Biodiesel to provide widespread opportunities

A PROJECT to manufacture diesel from soya beans would provide widespread opportunities to farmers and entrepreneurs, the chief executive of the project said on Monday.

“Biodiesel is an environmentally friendly fuel manufactured from plant oils such as those of sunflowers and cotton, but primarily from soya beans,” said Evergreen Biofuels CEO Frans Hugo. Hugo said he had been part of the South African team that pioneered the technology to manufacture and refine the fuel in the 1980s.”The production of biodiesel will lead to many opportunities in the area around Bethal, Mpumalanga, where the refinery is to be built.”These will include use of by-products of the manufacturing process which entrepreneurs can start businesses with.”Hugo said once the oil had been pressed from soya beans, a protein-rich substance called oil cake was left behind, which could be used for animal and human food.”The demand is very high in the animal feed industry as South Africa currently imports 600,000 tons of the oil cake annually for that.”Many up-and-coming farmers in the area can then go into the animal feed business or reduce their animal feed costs as a result.”The company Evergreen, a joint venture of SA Biodiesel, which provides the technology, and Kalahari Biodiesel, a BEE company that provides the financial backing, hoped to produce 10 million litres of the fuel annually from 65 000 tonnes of soya.”Another by-product of biodiesel production is glycerine.That has many applications in the cosmetics industry such as luxury soaps.Locals could start up businesses around that.”Hugo said the company planned to sell biodiesel to oil companies who would then mix it with the mineral diesel available at filling stations.Biodiesel could be safely mixed with mineral diesel in any proportion and it could eventually replace diesel completely as fossil fuels depleted worldwide.”The refinery is to start production in June next year to coincide with the soya harvest.We plan to start its construction in October and be done by May next year.”Hugo said the Mpumalanga Agricultural Development Corporation had agreed to help black farmers in the area start producing soya and to become shareholders in the refinery.”The opportunity is open to established white farmers and to emerging black farmers to supply soya beans and to invest in the refinery.”But farmers need not invest in order to simply supply us with soya.” – Nampa-SapaHugo said he had been part of the South African team that pioneered the technology to manufacture and refine the fuel in the 1980s.”The production of biodiesel will lead to many opportunities in the area around Bethal, Mpumalanga, where the refinery is to be built.”These will include use of by-products of the manufacturing process which entrepreneurs can start businesses with.”Hugo said once the oil had been pressed from soya beans, a protein-rich substance called oil cake was left behind, which could be used for animal and human food.”The demand is very high in the animal feed industry as South Africa currently imports 600,000 tons of the oil cake annually for that.”Many up-and-coming farmers in the area can then go into the animal feed business or reduce their animal feed costs as a result.”The company Evergreen, a joint venture of SA Biodiesel, which provides the technology, and Kalahari Biodiesel, a BEE company that provides the financial backing, hoped to produce 10 million litres of the fuel annually from 65 000 tonnes of soya.”Another by-product of biodiesel production is glycerine.That has many applications in the cosmetics industry such as luxury soaps.Locals could start up businesses around that.”Hugo said the company planned to sell biodiesel to oil companies who would then mix it with the mineral diesel available at filling stations.Biodiesel could be safely mixed with mineral diesel in any proportion and it could eventually replace diesel completely as fossil fuels depleted worldwide.”The refinery is to start production in June next year to coincide with the soya harvest.We plan to start its construction in October and be done by May next year.”Hugo said the Mpumalanga Agricultural Development Corporation had agreed to help black farmers in the area start producing soya and to become shareholders in the refinery.”The opportunity is open to established white farmers and to emerging black farmers to supply soya beans and to invest in the refinery.”But farmers need not invest in order to simply supply us with soya.” – Nampa-Sapa