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Biofuels News

Amid challenges, power sector offers massive opportunities

By: Nadine James 17th March 2017 Although the power and electricity sector in Africa faces massive challenges, it also offers massive opportunities, says Power & Electricity World Africa (PEWA) event organiser Terrapinn. →

First continuous hydrothermal liquefaction production plant launched at NWU

By: David Oliveira 17th March 2017 South Africa’s first continuous hydrothermal liquefaction plant was launched at North-West University (NWU) earlier this month, which will result in the production of bio-oils, bio-char, biochemicals and biogas. The plant is one of the outputs of the Department of Science and Technology- and the... →

Programme to accelerate investment implemented

17th February 2017 The African Union’s (AU’s) planning body, the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad), is undertaking an exercise that will accelerate the development and implementation of Africa’s high priority renewable energy projects and will be organising a showcase at the Africa Energy Indaba for... →

Photo by Duane Daws
MOMENT IN THE SUN Governments will be showcasing high priority renewable energy projects to attract private sector participation and investment

Third Women in Energy conference cohosted at Energy Indaba

17th February 2017 The yearly Women in Energy conference, organised by the Africa Energy Indaba, will bring together Africa’s leading women in the energy sector for its third iteration on Monday, February 20 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. The Africa Energy Indaba was the first energy conference... →

DOING IT FOR THEMSELVES The Women in Energy conference is designed to aid the increase in leadership and development of women involved in the African energy sectors

Biogas needs favourable REIPPPP allocation for sustainable development

By: Nadine James 17th February 2017 The measureable and sustainable development of South Africa’s biogas industry requires projects, and therefore a favourable Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) allocation, to prove sufficient financial viability to financial institutions is essential.... →

NEW HORIZONS The recently completed biogas upgrade project in Athlone

Conference hopes to catalyse African energy revolution

By: Nadine James 17th February 2017 The 2017 Africa Energy Indaba will enable African energy sector stakeholders to evaluate opportunities and the means to pursue them that could unlock the continent’s energy potential and spark something of an energy revolution, says Indaba organising company Siyenza. “The African continent has... →

BOOSTING ENERGY The Africa Energy Indaba brings together politicians and energy luminaries to envision and catalyse decisions that will enhance access to energy

Exponential increase in the number of power generation projects

By: Nadine James 17th February 2017 The African continent’s large energy deficit has resulted in an exponential increase in the number of power generation projects – both planned and implemented – as well as the number of stakeholders which are a consequence of renewed commercial interest in the African energy sector, says... →

TSIDISO DISENYANA Foreign investment is targeted at establishing Africa’s green economy, therefore renewables will become a driver of socioeconomic growth

Innovation earns company biofuels award

9th December 2016 Market research company and consulting firm Frost & Sullivan has awarded its 2016 Company of the Year Award to South African renewable-energy company Biogreen for its innovative performance and customer impact in the production of biodiesel from used cooking oil. Biogreen offers its suppliers and... →

Research ongoing to further develop biogas in South Africa

9th December 2016 Despite the biogas sector being a well developed industry globally, ongoing research continues to further develop and strengthen the industry in South Africa, highlights the South African Biogas Industry Association (Sabia). The association notes that a variety of biogas applications have been... →

First local seed selection to take place at Project Solaris

By: Anine Kilian 14th October 2016 South African seed selection for research and development company Sunchem’s solaris crop – a nicotine-free tobacco variety that yields significant amounts of sustainable oil for biojet fuel feedstock – has started taking place locally for the first time since the launch of Project Solaris in... →

Sunchem South Africa project manager Samantha Hampton

New blending method may slash energy needed to produce bioethanol-enriched petrol by up to 40%

By: Schalk Burger 7th October 2016 A simple gasoline-ethanol blending method will reduce the energy required to produce a bioethanol-enriched gasoline mix by between 17% and 40%, and can potentially be applied to other biofuel blends. Three South African scientists, Dr Neil Stacey and Aristoklis Hadjitheodorou of the University of... →

Coega positions itself as energy mix hub

By: Nadine James 23rd September 2016 A growing number of manufacturing opportunities have been created and sustained through the approach of diversifying the energy mix in the Eastern Cape, which has seen the development of several energy investment projects worth more than R3.5-billion. The Coega Industrial Development Zone (IDZ)... →

GREEN SHOOTS OF GROWTH Special economic zones have managed to attract foreign and local investment in a lackluster economic environment

Commercial bamboo production may have biofuel potential

By: Dylan Slater 16th September 2016 According to Africa-focused bamboo technology company Afribam, growing bamboo commercially could create biofuel possibilities for commercial power generation and serve to sequestrate a percentage of carbon emitted by the same power generation facilities. →

Bamboo specialist Adrian Sutton tells Engineering News about the opportunities of commercially growing bamboo. Camerawork and Editing: Nicholas Boyd.

South Africa needs to make clean-fuel call as deadline looms

9th September 2016 Creamer Media’s Samantha Herbst talks to Engineering News editor Terence Creamer about the delay in upgrading the country’s refineries for the supply of cleaner fuel. →

South Africa needs to make clean-fuel call as deadline looms

Carbon offset regulations could have major financial implications for businesses

By: Dylan Slater 19th August 2016 Draft regulations on carbon offsets, which were published for comment by the National Treasury on June 20, under the Carbon Tax Bill, are due to come into effect in early 2017 and could have significant financial implications for businesses in South Africa, according to legal services firm Cliffe... →

Remediation of waste tyres reduces carbon emissions

By: Kimberley Smuts 12th August 2016 The Recycling and Economic Development Initiative of South Africa (Redisa) has adopted several tactics to remediate waste tyres and, ultimately, reduce carbon emissions. This includes processing waste tyres using pyrolysis, crumbing and controlled burning in cement kilns. From January last year... →

Fuel efficient equipment launched

By: Sascha Solomons 12th August 2016 Following the launch of its fuel efficient robust Hyundai Robex R180LC-9S excavator in South Africa earlier this year, earthmoving equipment distributor and manufacturer High Power Equipment Africa (HPE Africa) plans to market the product, owing to its fuel efficiency in the local environment.... →

MEETING INDUSTRY DEMANDS The Hyundai Robex R180LC-9S excavator can generate bigger digging power in proportion to its working pressure and cylinder bore size

Bio2Watt appoints Anaergia to manage biogas plant, looks to expand

By: Irma Venter 10th August 2016 The day-to-day management of South Africa’s first commercial biogas plant have shifted to biogas expert Anaergia Africa, part of the Anaergia international group of companies, as from July. Anaergia Africa will manage the plant in a two-year contract. →

Sean Thomas

Boeing, Mango in Africa's first jet biofuel flight

By: Anine Kilian 15th July 2016 Aircraft manufacturer Boeing, along with South African Airways (SAA) and its low-cost carrier Mango on Friday celebrated Africa’s first commercial passenger flights using sustainable aviation biofuel. The flights used sustainable jet biofuel produced from research and development company... →

Sustainable disposal methods to be investigated

8th July 2016 The rise in waste generated by South Africa has led to the need for responsible and environment-friendly disposal methods. According to local waste management business Interwaste sales and marketing director Jason McNeil the default method of disposal for many years has been directing this waste... →

Photo by Duane Daws
Caption: WASTE DISPOSAL Companies are being driven to innovate by changing methods of disposal

South Africa takes steps to nurture nascent biomanufacturing industry

By: David Oliveira 1st July 2016 The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research’s (CSIR’s) Biomanufacturing Industry Development Centre (BIDC), a biomanufacturing innovation hub aimed at supporting small, medium-sized and microenterprises (SMMEs) to enter the local bio-industry, will have provided about R50-million worth of... →

Creamer Media publishes Energy Roundup for June 2016 research report

20th June 2016 The June 2016 roundup covers activities across South Africa for May 2016 and includes details of Russia’s State nuclear agency’s plans to sign cooperation agreements with Kenya, Uganda and Zambia to lay the groundwork for an expanded presence in sub-Saharan Africa; the Department of Energy’s... →

Megabus buys ten CNG buses to be fuelled using Free State gas

By: Mia Breytenbach 17th June 2016 Unitrans’s subsidiary Megabus has procured ten Scania, 280 hp, 100% compressed natural gas (CNG) buses, which it will trial for the next five years at its Free State operations. The official handover of the buses, which comprise the first Euro 6 bus engines in South Africa, was concluded in... →

Photo by Duane Daws
ANTHONY KING Each bus has eight carbon fibre compressed natural gas tanks, which will allow for about 1 200 m3 of gas

Sappi to establish pilot renewable sugar extraction demo plant

By: Natasha Odendaal 14th June 2016 Pulp and paper group Sappi was preparing to explore and optimise the extraction of biorenewable chemicals after signing an agreement with global supplier Valmet to build a second-generation sugar extraction demonstration plant at the Ngodwana mill. The industrial size plant, which would come... →

Draft regulations, if adopted, will boost biofuels investment

By: Dylan Slater 10th June 2016 Business intelligence provider Oxford Business Group (OBG) state that although solar and wind energy are the main focus for South Africa’s renewable-energy segment, Cabinet will discuss draft regulations on the biofuel industry later this year, thereby paving the way for the potential development... →

Biofuels tested for boiler efficiency

By: Sebastian Whyle 3rd June 2016 Owing to growing global demand for a cleaner and more sustainable environment, boiler and environmental solutions provider John Thompson has, over the past few years, carried out a series of tests by firing a variety of biomass fuels on boilers installed at the company’s Boiler Development and... →

EFFECTIVE BURNING Tests have shown that these fuels can be burnt effectively on existing chain-grate stoker coal-fired boilers

Nersa to propose a coal benchmark cost as part of its multiyear price determination for Eskom

By: Creamer Media Reporter 16th May 2016 The May 2016 roundup covers activities across South Africa for April 2016 and includes details of the National Energy Regulator of South Africa’s proposal to introduce a coal benchmark cost as part of its final decision on Eskom’s multiyear price determination process; environmental group... →

CSIR launches biomanufacturing facility to support local bio-industry

By: David Oliveira 13th May 2016 The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) on Friday launched the R90-million Biomanufacturing Industry Development Centre (BIDC) facility at the CSIR’s main campus in Pretoria. The R90-million investment had resulted in new infrastructure, pilot-scale equipment, enterprise support... →

Energy storage possible standby for grid failure

By: Simon Sonnekus 22nd April 2016 While energy storage may seem like a viable option for standby power initiatives during grid failure, several issues first need to resolved for it to be implemented, South African National Energy Development Institute’s Renewable Energy Centre of Research and Development manager Dr Karen... →

Creamer Media publishes Energy Roundup for April 2016 research report

11th April 2016 The April 2016 roundup covers activities across South Africa for March 2016 and includes details of a North Gauteng High Court Judge’s dismissal of a court application to postpone the 9.4% electricity tariff increase, which the National Energy Regulator of South Africa approved on March 1; the... →

Alternative energy systems boosting African industrial supply chains

By: Schalk Burger 8th April 2016 Alternative energy and storage systems are being used to make various portions of African industrial supply chains more effective and resilient, as well as control energy costs and production disruptions, says electrical equipment specialist firm Eaton alternative energy specialist Winfried... →

Expected decline in sugar cane crop

By: Simon Sonnekus 25th March 2016 The drought in the eastern part of South Africa will lead to a projected decline in sugar production of 500 000 t, says South African Sugar Association (Sasa) executive director Trix Trikam. “The strategic crop, which is grown in Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal, yields an average of 2.3-million tons... →

RAIN NEEDED Since November 2014 to date, producers have noted an average decrease of about 60% of the required rainfall

Drought, low oil price weighing down ethanol industry

By: Simon Sonnekus 25th March 2016 The ethanol industry in South Africa remains lacklustre, owing to various issues, including low Brent crude oil prices, the persisting drought in the sugar cane-producing regions and the lack of policy implementation, says Ethanol Producers Association of Southern Africa chairperson Peter... →

Photo by Bloomberg
DETREMENTAL DROUGHT The end of the current drought will ensure crop production is restored fully

5.7% decline in half-year revenue for sugar producer

25th March 2016 Agriculture, agroprocessing and sugar producer Tongaat Hulett has noted a 5.7% decline in half-year revenue, generating an operating profit for the 2015/16 sugar season. The sugar season, which runs from April 1 to March 31 yearly has been beleaguered by drought during the current season which... →

Photo by Bloomberg
STRUGGLING MARKET Tongaat Hulett’s various sugar operations’ revenue totalled R5-billion up until September

Locally produced flocculants provide cost-effective solutions

By: Simon Sonnekus 25th March 2016 With increasing productivity and water availability being the biggest challenges for sugar and ethanol plants, chemicals group AECI’s wholly owned water, energy and air solutions subsidiary ImproChem has reaffirmed its focus to provide sustainable solutions for the sugar industry. →

SIMON TRESTON The new SENFLOC range of products is suited to the market as it has a unique property in uncurling to reach maximum expansion

Subscription Offer: Two-years for the price of one

29th February 2016 Subscribe to Engineering News and Mining Weekly for two years, but only pay for the first year. The weekly editions of Engineering News and Mining Weekly will be posted to your preferred postal address and also gain access to: →

Monthly roundup of energy news fills a gap in the market

22nd February 2016 In South Africa's fast evolving energy environment, Creamer Media's newly launched Energy Roundup fills a gap in the market as it provides readers with accurate, concise and well-structured summaries of key news and policy developments in the energy sector. Announcements by Eskom, Nersa and... →

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