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Sugar Growers, Millers and Refiners

Drives provide maximum capacity for mills

By: Simon Sonnekus 25th March 2016 The South Africa branch of German engineering company SEW Eurodrive is focused on producing energy efficient drives that can maximise the load and capacity of mills and refiners in the sugar industry. “A key point in the sugar industry is its need for motors and gearing solutions to provide... →

Corrosion cures for sugar cane industry

By: Simon Sonnekus 25th March 2016 Coatings manufacturer Kansai Plascon has reaffirmed its position in the sugar industry by providing holistic coating solutions that will prolong inevitable corrosion at sugar mills and refineries through implementing established specifications and seasoned systems. Kansai Plascon industrial and... →

Photo by Bloomberg
FILM THICKNESS Plascon ensures that the dry film thickness of the coating meets client requirements, with a full inspection conducted after the application

Sugar mill focuses on skills development

25th March 2016 South African sugar producer Illovo Sugar’s new technical academy located at the Eston sugar mill, in KwaZulu-Natal, will soon see large portions of the company’s agricultural, factory and management personnel attend a combination of intense in-classroom and on-the-job training to deliver... →

Photo by Bloomberg
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT The academy also presents the opportunity to extend the company’s agricultural programmes

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

Sugar mill to bolster operations with broad upgrades

25th March 2016 Durban-based sugar producer Umfolozi Sugar Mill have set its sights on producing a higher grade of sugar by introducing a new distributed control system (DCS) as well as upgrading several of its systems for the 2016/17 season. The company has invested in the multimillion-rand system from... →

Photo by Duane Daws
MORE SUGAR IN THE BAG Combined results of upgrade projects at Umfolozi Sugar Mill is expected to increase the overall recovery to an additional 600 t of sugar in the bag

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

Bittersweet report leads to prompt response from sugar company

25th March 2016 A report regarding sustainability issues in sugar cane production by the independent, not-for-profit research and network organisation Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) has rapped the Malawian division of South African sugar producer Illovo over the knuckles over issues... →

Nepean

By: Zandile Mavuso 25th March 2016 Establishment in in 1995, South African manufacturing company Nepean Conveyors strives to be one of the leading conveyor design, manufacturer and service company in Africa, as it aims to grow through delivering quality conveyors to the benefit of all stakeholders, formation of strategic alliances... →

Electrolysers efficient energy alternative in sugar industry

25th March 2016 With electrolyser proving to be an efficient source of energy in the sugar industry, Tshwane-based specialised engineering company RTS Africa Engineering believes that the use of hydrogen in electrolysers is potentially the energy carrier of the future. Electrolysis is the process of splitting... →

HYDROGEN NEL A electrolysers offer complete reliability and flexibility for the end-user, and are a highly cost effective solution to hydrogen generation

Production decline spurs sugar price increase

By: Pimani Baloyi 27th March 2015 The provisional recoverable value price of sugar from cane delivered in January 2015 for the 2014/15 season increased to R3 359.21/t, after a R1.18 increase in December 2014, according to the South African Cane Growers Association (Canegrowers). Canegrowers attributes the increase to a higher... →

Photo by Duane Daws
INDUSTRY SUPPORT Canegrowers represents about 23 866 private sugar cane growers, many of whom run small family-owned farms

$82m Zambia sugar project gets under way

By: Pimani Baloyi 27th March 2015 JSE-listed sugar producer Illovo Sugar’s $82-million construction project at its subsidiary Zambia Sugar’s Nakambala sugar plant will give momentum to the further development of Zambian smallholder cane farmers, as well as provide employment opportunities for local people during construction,... →

GAVIN DALGLEISH About 90% of Illovo Sugar Group’s energy requirement is produced through renewable energy

Sugar producer partners with college, develops local farmers

By: Pimani Baloyi 27th March 2015 JSE-listed agroprocessing company Tongaat Hulett has formed a partnership with the Umfolozi Technical and Vocational Education and Training College, in KwaZulu-Natal. This resulted in four of the college’s engineering students being placed at the Felixton mill to complete a 12-month work... →

EMPOWERMENT Peaceful Ndlovu is Tongaat Hulett's youngest black economic empowerment land reform growers

African sugar production expected to increase by 500 000 t

By: Pimani Baloyi 27th March 2015 African sugar production is expected to rise to 12-million tonnes in 2014/15 from 11.5-million tonnes in 2013/14, as a result of expansions in Ethiopia and Sudan, says the International Sugar Journal’s (ISJ’s) 2015 World Sugar Outlook. The report attributes the rise in sugar production on the... →

Event highlights industry outlook

27th March 2015 Discussions at the eleventh yearly Kingsman Dubai Sugar Conference – which took place from January 31 to February 3 in Dubai – focused on the 2015 to 2020 industry outlook, trader debates and refining updates, says global energy, petrochemicals, metals and agriculture information firm Platts.... →

Photo by Bloomberg
GLOBAL GROWTH FORECAST The eleventh Kingsman Dubai Sugar Conference provided a platform for critical debate on the sugar market's immediate and longer-term outlook

Sugar producer’s train weighing system replaced

27th March 2015 Static and dynamic weighing technology specialist Cardinal Weighbridge Company South Africa (CWCSA) has replaced the underperforming train weighing system at JSE-listed sugar producer Illovo Sugar’s Noodsberg mill in KwaZulu-Natal. Illovo Sugar Noodsberg project engineer Craig Lipsett says the... →

NOODSBERG MILL Prior to the installation of the new weighing system, many of Illovo Sugar’s rail cars were underfilled to prevent excess train weight exceeding the legal rail freight limit, set by Transnet Rail, which was costly for Illovo Sugar

Cost efficient blower available to sugar industry

By: Pimani Baloyi 27th March 2015 As South Africa’s sugar production industry faces several challenges, owing to an increase in imports and the subsequent negative impact on domestic sales, local machinery supplier Airgas Compressors says that its Aerzen Delta Blower Generation 5 roots blower provides a cost effective and... →

AERZEN DELTA BLOWER GENERATION 5 Demand for this roots blower has been high, despite economic challenges

Government considers sugar tax for South Africa

28th March 2014 The Department of Health (DoH) is considering introducing a sugar tax to encourage South Africans to consume less sugar, says DoH head of non-communicable diseases Melvyn Freeman. Freeman’s comments follow the publication of the World Health Organisation’s latest Global Cancer Report, which... →

Standard Bank poised to help grow local agriculture sector

28th March 2014 With more than 150 years of providing financial services and support to the agriculture sector, South African financial institute Standard Bank remains at the forefront of agricultural development with key partnerships with major agricultural role players, aimed at creating a sustainable sector,... →

Sugar cane used for sustainable packaging solutions

28th March 2014 There was strong progress in 2013 toward 2020 environmental targets which focused on developing sustainable products, reducing environmental footprint across the value chain and increasing recycling, reports food processing and packaging solutions business Tetra Pak. To make packaging products... →

Sugar cane poses some environmental threats

By: Carina Borralho 28th March 2014 The widespread practice of burning sugar cane prior to harvest is becoming a challenge, particularly in Southern Africa, as it causes air pollution and biomass residue (cane trash), which could otherwise be burned to generate heat and create electricity, says global policy research institute... →

SUSTAINABLE FOOD SOURCE The capacity of sugar cane to grow rapidly has made it the world’s number one energy crop

Setting standards for sugar cane

By: Carina Borralho 28th March 2014 To date, 3.66% of the world’s land that farms sugarcane has been certified as sustainable against the standard set by sustainability organisation Bonsucro, which is working at continuing to grow sustainability certification in sugar cane worldwide. “The 3.66% figure might seem like a small... →

New planting solutions for sugar cane in Brazil

28th March 2014 Growth technologies for sugar cane namely Plene Evolve and Plene PB, which were successfully launched in Brazil, in December, help sugar growers to increase yields and plant quality sugar cane by providing healthy young plants with an assurance of genetic purity, vigour and traceability, says... →

Engineering group focuses on heat exchange for sugar sector

By: Anine Kilian 26th April 2013 Engineering solutions provider Bearing Man Group (BMG) is focusing on extending its heat exchange business by encompassing a new partnership with ultrasonic cleaning and heating engineers SA Heat Exchange, which provides manufacture, refurbishment and repair service for BMG to all industries,... →

Sugar producer may open new mill in Moz

By: Anine Kilian 26th April 2013 South African sugar producer TSB intends to undertake a feasibility study for a new sugar production base, in Mozambique, this year. The feasibility study is the result of the right granted by the Mozambican government to TSB and its local partners to develop a 37 500 ha sugar cane growing... →

Cogeneration an option for sugar industry

By: Anine Kilian 26th April 2013 Sugar production in South Africa has recently declined, owing to factors such as climate change and the high cost of production, says information technology (IT) services and specialised solutions provider Adapt IT, which adds that there is potential for growth in the industry that could come... →

Industry explores green charcoal

By: Anine Kilian 26th April 2013 South African sugar cane growers are developing an innovative and scalable technology to produce green charcoal, which will increase growers’ revenue and generate value from excess biomass. “We are interested in producing green charcoal because it would create a parallel industry to the existing... →

Cheaper imports affect supply and demand in South African sugar industry

26th April 2013 The South African Sugar Association (Sasa) reports that the local sugar industry is suffering, owing to imports from countries such as Brazil, which means that local consumption of South African-produced sugar is likely to be less than what the industry hopes for. Since April 2012, the amount of... →

Industry to diversify beyond sugar production

By: Zandile Mavuso 6th July 2012 Sugarcane crop production in the 2011/12 season recovered somewhat from the effects of the drought experienced in the 2010/11 season, the South African Cane Growers’ Association (Canegrowers) reports →

Joint cane supply projects to promote sustainability, redevelopment

By: Zandile Mavuso 6th July 2012 The sustainability of small-scale growers (SSGs) is important to sugar producer TSB and it plays an important role in the company achieving its goal of improving shareholder value through its core business activities. →

Automation solution increases sugar factories’ productivity

6th July 2012 Industrial automation company Rockwell Automation reports that its Integrated Architecture solution has assisted two sugar factories in Mauritius to increase productivity. →

Steam thermocompressor to save costs for KZN sugar mill

By: Zandile Mavuso 6th July 2012 Steam jet equipment manufacturer Applied Vacuum has supplied a KwaZulu-Natal sugar mill with two steam jet thermocompressors to replace the mill’s mechanical vapour recompressor (MVR). →

Water treatment specialist assists in upgrade

6th July 2012 Wastewater treatment specialist Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies South Africa was contracted to design, install and commission a reverse osmosis (RO) plant for a KwaZulu-Natal sugar refinery. →

Technology to enhance efficiency

6th July 2012 Industrial consumables and engineering firm Bearing Man Groups’ (BMG’s) belting division has launched two products, the Megaroller idler range and the Super-Screw splice range, to assist in the conveying of sugar →

Sugar producer aims to extract maximum value from sugar cane

By: Zandile Mavuso 6th July 2012 Sugar producer Illovo aims to limit its waste and improve the return on every stick of sugar cane by producing and marketing a number of niche, high-value downstream products in addition to its core products of sugarcane fibre, sugar and molasses. →

R100m boiler contract contributes to higher output at Swazi mill

By: Tracy Hancock 1st July 2011 Boiler and environmental solutions company John Thompson has completed a R100-million turnkey contract to produce and install an industrial watertube boiler, which will increase the hourly output of sugar producer Illovo Sugar’s Ubombo mill, in Swaziland, by over 20%. →

Technology to enhance sugar industry performance

By: Tracy Hancock 1st July 2011 Sugar producer TSB Sugar’s Komati mill, in Mpumalanga, will be the first sugar mill in South Africa to commercially use near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy to analyse sugar juices and sugar intermediary products. →

Diffuser chain supplied to Sezela sugar mill

By: Tracy Hancock 1st July 2011 Industrial consumables supplier Bearing Man Group (BMG) has supplied about R10-million worth of Tsubaki NFP250 chain to sugar producer Illovo Sugar’s Sezela mill, in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). The 2.6 km of chain was used to replace the mill’s two existing diffuser chains, in March, as they had... →

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