which will give effect to the implementation of the biofuel industrial strategy. Biofuels are internationally recognised as an immediate less carbon-intensive substitute, which blends fuel for conventional mineral fuels to reduce air... →

Renewable-energy projects well under way

By: Darren Parker 13th December 2019 Construction on several Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) fourth bid window projects are well under way. The REIPPPP fourth window bids include 12 wind farms, 12 solar photovoltaic (PV) projects, a biomass project, a mini-hydro project and a concentrated... →

BLADE RUNNING About half of the turbine components had been delivered to Kangnas and Perdekraal Wind Farms in October

Success of renewables programme continues

By: Darren Parker 13th December 2019 Over the past eight years, the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) has attracted about R209.4-billion in committed private-sector investment, with the successful fourth window bids being valued at about R56-billion. South African companies, such as... →

WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY 27 preferred bidders signed agreements last year and their respective renewable energy projects are well underway

Additional renewable energy development zones proposed

13th December 2019 The second phase of the Strategic Environmental Assessment for wind and solar photovoltaic (PV) energy in South Africa proposes three additional renewable energy development zones for wind and solar PV energy projects. The renewable energy development zones support the responsible implementation... →

RENEWABLE ENERGY DEVELOPMENT ZONES The Phase 2 proposed zones support the responsible implementation of the Integrated Resource Plan 2019

Environmental studies essential to REIPP success

By: Darren Parker 13th December 2019 In most renewable-energy independent power producer (REIPP) project cases, environmental sensitivities can be successfully avoided if developers embrace advice given by environmental consultants during the environmental impact assessment (EIA) stage. This enables developers to better ensure that... →

NOT WINGING IT Embracing the advice given by professional environmental consultants early on can lead to the avoidance of many environmental issues

Local sugar industry critical, master plan being developed

By: Tracy Hancock 6th December 2019 The local sugar industry is in decline and could be described as “being in the intensive care unit”, says South African Sugar Association (SASA) executive director Trix Trikam. Subsequently, SASA is discussing the development of a sugar industry master plan with government and downstream users... →

SWEET ESCAPE To ensure sustainable development of the sugarcane sector, there needs to be diversification into sugar ethanol fuel and other cane-derived products

Enel Green Power starts construction on Karusa, Soetwater wind farms

By: Simone Liedtke 5th November 2019 Natural gas distribution company Enel, through its renewable energy subsidiary Enel Green Power, has started construction on its Karusa and Soetwater wind farms, in the Northern Cape. The plants, each with an installed capacity of 140 MW, are expected to be completed by the end of 2021 at a cost... →

Partnership deploys waste recycling tech

By: Cameron Mackay 27th September 2019 Energy equipment and waste disposal solutions provider Bio-Dynamic Fuel (BDF) is focusing on partnering with food service and retail businesses to deploy the company’s waste disposal and renewable-energy solutions on a national level. The company’s technology entails converting used cooking oil... →

OIL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL The deployment will focus on the company’s developed B-Tech 40 ℓ processor and chemical mix, which converts used cooking oil into biofuel

Legislation, waste diverting can drive biogas growth

By: Cameron Mackay 16th August 2019 Changing legislation and the continued strain on landfill space in South Africa is causing a significant drive in the country to divert waste, particularly organic waste, away from landfill sites. Alternative waste solutions provider GCX Zero Waste manager Hein Fourie says this can help to... →

COMPLEX MARKETS Growth of the biofuels sector is slow, as the sector is slowly learning how to accommodate and adapt to South African market conditions

Food processing industry ideal for biogas production

By: Cameron Mackay 16th August 2019 Industries that produce large quantities of organic waste, such as the food processing industry, are ideal for biogas production, says local waste disposal solutions provider Global Energy director Henry Thomson. The Cape Town-based engineering consulting and turnkey project company provides... →

CONFIDENCE IN BIOGAS Establishing credibility in biogas technology is crucial in implementing more projects

Promising research progress on agrimats

By: Darren Parker 9th August 2019 Research is under way on new technology that aims to convert algae and any other biomass waste, such as bagasse, into organic fertiliser mats, or agrimats, Agricultural Research Council (ARC) senior researcher Dr Khumbulani Dhavu tells Engineering News. The agrimats are manufactured by pressing... →

MULCH PROGRESS BEING MADE The agrimats research project is testing the viability of sustainable organic mulch mat production for commercial use

CSIR doubles down on solar PV amid energy-autonomous campus success

By: Donna Slater 12th July 2019 The Pretoria-based headquarters of research organisation the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has almost doubled its commissioning of solar photovoltaic (PV) installed capacity because of its rooftop-mounted fixed-axis solar PV plant exceeding initial performance expectations. →

Aerospace technology leaders reaffirm emission-cutting ambitions

By: Rebecca Campbell 28th June 2019 At the recent 2019 Paris Air Show, the Chief Technology Officers (CTOs) of seven of the world’s major aerospace companies issued a joint statement on their joint and cooperative commitment to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by the aviation industry. The companies were, in alphabetical... →

Aviation technology leaders reaffirm their determination to cut industry’s CO2 emissions

By: Rebecca Campbell 18th June 2019 At the 2019 Paris Air Show on Tuesday, the Chief Technology Officers (CTOs) of seven of the world’s major aerospace companies issued a joint statement on their joint and cooperative commitment to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by the aviation industry. The companies were, in alphabetical... →

Bank report points to transport being next decarbonisation frontier

By: Terence Creamer 24th April 2019 Newly released research by international banking group HSBC outlines a scenario for reducing transport emissions by 76% by 2040 through combining technology and regulation in a way that results in electricity, hydrogen and biofuels replacing oil as the primary fuel feedstock across transport... →

Equipment supplier to spread its wings outside South Africa

By: Mamaili Mamaila 15th March 2019 Industrial equipment supplier Vermeer will attend The Solar Show Africa 2019 which is combined with the 2019 Power and Electricity World Africa (PEWA) conference at the Sandton Convention Centre on March 26 and 27, 2019. →

SITES ON AFRICA Vermeer aims to penetrate the renewable-energy market in Africa

Event set to dissect the future of African energy

By: Paige Müller 15th February 2019 The eleventh edition of the Africa Energy Indaba – which will take place at the Sandton Convention Centre, in Johannesburg, from February 19 to 20 this year – will focus on the future prospects and direction of energy on the African continent from an energy provision and investment point of view.... →

AFRICA’S ENERGY FUTURE The Africa Energy Indaba will take place at the Sandton Convention Centre, in Johannesburg, from February 19 and 20 this year

Photo by Duane Daws
AFRICA’S ENERGY FUTURE The Africa Energy Indaba will take place at the Sandton Convention Centre, in Johannesburg, from February 19 and 20 this year

What to expect from 2019 Africa Energy Indaba

15th February 2019 The Africa Energy Indaba Conference is the definitive energy conference for Africa providing an annual programme that shapes energy policy for the African continent. Key issues that impact the African energy sector will be discussed and debated at the event, based on the outcomes of the 2018... →

ADEQUATE GENERATION The Africa Energy Indaba Conference will discuss, debate and seek solutions to enable adequate energy generation across the continent.

Odourless treatment process produces energy, creates jobs

By: Cameron Mackay 14th December 2018 A new labour-based upgrade for wastewater management plants and acid mine drainage plants below ground – the upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor (UASB) process – can be used to produce potable water and energy while reducing costs and creating job opportunities, says engineering and... →

HYSON CELLS The upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor process is below ground, which allows for natural insulation of the cone structures

Local sugar industry struggles to stay afloat

By: Paige Müller 7th December 2018 The survival and sustainability of the labour intensive sugar industry is under severe threat owing to the flood of sugar imports and the resultant inability by industry bodies to recover costs, according to South African Sugar Association executive director Trix Trikam. “The local sugar industry... →

UNBALANCED TRADE The world sugar market is distorted by producer country incentives, resulting in production that is surplus to demand

Delays in biofuel framework hinder industry

By: Paige Müller 7th December 2018 Despite the local sugar industry championing a bioethanol fuel subsidy as a potential method to relieve the burden on sugar through demand diversification, Ethanol Producers Association of Southern Africa secretary, Alf Stevens, suggests that this may not have the timely impact that the local... →

SLOW PROGRESS
Even if the Biofuels Regulatory Framework is attractive, the first ethanol for biofuel would only reach the petrol blenders by the end of 2021 at the earliest

Photo by Bloomberg
SLOW PROGRESS Even if the Biofuels Regulatory Framework is attractive, the first ethanol for biofuel would only reach the petrol blenders by the end of 2021 at the earliest

Sugar dumping remains a crisis for industry

By: Paige Müller 7th December 2018 While national government has shown a willingness to protect the sugar industry against corrosive trade-dumping practices, nonprofit anti-dumping organisation FairPlay founder Francois Baird emphasises that government’s ineffective administrative processes have made its previous attempts at... →

Anti-dumping organisation FairPlay’s Lebogang Chaka discusses the impact of sugar dumping on the local industry. Camerawork and Editing: Nicholas Boyd

Sasol, Indian companies join EP100 global energy-saving initiative

26th October 2018 Petrochemicals giant Sasol and Indian companies UltraTech Cement, Mahindra Vehicle Manufacturers, Mahindra Heavy Engines and Godrej Industries and Associate Companies (Gilac) last month pledged to put energy efficiency at the heart of their business growth strategies by joining EP100. EP100 is a... →

HELEN CLARKSON Lowering energy use in sectors such as auto manufacturing, cement and chemicals production is an ambitious task

South Africa’s synfuels know-how could give it edge as world mulls power fuels

By: Terence Creamer 15th October 2018 The newly formed Global Alliance Power Fuels believes that South Africa is well positioned to become a leading site for the large-scale production of liquid fuels from renewable energy and has confirmed with Engineering News Online that the country is on its radar for possible future... →

Transmission lines with Sasol's Secunda complex in the background, where synthetic fuels and chemicals are produced from coal

Photo by Creamer Media
Transmission lines with Sasol's Secunda complex in the background, where synthetic fuels and chemicals are produced from coal

FairPlay welcomes Minister’s fuel ethanol policy strategy, to host ethanol strategy conference in November

By: Marleny Arnoldi 10th October 2018 Nonprofit organisation FairPlay has welcomed government’s decision to revive its biofuels strategy, stating that a mandatory bioethanol fuel blend will benefit the country through job creation, increased fixed investment, technology development and energy security, as well as expanded sugar... →

Govt to finalise biofuels regulatory framework by March 2019

By: Kim Cloete 1st October 2018 The government plans to finalise the long-awaited biofuel blending regulatory framework and have it approved by Cabinet before the end of March 2019, while the Department of Energy (DoE) is also focusing sharply on the development of gas-to-power opportunities. This was revealed in a speech read... →

Bokamoso Ba Rona Initiative seeks programme manager

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 1st October 2018 Precious metals miner Sibanye-Stillwater, the West Rand Development Agency, the Gauteng Infrastructure Financing Agency and the Far West Rand Dolomitic Water Association (FWRDWA) have issued a request for qualification (RfQ) for a suitability qualified programme manager for the multistakeholder... →

Biofuels unviable alternative in South Africa – expert

By: Paige Müller 17th August 2018 Owing to biofuels being too expensive to manufacture, University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) Business School Energy Leadership Centre director Dr Rod Crompton says this makes them a commercially unviable energy source. He tells Engineering News that, despite the fact that global renewable-energy... →

ENERGY LEADERSHIP CENTRE
The University of the Witwatersrand launched the Energy Leadership Centre to equip Africa’s energy industry for future technological advancements

Photo by Creamer Media
ENERGY LEADERSHIP CENTRE The University of the Witwatersrand launched the Energy Leadership Centre to equip Africa’s energy industry for future technological advancements

Biogas plant demonstrates potential using new tech

By: Paige Müller 17th August 2018 Renewable-energy and waste disposal solutions provider Global Energy has constructed a fully operational biogas demonstration plant using technology that has been designed to be more cost effective, manufactured locally and simpler to operate and maintain. The plant aims to showcase the potential... →

BIOGAS DEMO PLANT Global Energy expects its biogas demonstration plant to be open for viewing by prospective clients by the end of this month.

Biojet feasibility project under way

By: Paige Müller 17th August 2018 The Waste to Wing feasibility project, aimed at ascertaining the viability of waste-based sustainable aviation biofuel production and consumption in South Africa, is under way, says nature conservation organisation World Wide Fund for Nature South Africa (WWF-SA). WWF-SA bioenergy programme... →

PROOF OF CONCEPT
Waste to Wing aims to prove that biojet fuel can be used economically in South Africa and that it can offer an inclusive value chain

Photo by Creamer Media
PROOF OF CONCEPT Waste to Wing aims to prove that biojet fuel can be used economically in South Africa and that it can offer an inclusive value chain

Carbon-content waste disposal rethought

By: Paige Müller 15th June 2018 In light of the Department of Environmental Affairs’ (DEA’s) imminent ban on all forms of liquid waste to landfill set for August 2019 and the ban on hazardous waste to landfill with a calorific value greater than 25 MJ/kg since August 2017, waste management service provider Interwaste states... →

WASTE-DERIVED FUEL Interwaste has invested a significantly in the development of alternative waste solutions aimed at turning harmful waste into waste-derived fuel

Interwaste uses innovation to convert waste into energy

By: Donald Makhafola 8th June 2018 Waste management company Interwaste is continually exploring processes and technologies to divert waste from landfills and has created a variety of methods converting waste-to-energy. Interwaste director for business development and marketing Kate Stubbs says the first way to get value out of... →

WASTE-TO-ENERGY Companies are committed to reduce their carbon emissions footprint and looking at alternative sources of fuel, as well as renewable energy

SA company exploring nuclear, other opportunities abroad

By: Nadine James 2nd March 2018 South Africa-based engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) company Lesedi Nuclear Services’ current plans surrounding diversification into biomass, waste-to-energy and gas projects as well as its targeted geographical expansion is supported by the company’s niche expertise in bespoke... →

Global airline body sets new target for use of sustainable aviation fuels

By: Rebecca Campbell 27th February 2018 The International Air Transport Association (Iata), the representative body for the global airline industry, has announced a target of having one-billion passengers fly in aircraft powered by a mixture of jet fuel and sustainable aviation fuel by 2025 – seven years from now. This objective was... →

The global airline industry has committed itself to greatly increasing its use of sustainable aviation fuels

Photo by Duane Daws/Creamer Media
The global airline industry has committed itself to greatly increasing its use of sustainable aviation fuels

Alternative fuel and vehicle technologies viable, necessary for SA

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 15th December 2017 Different fuel and vehicle technologies will be required for a successful and sustainable transition to a low-carbon future, and how the transport sector evolves amid growing global demand for energy will have a significant impact on efforts to address climate change, indicates energy giant Shell... →

Zuma promises ‘seamless’ ANC transition at energy indaba that sidesteps IRP debate

By: Terence Creamer 7th December 2017 President Jacob Zuma used his address at the Energy Indaba, taking place in Johannesburg this week, to assure business and investors that the upcoming African National Congress (ANC) elective conference would be “orderly and peaceful”, while promising a “seamless” handover to the new ANC... →

President Jacob Zuma and Energy Minister David Mahlobo

Shell collaboration helps power London buses with coffee waste

By: Nica Schreuder 20th November 2017 International energy and petrochemicals group Shell, in partnership with London-based clean technology company bio-bean and UK biodiesel producer Argent Energy, is helping power some of London’s buses through a new coffee biodiesel project – launched on Monday – which uses a biofuel made partly... →

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