KwaZulu-Natal Business 2016-17 edition
The 2016-17 edition of KwaZulu-Natal Business is the eighth issue of this highly successful publication that, since its launch in 2008, has established itself as the premier business and investment guide to the KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa. The province is unique in terms of its abundant natural and human resources, and is also one of the key drivers behind the South African economy. To complement the extensive local, national and international distribution of the print edition of the magazine (15 000 copies), the full content can also be viewed online at www.kwazulunatalbusiness.co.za. Updated information on KwaZulu-Natal is also available through our monthly e-newsletter, which you can subscribe to online at www.globalafricanetwork.com, in addition to our other business-to-business titles that cover all nine provinces, complemented by our flagship publication, South African Business.
The 2016-17 edition of KwaZulu-Natal Business is the eighth issue of this highly successful publication that, since its launch in 2008, has established itself as the premier business and investment guide to the KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa.
The province is unique in terms of its abundant natural and human resources, and is also one of the key drivers behind the South African economy.
To complement the extensive local, national and international distribution of the print edition of the magazine (15 000 copies), the full content can also be viewed online at www.kwazulunatalbusiness.co.za.
Updated information on KwaZulu-Natal is also available through our monthly e-newsletter, which you can subscribe to online at www.globalafricanetwork.com, in addition to our other business-to-business titles that cover all nine provinces, complemented by our flagship publication, South African Business.
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lower level. New transmission<br />
power lines from Mpumalanga<br />
are also being built, and the<br />
national Department of Energy<br />
is investing in an open-cycle gas<br />
turbine plant.<br />
Cogeneration<br />
Cogeneration (combining heat<br />
and power) is gaining in popularity,<br />
especially in the sugar-milling<br />
industry.<br />
Calcium carbide producer<br />
SA Calcium Carbide opened<br />
its R115-million plant in March<br />
2013, with the help of the Green<br />
Industries Strategic <strong>Business</strong> Unit<br />
of the Industrial Development<br />
Corporation. The plant will generate<br />
8MW and reduce by 20%<br />
SACC’s dependence on the national<br />
grid.<br />
Zest WEG Group is targeting<br />
the cogeneration sector in the<br />
province because of the company's<br />
special skills in this area,<br />
acquired when WEG bought Zest<br />
in 2010. WEG has been very active<br />
in Brazil in turning pulp, paper<br />
and sugar into fuel.<br />
Solar<br />
The growing popularity of solar<br />
water heaters has encouraged<br />
Durban manufacturer Solar Beam<br />
to spend R2.5-million on expanding<br />
its premises.<br />
A Solar Energy Institute is to<br />
be established in the province,<br />
a joint initiative between the<br />
University of <strong>KwaZulu</strong>-<strong>Natal</strong> and<br />
the Georgia Technology Institute<br />
of the USA.<br />
Wind<br />
OVERVIEW<br />
The Provincial Planning Commission is investigating wind channels and<br />
sunlight intensity levels in <strong>KwaZulu</strong>-<strong>Natal</strong>, and 37 turbines are proposed<br />
for a wind farm to be run by St Lucia Wind Farms Ltd near Hluhluwe.<br />
The Premier's office calculates this will carry an investment value of<br />
R150-million and has the potential for creating 100 jobs.<br />
Biomass<br />
Biomass technology is at the centre of the conversion scheme of South<br />
African Breweries at its Prospecton plant south of Durban. Methane-gas<br />
emissions from a nearby effluent plant are piped to the plant where<br />
they are converted to electricity.<br />
The eThekwini Municipality is spending R140-million on a plant<br />
that will convert methane gas from its major landfill sites. Lanele<br />
Resources and Amatala Resources have plans to produce fuel from<br />
municipal waste.<br />
Sea power<br />
A unique project is planned for the sea off the coast of Durban. Floridabased<br />
Hydro Alternative Energy Inc (HAE) believes that its Oceanus (TM)<br />
system will allow it to harness the power of the strong Agulhas current<br />
that runs along the <strong>KwaZulu</strong>-<strong>Natal</strong> coast. Previous sea-power systems<br />
have sought to use the power of tides. The R155-million project, which<br />
must still pass the scrutiny of environmental studies, has the support<br />
of Durban Investment Promotion and private companies.<br />
ONLINE RESOURCES<br />
Eskom: www.eskom.co.za<br />
KZN Energy: www.kznenergy.org.za<br />
National Department of Energy: www.energy.gov.za<br />
Southern African Bioenergy Association: www.saba.za.org<br />
Southern African Solar Thermal and Electricity Association:<br />
www.sastela.org/index.html<br />
South African Wind Energy Association: www.sawea.org.za<br />
Sustainable Energy Africa: www.sustainable.org.za<br />
Sustainable Energy Research Group: www.mecheng.ukzn.ac.za<br />
Sustainable Energy Society of Southern Africa:<br />
www.sessa.org.za<br />
89 KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS <strong>2016</strong>/<strong>17</strong>
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