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Biofuels News

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. →

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... →

New plug socket integrates USB ports

By: Mia Breytenbach 19th February 2016 Electrical distribution and protection equipment provider CBI-Electric: low voltage has launched a new 240 V alternating current Euro USB socket outlet that comprises two complementary plug sockets and two integral USB ports. “With the addition of this product to the company’s standard range,... →

UNIVERSAL CHARGING The socket’s configuration includes one three-pin SA, one Euro and two USB inlets

Premier energy event a must for energy businesses

By: Nadine James 5th February 2016 Africa Energy Indaba (AEI) MD Liz Hart says the value of attending the eighth yearly AEI is that industry stakeholders will meet the right people who can decide on energy transactions and implement them. →

DOING DEALS AND TAKING NAMES The Africa Energy Indaba is a great place to liaise with potential clients and create new partnerships

Call for government to incentivise renewable energy production

By: Nadine James 5th February 2016 The introduction of support programmes for both the commercial, and household or rural level, will boost growth in the biogas industry, which will subsequently assist with the increase of renewable-energy supply, waste management, job creation, skills transfer and carbon mitigation, says Southern... →

Photo by Bloomberg
ALL GASSED UP BMW's Rosslyn plant in Gauteng is one of ten commercial biogas operations in South Africa

Gas boilers reduce hospital carbon emissions

22nd January 2016 Public sector hospitals are leading government’s environment-friendly drive by replacing their coal-fired boilers with equipment that runs on compressed natural gas (CNG). →

GAS SUPPLY Dr Yusuf Dadoo Hospital makes use of CNG Holdings’ pressure regulating plant to supply gas to its boilers

Need for manufacturing of biofuel-fired boilers steadily increasing

By: Bruce Montiea 22nd January 2016 Owing to the price of biofuels becoming more competitive than that of traditional fuels, such as coal, oil and gas, the need for biofuel-fired boilers is steadily increasing, says Cape Town-based industrial boilers manufacturer John Thompson divisional technical manager Etienne de Villiers. →

COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL John Thompson carries out tests on a variety of biofuels, including torrefied biomass owing to growing demand for a cleaner and sustainable environment

Emerson inks $150m automation deal for Egypt petrochemicals plant

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 19th January 2016 Engineering solutions provider Emerson Process Management has signed a $150-million deal to provide automation and reliability technologies and services for petrochemical firm Carbon Holdings’ Tahrir petrochemicals project at Ain Sokhna, Egypt. When completed, the $6.9-billion Tahrir project, in... →

Creamer Media publishes Energy Roundup – December 2015 research report

By: Creamer Media Reporter 18th January 2016 The December 2015 roundup includes details of State-owned utility Eskom’s application to claw back R22.8-billion; South Africa’s ranking as an investment destination for renewable energy; and a nuclear expert’s thoughts on reactor designs for South Africa’s nuclear procurement programme, among... →

East Africa ripe for energy investment

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 2nd December 2015 East Africa is emerging as a “hotbed” for energy-related investments, not only for its robust economic growth, but also for its potential to become one of the largest producers and exporters of oil and natural gas in the world, research firm Frost & Sullivan reports. In its ‘East Africa Energy’... →

Sasol improves volumes, predicts strong 2016 output

By: Mia Breytenbach 23rd October 2015 Despite a highly volatile and uncertain macroeconomic environment, exacerbated by lower global oil prices, integrated energy and chemicals company Sasol has registered a strong operational and cost performance for the 2015 financial year. The company released its full-year results for the year... →

Photo by Sasol
BOOSTING ELEMENTS Sasol’s group-wide operational performance resulted from increased sales volumes, significant cost savings contribution and resilient gross margins

Business performance programme saves Sasol R2.5bn

By: Mia Breytenbach 23rd October 2015 The extensive business performance enhancement programme (BPEP), implemented in 2012 by integrated chemicals and energy company Sasol, has resulted in cost savings of R2.5-billion during 2015 – ahead of the group’s R1.5-billion financial-year target. Moreover, the group’s response plan to combat... →

Photo by Sasol
CONSERVATION IMPERATIVE Sasol still plans to deliver remaining cash conservation benefits of between R30-billion and R50-billion over the following 24 months

Auto manufacturer looking to develop diesel cars to run on converted CO2

23rd October 2015 Automotive manufacturer Ford Motor Company is spearheading a €3.5-million research project to investigate the use of alternative fuels that could offer customers the power and performance of modern internal combustion engines, with enhanced fuel efficiency and environmental benefits comparable to... →

Photo by Bloomberg
PROMISING TECHNOLOGY Ford’s project will test the first-ever cars to run on environment-friendly dimethyl ether and oxymethylene ether

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

By: Schalk Burger 23rd October 2015 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 off-take between 18 t... →

NAZMI ADAMS Afrox is exploring 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

Government urged to have holistic view of biofuels funding incentive

18th September 2015 Owing to the drop in global crude oil prices over the past year, the biofuels funding incentive is currently in a state of being revamped by government; however, global biofuel organisation PhytoEnergy Group has called for government to consider the possible gains of leaving the incentive as it... →

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