A biomass-to-energy plant is being built to convert sugar-cane waste into ‘green charcoal’, which will provide additional revenue for small-scale farmers in Nkomazi, Mpumalanga, says consulting engineering firm Aurecon project manager Jean Bouwer.

Second-generation biomass-to-energy technologies convert waste or residual biomass into energy products, which include solid and liquid fuels, electricity and gases. Residual biomass, including plantation and process waste, alien vegetation and municipal solid waste, can be used to generate revenue and reduce operational costs, he explains.

“Aurecon’s biomass-to-energy service offering will be a catalyst for economic develop- ment and job and wealth creation in rural Nkomazi. The Mpumalanga Cane Growers Association contracted Aurecon and sugar producer TSB Sugar to undertake a feasibility study to investigate ways to boost economic development in the Nkomazi district through a biomass-to-energy initiative,” says Aurecon project coordinator Unathi Mdaka.

The Nkomazi study focused on small-scale sugar-cane growers and received €100 000 funding from the EEP Fund, a partnership between the governments of Finland and Austria, hosted by the Development Bank of Southern Africa.

The feasibility study and financial model confirmed that the production of ‘green charcoal’ from the sugar-cane plantation waste for the domestic and international markets is the most feasible opportunity to pursue.

Meanwhile, the project has also sparked interest from the Industrial Development Corporation and the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform’s Enterprise Development Programme.

The project has created 43 jobs during its development and will create a further 48 jobs when operational. It saw R12.52-million invested in the area during development and will provide a further R6.95-million each year in revenue to the area during operations.

The project aims to reduce the ecological impact of invader plant species, as these can readily be included in the production process and prove that renewable energy can stimulate economic development in rural areas.

“Biomass-to-energy solutions also present an ideal opportunity for possible independent power producers to support South Africa’s renewable-energy targets and contribute positively to reducing the energy shortage in South Africa. These opportunities exist throughout South Africa and offer distributed energy generation opportunities,” adds Aurecon technical director At van der Merwe.

The business model developed for this technology aims to make the processing of sugar-cane residue a viable new opportunity and to enable small-scale sugar-cane growers to improve the revenue and sustainability of their sugar plantations, explains Mpumalanga Cane Growers Association grower affairs manager Justin Murray.

“Recent advances in the biomass-to- energy conversion technologies have delivered more versatile and well-priced plants, which enable the production of a wide array of tradable commodities from a wide range of biomass types,” he highlights.

The company has also developed an integrated biomass transport and logistics model, developed in-house. Transporting feedstock to a conversion plant has been a primary stumbling block in terms of project realisation. This model was developed to improve the transport and material handling costs of biomass-to- energy undertakings, explains Mdaka.

“Aurecon’s biomass-to-energy service offering can help a wide variety of stakeholders to achieve economic development that enhances the welfare of impoverished communities through the proved job creation, while protecting the environment by replacing fossil fuels with cleaner organic fuels and other products,” he concludes.