New technology will harness this smoke into thermal energy for heating. The thick plumes of black smoke only last two minutes.
GEORGE NEWS - The mystery of the black smoke billowing into the atmosphere from the George Sawmill for a few minutes at a time has been virtually solved by modern technology. Certain aspects of the technology are believed to be a first in South Africa.
The increasing global pressure on industry to reduce emissions known as the carbon footprint, has led to the government's announcement of the new Air Quality Act (Act No. 39 of 2004). The Act came into effect on 1 April 2010 bringing South Africa in line with international air emission standards.
In 2009 Cape Pine, previously known as MTO Forestry, had, after a two year investigation, initiated a project at their George Sawmill to implement cleaner burning technology as well as better utilization of the wood residue, a by-product of the sawmilling activity.
The George Sawmill, next to the historic railway station in the centre of town, is Cape Pine's primary mill serving the Outeniqua area and has 350 employees working at this 76-year-old plant.
The company nurtures, tends and harvests extensive tracts of pine plantations in the Southern and Eastern Cape and the Boland. It also operates sawmills in each of these areas.
The George Sawmill, under the leadership of Karl-Heinz Niemand and Johan Dekker, started looking at how to reduce the environmental risks and emission footprint at the mill. The mill has a substantial amount of dry and wet wood waste which is a potential fire hazard and could, through natural decomposition, emit greenhouse gases.
They approached Carbon Sphere, a South African Bio-Energy Company, to partner with them and assist in this problem. Carbon Sphere owns a proprietary Clean Technology that can convert the wood waste into renewable thermal energy and a high quality char product. At the same time it complies with international standards in air emissions. These three factors were very important to Cape Pine, as this would ensure that their operation in the middle of George would become sustainable and environmentally friendly.
Carbon Sphere has subsequently over the past year and a half successfully built their Bio-Energy plant at the mill and it became commercially operational during April of this year. They have had great success with the technology and processes and have converted the dry wood waste into high quality char, while providing Cape Pine with renewable thermal energy in the form of steam for their operational processes.
The char is currently being sold to a major fertilizing company where it is manufactured into a soil conditioner. This contributes to carbon storage.
The company has however confirmed that the project is not 100% complete, as they are currently experimenting with the wet wood waste, which sees them sometimes emitting black smoke for very short periods, due to the emissions not combusting properly.
They are however convinced that they comply with International Standards and the relevant new South African Air Quality Act. They see the plant as being one of the most sustainable and environmentally friendly sawmills, and this South African technology as one of the world's best Renewable Energy Technologies.
ARTICLE AND PHOTO: MYRON RABINOWITZ
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