The plant, which will be built at Samancor ferrochrome smelter, will create 300 temporary jobs during construction, with an estimated 35 permanent jobs filled after completion.<\/p>\n
The ethanol plant will produce close to 60 million litres of ethanol per annum, estimated to produce enough fuel to eliminate the carbon footprint of around 250 000 cars on South African roads each year.<\/p>\n
The U.S. Trade and Development Agency issued a grant to the Pretoria based Swayana energy project developer for a feasibility study that will use innovative U.S. technologies to convert waste gas, known as off-gas, into ethanol, which will be sold into the green fuels market both locally and abroad.<\/p>\n
Also read: How to #ISaveWater, electricity and money with energy sufficient appliances<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n A pilot fermentation unit was shipped to South Africa, and successful fermentation tests have already been conducted.<\/p>\n The project, now in the engineering phase, will use proprietary technologies from Illinois based LanzaTech, to create ethanol from off-gas generated as a byproduct of ferroalloy smelting.<\/p>\n According to Swayana, the country has many miners beneficiation plants producing carbon-rich off-gasses but needs the technology to turn them into green fuel.<\/p>\n Former Middelburg Chemical Engineer and Swayana Director, Ms Ola Paton, confirmed during a business breakfast hosted by Mayor Bagudi Tolo, that construction of the plant will commence in 2019 and that the full-scale production would be ramped up to as early as 2020.<\/p>\n Also read: Solar geysers – Why pay for electricity when sunlight is free?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n The project will be funded by various shareholders, including the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, private operating partners and SA’s Industrial Development Corporation. The project is centred around the use of technologically advanced microbial fermentation of the carbon monoxide rich off-gas generated by two Samancor ferrochrome smelters.<\/p>\n The water supply for the bioreaction process will be sourced from the municipality and wastewater will be treated by Samancor.<\/p>\n The ethanol plant will be developed in a decommissioned building at Samancor near to the existing stacks and off-gas supply. The infrastructure will cover a maximum area of two hectares within the boundary of Samancor.<\/p>\n With larger production volumes anticipated, the ethanol will also be used as feedstock to the chemical industry, specifically for ethylene and polyethylene production.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n R10 000 reward for information<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n \u2018We should kill him\u2019 \u2013 Truck driver hears how hijackers argue about his fate<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n #TrafficUpdate: Avoid N4 near Machadodorp<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n VIDEO: Machadodorp two granted bail<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2022 Save our standby number (072 248 3855) and send us a WhatsApp message with the words \u201cAdd me\u201d to be added to our broadcast list.<\/p>\n \u2022 Like us on\u00a0Facebook<\/a>, follow us on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u2022 Subscribe to our\u00a0YouTube channel<\/a>.<\/p>\nOther News:<\/h3>\n
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