NEWS

Promoting Energy Efficient Technologies for South Africa's Industry
Combined Heat and Power (CHP) and Multi-Fuel (MF) technology cooperation

Background

In the G8 Heiligendamm Summit Declaration on Growth and Responsibility in the World Economy it is stated that current innovations in power station design bear significant saving potential. Therefore, the G8 country leaders will adopt instruments and measures to significantly increase the share of combined heat and power CHP in the generation of electricity and at the same time inviting emerging economies to also adopt instruments and measures to significantly increase the share of (CHP) in power generation technologies. The benefits of increased CHP investment shall be showcased and analysed by quantifying the associated energy, economic and environmental benefits that might result from greater use of these technologies. The ELP project responds thus to South Africa's goals to promote energy saving and to reduce the negative impact of extensive energy use on the environment and on the competitiveness of the economy. The ELP started early in 2016 and is designed as an 18 months multi-stakeholder initiative to demonstrate the application of CHP and MF technologies in an industrial plant environment within the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) industry in South Africa. Relevant knowledge and practical skills of university staff and post- and undergraduates students will be developed by incorporating state of the art technologies into practical and academic programmes.

Outputs in 2016

  1. An approach based on a competitive call was designed and requested industry partnerships at a very early stage in proposal development.
  2. The project proposal of the Vaal University of Technology/VUT Technology Station in collaboration with their technology partner and a FMCG industry partner had been selected an experiential learning project.
  3. Funding was secured for up to R 2.5 million from the South-African Department for Science and Technology (DST) for technology demonstration equipment while GIZ provides a similar amount for skills transfer and training measures implemented by PEM CONSULT and its partner Mesopartner South-Africa.
  4. The training programme within South Africa and in Germany, including practical and workplace experience is under implementation since mid-2016.

Main developments in 2017

VUT staff and students have been capacitated in CHP technologies, energy management systems & simulation, steam and condensate control, boiler supervision & management and heat exchanger technologies in various training sessions. Pending commissioning of the CHP/MF demonstration unit at the industry partner's site, the VUT students will start their on-the-job training at comparable industry plants in March 2017. However, they were given the opportunity to present their learning experiences in February 2017 to a larger academic public. The project will concentrate in 2017 to intensify theoretical and practical training of students and VUT staff engaged and to facilitate demonstration and technology verification at a new adequate industry site.

Although the project is only intended to build a certain technological capability (CHP and multi-fuel), the VUT is now using the ELP project approach as a basis to build a much broader green technology and energy platform. Additionally collaboration agreements between the VUT and two participating German Universities of Technology have been developed. There is a large potential for academic cooperation as well as practical exchange on energy saving issues for both side's benefits. Three of the South African students will work in Germany at a technical university and in industry for 3 weeks and there is an additional option to participate in a German university research and development program on steam production for 3 months in 2017.